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Your Complete Guide to the zkSync Airdrop: Eligibility, Claiming Process, and FAQs

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06 Jan 20268 min read
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The zkSync airdrop is an exciting opportunity for crypto enthusiasts to earn ZK tokens by participating in one of the most innovative Layer 2 solutions for Ethereum. If you've been following zkSync's development, you know that this project is a game-changer for the Ethereum ecosystem, offering faster and cheaper transactions without compromising security. Whether you’re new to zkSync or have been actively using it for decentralized finance (DeFi), trading, or bridging assets, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about the zkSync airdrop. From eligibility criteria to the claiming process and tips on how to stay safe, we’ve got you covered. So, if you want to know how you can take advantage of this opportunity, continue reading to get all the details you need to claim your ZK tokens and secure your place in the future of Ethereum scaling!

What is zkSync?

zkSync is an Ethereum Layer 2 scaling solution that helps make transactions faster and cheaper while keeping Ethereum’s high security. It uses zero-knowledge rollups (ZK rollups) to process many transactions off-chain and then sends a proof to Ethereum, reducing congestion on the Ethereum mainnet. This method lowers transaction fees, often bringing them down to less than $0.01, which makes blockchain more affordable for everyone.

zkSync Explained: Ethereum Layer 2 Scaling with Zero-Knowledge Proofs

zkSync uses zero-knowledge proofs to bundle many transactions into one. This proof is then sent to Ethereum, where it is verified. The main benefit is that zkSync reduces Ethereum’s computational load while maintaining the security and decentralization of Ethereum itself. For users, this results in near-instant transactions and low-cost fees, which are perfect for various applications like DeFi, NFTs, and gaming.

Unlike traditional optimistic rollups, zkSync’s zero-knowledge design offers faster finality (the point where a transaction is fully confirmed) and a lower risk of fraud. This makes zkSync a preferred solution for developers who need a secure, scalable, and high-performance platform to build applications on Ethereum.

zkSync’s Role in the Ethereum Ecosystem

zkSync plays a crucial role as Ethereum’s scaling solution, especially as the demand for blockchain infrastructure increases. It is compatible with Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM), which means developers can use familiar tools like Solidity to create and deploy smart contracts. This makes zkSync a great option for developers looking for a composable platform where they can build decentralized applications (dApps).

zkSync operates two main networks: zkSync Lite and zkSync Era. zkSync Lite is an earlier version, while zkSync Era is the more advanced and fully EVM-compatible network. zkSync Era offers a more robust environment for decentralized apps and supports a growing ecosystem of tools and applications.

Key Features of zkSync

  • Near-instant transactions with low latency
  • Minimal transaction fees, often under $0.01
  • EVM compatibility, allowing seamless migration of dApps
  • Open-source codebase for transparency
  • Customizable Layer 2 chains using the ZK stack

These features make zkSync ideal for use cases across various industries, including DeFi, NFTs, gaming, and enterprise applications. zkSync’s ability to process many transactions quickly and cheaply is changing the way people use blockchain technology, allowing even more mainstream adoption.

zkSync Airdrop and How It Benefits Users

As part of its community growth, zkSync has distributed airdrop tokens to users who engaged with the network early on. By using zkSync’s services, users could qualify for these airdrops, allowing them to earn free ZK tokens as a reward for their participation. This airdrop plays a significant role in growing the zkSync ecosystem and encouraging more people to use Ethereum’s Layer 2 solutions.

What is the zkSync Airdrop?

The zkSync airdrop is a special event where ZK tokens were distributed to eligible users who interacted with the zkSync network. This initiative is a key part of zkSync’s mission to decentralize its governance and reward the early users who supported the project’s growth. Unlike typical promotional airdrops, the zkSync airdrop focuses on rewarding meaningful, on-chain behaviors, like using the zkSync network for DeFi transactions, NFTs, or liquidity provision. This makes the airdrop more targeted and impactful, focusing on rewarding users who actively contribute to the network’s success.

Overview of the ZK Token

The ZK token is the native utility and governance token of the zkSync network. It plays a central role in zkSync’s decentralized ecosystem, allowing holders to participate in governance decisions, stake tokens for rewards, and pay for transaction fees. As zkSync continues to grow, ZK tokens help ensure that key decisions, such as upgrades or changes to network parameters, are made collectively by the community.

Token Distribution and Allocation

The total supply of ZK tokens is capped, meaning there is a fixed number of tokens available. The allocation of these tokens has been carefully planned to ensure a fair distribution among all stakeholders:

  • 17.5% of the tokens were allocated to airdrop recipients.
  • 33.3% is reserved for the zkSync Foundation, which will help fund the project’s growth and future developments.
  • 16.1% was set aside for early users and contributors who helped zkSync get off the ground.

The remainder of the tokens will be distributed among investors, the team, and ecosystem development funds to ensure continued growth and decentralization.

Objectives of the Airdrop

The main goals of the zkSync airdrop were to:

  • Reward early users who helped zkSync grow by using its services or engaging with the network.
  • Decentralize network governance by distributing ZK tokens to active participants, allowing them to vote on decisions related to zkSync’s future.
  • Promote long-term engagement by ensuring that users continue to interact with the zkSync ecosystem, whether by staking tokens or using its decentralized applications (dApps).

The zkSync team emphasized that this airdrop was not just a marketing tactic, but a genuine reward for users who contributed meaningfully to the network's success.

Timeline and Snapshot Dates

To determine who was eligible for the airdrop, the eligibility snapshot was taken on March 24, 2024. This means that the zkSync team looked at all on-chain activity, such as transactions, smart contract interactions, and token transfers, completed before this date. Users who interacted with zkSync’s Layer 2 network in meaningful ways before this date were eligible for the airdrop.

The airdrop claim window opened on June 17, 2024, and remained available until January 3, 2025. Users who were eligible for the airdrop had to claim their tokens before the deadline, or they risked losing their allocation.

Eligibility Criteria for the zkSync Airdrop

After we explained what the zkSync airdrop is and why it was created, it is important to know who qualified, how to check eligibility, and common mistakes people make when checking. This helps you understand whether you could claim tokens and avoid errors.

Who is Eligible for the zkSync Airdrop?

To get the zkSync airdrop, you needed to show real activity on the zkSync network before the snapshot date. The team took a snapshot of activity on March 24, 2024, and checked all wallets that had done meaningful work on the network.

There were two main groups of eligible participants:

  • Active Users – These are wallets that use the zkSync network often. They might have:
    • Interacted with smart contracts (like DeFi apps) at least 10 times.
    • Used paymaster features for at least 5 transactions.
    • Traded or held 10 or more different tokens on zkSync.
    • Provided liquidity to trading pools.
    • Bridged assets from Ethereum and transacted over time.
  • Contributors – This group did not need heavy trading. They helped the project by:
    • Building or testing code.
    • Participating in education or community work.
    • Supporting zkSync development in meaningful ways.

In total, about 695,232 wallets were eligible for claiming ZK tokens in this airdrop. Most of the airdrop (~89%) went to active users, while the rest (~11%) went to contributors. Imagine you joined the zkSync network early, bridged funds, and made several trades on zkSync Era smart contracts. That activity gave you points toward eligibility. But if you only logged in once without doing transactions, you likely did not qualify.

How to Check Your Eligibility

To find out if your wallet qualified for the zkSync airdrop, you needed to follow a few steps:

  • Go to the Official Claim Portal – Use the official website provided by zkSync.
  • Connect Your Wallet – Use the wallet address you used for your zkSync activity.
  • Look at Your Status – The portal will tell you whether you are eligible and how many ZK tokens you can claim.

Always use links from the official zkSync site or trusted partners. Fake sites can steal your crypto. Always check the URL carefully. If your MetaMask wallet was used to bridge funds on zkSync Era, you would connect that same wallet to the official claim page. After connecting, the screen would show “Eligible” and the number of ZK tokens you can claim.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Checking Eligibility

Even if you think you may qualify, many people make simple errors that cost them eligibility:

❌ Mistake 1: Using the Wrong Wallet Address Your activity must come from the same wallet you connect to the claim portal. Using a different address means the portal will not find your activity. Always use the exact wallet address you used in the past.

❌ Mistake 2: Visiting Fake Sites Scammers often make fake airdrop checkers. If the site is not on the official zkSync domain or linked from official sources, do not connect your wallet. Double‑check URLs before connecting.

❌ Mistake 3: Ignoring Snapshot Dates Only actions done before March 24, 2024 counted for eligibility. Any activity after that date did not help for this airdrop.

❌ Mistake 4: Not Checking Before Deadline The airdrop claim window usually closes at a fixed date (like January 3, 2025). If you missed the deadline, you could lose your chance to claim tokens. Always check eligibility before the deadline.

How to Participate in the zkSync Airdrop

Now that you know who qualified for the zkSync airdrop, the next step is to learn how people participated and what actions they needed to take. This section explains participation in clear steps so you can understand how the process worked and what real users did to claim their ZK tokens.

Step‑by‑Step Guide to Participating

Participating in the zkSync airdrop was straightforward, but it had some key steps you had to follow to be eligible and claim your tokens. Here is a simple guide users followed:

  • Visit the Official Claim Portal First, go to the official zkSync airdrop page at https://claim.zknation.io/. This page served as both the eligibility checker and the claim portal.
  • Connect Your Wallet Click the “Connect Wallet” button and select the wallet you used on zkSync. MetaMask and other zkSync‑compatible wallets worked well.
  • Verify Eligibility After connecting, the portal shows if your address is eligible. If eligible, you will see how many ZK tokens you can claim.
  • Delegate Voting Power Before claiming, users were encouraged to delegate their governance votes. You could delegate to yourself or to another trusted person. This step did not cost tokens or change ownership.
  • Claim Your Tokens Finally, click the “Claim” button and approve the transaction in your wallet. After confirmation, your ZK tokens appeared in your wallet.

This step‑by‑step guide helped many holders complete their claim safely and quickly. Always make sure you are on the official site before connecting your wallet.

Connecting Your Wallet to zkSync

Connecting your wallet was one of the most important parts of the zkSync airdrop process. Here’s how users did it correctly:

  • Open a Desktop Browser Most users find the desktop experience easier. Mobile wallets sometimes cause errors during connection.
  • Choose a Supported Wallet MetaMask was the most common choice, but wallets like Rabby or WalletConnect‑compatible wallets also worked.
  • Use the Same Wallet Address You Used on zkSync This point is crucial. Your eligibility was tied to the wallet address that had activity on zkSync Era or Lite. Connecting a different address meant the portal could not find your eligibility history.
  • Approve the Connection Prompt When you connect, the wallet shows a prompt asking for permission. Confirm the prompt to link the wallet to the airdrop portal.

If your MetaMask wallet was used to bridge ETH to zkSync Era and trade tokens there, you would connect that same MetaMask wallet to the claim site. Once connected, the portal would show whether you could claim ZK tokens.

This process was simple, but many users made mistakes by connecting the wrong wallet, so it’s important to double‑check that the wallet you choose is the one you used for on‑chain activity.

Actions to Take for Successful Participation

Beyond connecting your wallet, there were actions users took early that helped them qualify and maximize their rewards:

Bridge Assets to zkSync Era

Many users moved assets like ETH and stablecoins from Ethereum mainnet to zkSync Era. This action often counted toward eligibility because it showed real use of the network.

Interact With Smart Contracts

Trading tokens on decentralized exchanges (DEXs) or interacting with DeFi protocols on zkSync Era helped users earn “eligibility points.” For example, traders who used at least 10 different tokens were more likely to qualify and earn a larger allocation.

Use Paymaster Features

zkSync’s paymaster feature lets users pay fees in token types other than ETH. Users who used paymasters for multiple transactions earned additional points.

Delegate Your Votes

Even though delegation was optional, many users did it because it locked in part of their community power for future governance. Delegation didn’t affect ownership but helped users participate in decision‑making later on.

For example, if Sarah bridged funds to zkSync Era, traded tokens on a DEX there, and used paymaster features in several transactions before the snapshot date, she had a stronger case for a higher token allocation than someone who only bridged funds once.

In summary, participating in the zkSync airdrop meant connecting your wallet, checking eligibility, and taking specific on‑chain actions that showed real engagement. Following the official steps and using trusted tools helped many users claim their tokens safely.

Troubleshooting Common Claiming Issues about the zkSync Airdrop

Even though the claiming process was simple, many people faced small problems. Here are common issues and how users solved them:

  • Claim Page Showing Error Sometimes the claim page would not load or would show a network error. Fix: Close the browser and try again. Connect the wallet again after refreshing the page.
  • Wrong Wallet Connected Some people connected a wallet that never had activity on zkSync. Fix: Always connect the wallet that had actual activity before the snapshot date. If you connected a different wallet, disconnect and try again with the correct one.
  • Multi‑sig Wallet Issues Multi‑signature wallets like Safe had extra steps and might not work directly on the claim portal. Fix: These users needed to follow a separate manual claiming process shared in the official docs.
  • Slow Claim Confirmation When many users claim at once, transactions can take longer to confirm. Fix: Wait a few minutes. It usually completes once congestion drops.

For instance, Linda got an error just as she clicked “Claim.” She closed her browser, reopened the portal, connected her wallet again, and tried again. On the second try, the claim went through and the ZK tokens were sent to her wallet.

Safety and Security Considerations about the zkSync Airdrop

After you learn how to claim your zkSync airdrop tokens, it’s important to talk about safety and security. The crypto world can be risky, and scams often increase during big events like the zkSync airdrop. This section shows you how to stay safe, avoid scams, and protect your crypto and personal information.

Avoiding Scams Related to the zkSync Airdrop

The promise of free tokens can attract criminals. Fake sites may pretend to be the real zkSync airdrop portal to trick you into connecting your wallet. These fake sites can steal your crypto in seconds if you sign a bad transaction.

Here is a real example: the scam site zksync[.]run looked like the real zkSync claim page. It claimed free ZK tokens, but its goal was to steal funds when users connected wallets. This type of scam has been widely reported and should always be avoided.

How to avoid these scams:

  • Always use the official zkSync site (check the URL carefully).
  • Do not click links from random ads or social media messages.
  • Do not trust emails or chats claiming you “must claim now.”
  • Never connect your wallet to any site you are not 100% sure is real.

Scammers also use fake airdrop announcements on social platforms. They may copy the zkSync brand or use deepfake profiles to look convincing. Be cautious and verify information on official zkSync channels only.

Best Practices for Secure Participation

Even legitimate processes like the zkSync airdrop require safe participation practices. Protecting your wallet and transactions helps stop theft and loss.

Simple safety rules:

  • Use a strong password in your wallet and email.
  • Enable two‑factor authentication (2FA) where possible.
  • Use a hardware wallet like Ledger or Trezor for large token balances. This keeps your keys offline and safe from web attacks.
  • Only connect your wallet to the official claim portal. If in doubt, navigate from the main zkSync site.
  • Interact only with trusted, well‑known protocols. Random or unknown tools may hide scams.

Some users split their crypto into two wallets—a “main wallet” for long‑term holding and a burner wallet for airdrops. This way, even if a scam hits the burner wallet, their main assets stay safe.

These steps might seem small, but they make a big difference in protecting your assets.

Protecting Your Personal Information and Assets

Your crypto wallet should be personal. Never share your private keys or seed phrase with anyone. Legitimate projects like zkSync will never ask for this information to give you tokens. If you are asked for it, it’s a scam.

Here are key tips to protect your crypto and identity:

  • Write your seed phrase on paper and store it in a safe place. Do not store it on cloud storage or a photo on your phone.
  • Avoid public Wi‑Fi when checking wallets or making claims. These networks can be insecure.
  • Be cautious with unexpected links. Scammers use many tricks to make links look real. Look closely at spelling and domain names.

If you see a message on social media saying “Click here to claim your zkSync airdrop,” pause and check the official zkSync website or community channels first. Scammers often copy real logos and names but use different web addresses.

Being careful during the zkSync airdrop is not just smart—it protects your crypto and your peace of mind. Following these safety tips makes sure you can take part in exciting opportunities without falling into common traps.

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Conclusion

The zkSync airdrop is a program that rewards users with ZK tokens for interacting with the zkSync network before March 24, 2024. This initiative aims to decentralize governance and thank early adopters. To participate, users had to visit the official claim portal, connect their wallet, verify eligibility, and claim their tokens. The airdrop started on June 17, 2024, and ended on January 3, 2025. Security was a priority, and users were advised to be cautious of phishing scams and fake sites. They should only connect their wallets to the official claim portal and use secure devices like hardware wallets to protect their assets. Missed claims would not be redistributed, so timely participation was crucial. By following these steps and security guidelines, users could safely claim their ZK tokens and avoid common pitfalls.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the zkSync Airdrop

What is the zkSync Airdrop and How Does It Work?

The zkSync airdrop is a token distribution event where ZK tokens are given to eligible users who have interacted with the zkSync network. This airdrop is designed to reward early adopters and help decentralize zkSync’s governance. Eligible users can claim their ZK tokens by connecting their wallet to the official zkSync portal. The zkSync airdrop is part of the network's broader effort to increase user participation and promote its Layer 2 scaling solution.

Who is Eligible for the zkSync Airdrop?

To qualify for the zkSync airdrop, users must have participated in the zkSync network before the snapshot date of March 24, 2024. Eligible actions include interacting with smart contracts, trading tokens, providing liquidity, and bridging assets from Ethereum. Users who actively contributed to the zkSync ecosystem through meaningful on-chain activity were rewarded with ZK tokens.

How Can I Check My Eligibility for the zkSync Airdrop?

To check if you're eligible for the zkSync airdrop, visit the official claim portal and connect your wallet. If your wallet was used on the zkSync network before the snapshot date, the portal will display your eligibility status and token allocation. Always ensure you use the official portal to avoid scams.

What Are the Key Steps to Participate in the zkSync Airdrop?

To participate in the zkSync airdrop, follow these steps:

  • Go to the official claim portal.
  • Connect your Ethereum wallet (such as MetaMask) used on zkSync.
  • Verify your eligibility.
  • Optionally, delegate your voting power for zkSync governance.
  • Claim your ZK tokens once confirmed. These steps are simple and quick, but ensure your wallet is connected properly.

How Can I Protect Myself from Scams During the zkSync Airdrop?

Scams are common during airdrops, so it’s crucial to stay cautious. Always check URLs carefully and use the official zkSync site to connect your wallet. Never share your private keys or recovery phrases. For added security, use hardware wallets to store your tokens. Stay vigilant by avoiding suspicious links or unknown dApps that may try to steal your personal information.

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