The Berachain Foundation, the organization behind the innovative Proof-of-Liquidity (PoL) layer-1 blockchain, has officially announced a major $647 million airdrop of its native BERA token.
The airdrop coincides with the launch of Berachain's mainnet on February 6, 2025. This event marks a significant milestone in the blockchain ecosystem, with Berachain positioning itself as a formidable contender to Ethereum and Solana.
The airdrop will distribute 79 million BERA tokens to a diverse group of participants within the Berachain ecosystem. Per Aevo’s perpetual futures data, BERA is trading at around $8.2, valuing the total airdrop at approximately $647 million.
BERA tokens will be distributed to eligible participants, including testnet users, NFT holders, and community builders. The airdrop will focus primarily on holders of Bong Bears NFTs and other related NFT projects such as Bond, Boo, Baby, Band, and Bit Bears. This group will receive 34.5 million of the BERA tokens, especially those who bridge their NFTs to the Berachain network.
In addition, over 8.2 million BERA tokens will be allocated to users who participated in Berachain's public testnets, Artio and bArtio.
Also, Berachain is targeting a wide range of participants for this airdrop, from NFT holders and social media supporters to those who have interacted with the network's ecosystem through dApps. Starting February 6, users will be able to claim their tokens.
However, additional claims for those involved in social media engagements or the “Request for Brobosal” campaign will begin on February 10.
According to Berachain, the airdrop is designed to reward both early supporters and active participants.
As the gas token for transactions and a staking token to secure the network, BERA will play a crucial role in the Berachain ecosystem. A detailed breakdown of the tokenomics reveals that:
13.1% of the total supply will be allocated to community initiatives.
20% will be reserved for ecosystem research and development.
16.8% will go to the initial core contributors.
34.3% is designated for investors.
This structure ensures that Berachain remains focused on rewarding its community and fostering further development of its ecosystem. Additionally, the network will distribute 1.25 million BERA tokens to community members active on social platforms.
Berachain has also partnered with Binance to distribute 10 million BERA tokens to holders of Binance Coin (BNB). Those who subscribed to Binance’s 'BNB to Simple Earn' program between January 22 and 26 will be eligible for this special airdrop as part of the Binance HODLer Airdrops campaign.
Berachain is an Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM)-identical blockchain that integrates a unique PoL consensus mechanism. Unlike traditional consensus mechanisms, PoL aligns the incentives of participants, improving the security and scalability of the network.
With the launch of the mainnet, Berachain aims to address the "cold start problem" that early blockchains often face, offering meaningful interactions for users and applications right from day one.
The network’s mainnet has already generated significant buzz in the crypto community, primarily due to its innovative approach and the technical support of early funding. Berachain successfully raised $142 million in two funding rounds, helping it prepare for this major milestone.