qerranews 
At Paris Blockchain Week 2025, Cardano founder Charles Hoskinson made a major announcement that could reshape how privacy and interoperability are viewed in the blockchain space. During his keynote, Hoskinson confirmed that the much-anticipated Midnight airdrop—dubbed the “Glacier Drop”—will extend to 37 million users across multiple blockchain ecosystems, including holders of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, and notably, XRP.
This broad outreach marks a pivotal moment for Cardano’s Midnight sidechain, a privacy-focused protocol designed to facilitate secure, compliant data exchange through advanced cryptographic techniques. Hoskinson emphasized that the airdrop’s cross-chain compatibility showcases a key innovation in blockchain evolution: chain abstraction. This feature allows users to interact with Midnight using native tokens from their respective chains—such as ADA, ETH, BTC, or XRP—without needing to wrap or convert them.
XRP’s inclusion in the Midnight ecosystem further underscores the increasingly collaborative relationship between Cardano and Ripple communities. Ripple recently acknowledged Cardano’s ecosystem by prominently featuring its logo in a tokenization promotional video, indicating a growing synergy between the two blockchain giants.
Hoskinson also used his time on stage to outline the broader context of blockchain development, categorizing the industry’s growth into four generational phases:
- First Generation – Decentralization, with Bitcoin as the primary example.
- Second Generation – Smart contracts and programmable blockchains, epitomized by Ethereum.
- Third Generation – Focused on scalability and interoperability, critical for enabling seamless cross-chain communication.
- Fourth Generation (Current Phase) – Privacy-focused innovations, with projects like Midnight leading the way.
According to Hoskinson, privacy isn’t just a feature—it’s a foundational pillar of the next phase in decentralized technology. Midnight is Cardano’s response to this demand, offering a sidechain that integrates both shielded transactions and governance mechanisms while maintaining regulatory compliance.
The airdrop will feature two distinct tokens:
- NIGHT: The governance token with a fixed supply, used for voting and network participation.
- DUST: A non-transferable utility token enabling shielded transactions, providing privacy while still adhering to compliance protocols.
The Midnight team has been steadily progressing toward launch. Recent updates include improvements to the testnet’s scalability and developer tools, such as a compatibility matrix and a release overview page. Additionally, Midnight has partnered with OpenZeppelin to co-develop a privacy-centric DeFi framework, further boosting developer confidence and adoption potential.
As blockchain ecosystems continue to evolve, Cardano’s strategic focus on privacy and chain interoperability positions it at the forefront of the fourth-generation crypto movement. With 37 million users set to benefit from the Midnight airdrop, the Glacier Drop could become one of the most inclusive and far-reaching initiatives in Web3 history.
Whether you’re a longtime ADA holder or part of the XRP, Ethereum, or Bitcoin communities, this airdrop is a moment worth watching—and potentially participating in—as Cardano pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in decentralized, privacy-preserving technology.