If you participated in the Midnight Network’s Glacier Drop or Scavenger Mine events, you’ve probably been watching the dashboard timers closely. The distribution of the NIGHT token isn’t a standard one-click airdrop where everything lands in your wallet on day one. Instead, it relies on a staggered unlocking framework—what Midnight calls a “thawing” process—that stretches across four distinct tranches over a 360-day period.
Understanding the timeline matters because tokens do not automatically transfer to your wallet. You have to manually claim each tranche as it unlocks. Here is how the four-tranche structure works, what the December 4 deadline actually signifies, and what steps you need to take to secure your full allocation.
How the Four-Tranche Thawing System Works
Rather than releasing all 4.5+ billion community-claimed NIGHT tokens at once, the system unlocks each participant’s balance in four equal installments of 25%. This staggered schedule spreads out the circulating supply and minimizes market volatility.
However, not everyone started on the exact same date. Every participating destination address was assigned a randomized initial unlock day falling between December 10, 2025, and early March 2026. Once your specific Day 1 triggers, the remaining three tranches become available at strict 90-day intervals.
- Tranche 1 (25%): Unlocks on your address’s assigned start date (between Dec 10, 2025, and early March 2026).
- Tranche 2 (25%): Unlocks 90 days after your initial start date.
- Tranche 3 (25%): Unlocks 180 days after your initial start date.
- Tranche 4 (25%): Unlocks 270 days after your initial start date (Day 360 of the schedule).
Because of this staggered structure, if your initial draw happened late in the window (for example, early March 2026), your fourth and final tranche won’t thaw until roughly 360 days later.
The December 4 Deadline vs. The Grace Period
A common point of confusion among token holders revolves around the December 4, 2026 date. It is crucial to distinguish between the end of the thawing process and the closing of the redemption portal.
- December 4, 2026 (End of Thawing): This marks the exact date when all four tranches across all participating addresses will have officially unlocked. After December 4, no new tokens enter the thawing queue—100% of claimed balances become fully available for redemption on the smart contract level.
- The 90-Day Grace Period: Reaching December 4 does not mean your unclaimed tokens disappear overnight. The protocol provides a final 90-day grace period following the end of thawing. This window gives participants additional time to log into the portal and process any remaining claims before the infrastructure officially sunsets in early March 2027.
While the grace period offers a safety net, relying on the very last minute carries risk. Unforeseen portal maintenance or network congestion can crop up, so checking in periodically to clear ready tranches remains the safest approach.
Steps to Manually Redeem Your NIGHT Tokens
Redeeming requires an active manual transaction on Cardano, which acts as the host layer for the distribution portal. You don’t need to redeem each tranche immediately on the day it thaws; unlocked tokens wait safely in the portal contract until you trigger the claim. However, whenever you choose to claim, keep these requirements in mind:
- Access the Portal: Head over to the official Midnight redemption portal (
redeem.midnight.gd). - Provide Your Destination Address: Input the specific Cardano destination address associated with your original Glacier Drop or Scavenger Mine submission.
- Connect a Wallet with ADA: You need a web3 Cardano wallet (such as Eternl, Lace, or Vespr) containing a small amount of ADA to pay the on-chain network processing fees. Note that this wallet doesn’t necessarily have to be the destination address itself—it just pays the transaction fee on its behalf.
- Sign the Transaction: Approve the redemption request. Once confirmed on-chain, the unlocked NIGHT tokens route directly to your designated destination wallet.
If your destination wallet UI doesn’t display NIGHT tokens right away after a successful transaction, you may simply need to import the token asset ID manually into your wallet interface.
Sources and Reference Timelines
| Phase / Event | Key Date / Timeline | Status / Notes |
| Glacier Drop Claim Phase | Ended October 20, 2025 | Snapshot taken June 11, 2025 (Closed) |
| Scavenger Mine Phase | Ended November 19, 2025 | CPU mining participation window (Closed) |
| Thawing Start Window | Dec 10, 2025 – Early March 2026 | Randomized initial 25% unlock per address |
| Tranche Intervals | Every 90 Days | Total of 4 tranches per eligible address |
| End of Thawing Period | December 4, 2026 | 100% of all community allocations unlocked |
| Final Grace Period | Dec 4, 2026 – Early March 2027 | 90-day final window before portal closure |
