Ethereum Layer 2 Taiko announces genesis airdrop ahead of mainnet

Taiko, an Ethereum Layer 2 rollup project, has announced an airdrop for its community members ahead of its mainnet launch. The project is set to distribute 5% of its 1 billion token supply in what it describes as a “genesis airdrop.”

Eligibility for the initial airdrop extends to community members who have interacted with the Taiko testnet, block proposers and provers, contributors to specific GitHub repositories, and participants of the Ethereum ICO.

The allocation of Taiko’s total token supply includes 48.5% reserved for key stakeholders — 20% for Taiko Labs and the core team, 16.88% for Taiko Foundation reserves, and 11.62% for investors. Additionally, the DAO Treasury will hold 20% of the tokens. The team has also earmarked 5% for Grants and RetroPGF, another 5% for liquidity and market making, and 10% for the Trailblazer airdrop, which is distinct from the genesis airdrop.

Taiko's tokenomics | Source: Taiko

The anticipated TKO genesis airdrop will be available to claim on the mainnet of Taiko’s Layer 2 chain once it goes live.

Taiko’s mainnet, expected to launch in the near future, follows extensive development across six testnets over the past few years. The network will operate as an Ethereum-equivalent ZK-EVM (Type-1), ensuring compatibility with the Ethereum mainnet.

Taiko Labs, responsible for developing the Layer 2 network, has secured substantial funding to support its initiatives, raising $22 million across two funding rounds. The first round — a $10 million seed round — was led by Sequoia China in 2022, followed by a $12 million pre-Series A round in 2023 led by Generative Ventures.

Daniel Wang, co-founder and CEO of Taiko Labs said the team will not disclose the detailed airdrop rules to avoid “unnecessary debates.”

“Our goal is fairness, but we can’t satisfy everyone. Congratulations to those who received TKO, and apologies to those who did not,” Wang said.