The Midnight team has successfully minted the entire 24 billion NIGHT token supply ahead of the launch of Cardano’s highly anticipated privacy-focused sidechain mainnet. The minting was finalized on October 14, 2025, at 5:34 PM, ensuring that all tokens are now securely stored on-chain as Cardano Native Assets. This milestone marks a significant advancement toward the planned distribution phases and the utility of the NIGHT token within the ecosystem.
All minted NIGHT tokens are locked in a smart contract designed to prevent any premature movement, ensuring transparency throughout the upcoming distribution phases. The Midnight team has emphasized that this approach provides a permanent and verifiable record on the Cardano blockchain. Detailed information regarding the distribution and release timelines is embedded in the minting transaction, which adheres to a strict schedule aimed at preventing early access and ensuring fairness among all eligible wallets.
The first phase of distribution, known as the Glacier Drop, concluded on October 20, 2025, after successfully reaching over 34 million eligible wallets across multiple blockchain networks, including ADA, BTC, ETH, XRP, BNB, and SOL. This phase was meticulously structured to promote broad distribution of NIGHT tokens. Additionally, support for Ledger and Trezor wallets was introduced in August 2025, allowing Bitcoin users to verify their eligibility without needing to transfer funds, further enhancing accessibility for potential participants.
The Glacier Drop phase plays a crucial role in moving Midnight toward its goals of decentralization and effective token distribution. Following the completion of this phase, the Scavenger Mine will initiate, introducing a unique challenge-based system where users can earn additional NIGHT token rewards by solving puzzles and completing challenges.
As the Midnight project progresses, the Scavenger Mine phase is set to offer users an engaging way to increase their NIGHT token holdings. Once this phase concludes, the Redemption Phase will commence, enabling eligible users to claim their tokens and activating other allocations such as block rewards and network reserves.
Cardano stake pool operators are also set to benefit from the upcoming mainnet activation, as they will earn rewards in both ADA and NIGHT tokens. Operators like ENIGMA have demonstrated their capability by producing over 756 blocks on the testnet, reinforcing the project’s roadmap and readiness for the mainnet launch.
The mainnet launch is on track for Q4 2025, with over 100 ecosystem partners backing the network’s growth. The successful minting of the NIGHT token signifies a robust on-chain presence as Midnight continues its transition toward a fully operational decentralized network.
