The Ink Foundation, backed by Kraken, plans to distribute its new INK tokens via an airdrop, starting with an Aave-based liquidity platform.

Ink Foundation Launches INK Token Amid Layer-2 Hype but Faces Token Market Headwinds

The Ink Foundation, the nonprofit behind the Ink layer-2 blockchain, is preparing to launch its native token, INK, as part of a push to build onchain capital markets through a strategy focused squarely on liquidity.

INK will make its debut via an airdrop on a decentralized lending and trading protocol integrated with Aave, aiming to reward early adopters and boost engagement from day one.

The foundation emphasized that INK won’t rely on elaborate governance schemes or shifting emission models. The supply is permanently capped at one billion tokens, with no mechanism for governance to alter the total supply.

Unlike other Superchain networks, Ink says its layer-2 governance will remain separate from the INK token. The Superchain ecosystem groups multiple layer-2 chains using shared software infrastructure, enabling unified security and interoperability akin to different cities connected by a shared highway.

INK’s first application will be as the core asset for Ink’s native liquidity protocol—a fundamental DeFi building block for lending and capital deployment.

Airdrops will go to participants in the protocol, though the foundation has yet to release full details. A subsidiary will handle the distribution and claims to have anti-farming measures in place to avoid speculative abuse.

Yet INK enters a market where fresh token launches—even those backed by prominent investors and with real technology—often struggle post-listing.

Over the past two years, projects like Linea, Blast, Celestia, and Berachain rolled out layer-2 tokens amid significant hype, only to face steady price declines. Many market watchers now question whether new token launches truly align incentives or merely serve as delayed exits for insiders.

INK’s release comes at a time when many tokens remain under pressure, retail participation has cooled, and capital is rotating cautiously.

Currently, Ink’s DeFi ecosystem holds about $7 million in total value locked, with a modest $93 in layer-2 revenue reported over the past 24 hours, according to DefiLlama data—a sign that usage is still in early stages.

Nonetheless, Ink is hoping to buck the trend by tying INK directly to a live product and immediate utility via integrations with Aave, aiming to avoid the pitfalls that have plagued other recent launches.