TLDR
- Jupiter has announced its follow-up 'Jupuary' airdrop worth a handsome $575 million, where 700 million JUP tokens will find new homes just ahead of their January 25-26 Istanbul conference.
- Token allocations breakdown with 440 million set aside for the user base, another 60 million earmarked for those staking, and a quick 200 million reserved for initiatives poised for growth.
- About 2 million wallets are on the eligibility list, using a tier-based distribution model to create a more even-handed spread across participants.
- At the top tier, expert traders might snag up to 300,000 JUP, equating to $246,000, with regular swap users in the same tier potentially pocketing 20,000 JUP, worth $16,400.
- Looking ahead to 2026, plans for the third airdrop are already underway, embracing a new structure compared to previous iterations.
As a key player in the Solana realm, Jupiter holds its ground as a decentralized exchange aggregator. They've spilled the beans on the second round of their yearly token airdrop lined up for next week. This release is penciled in just before the 'Catstanbul' conference slated for January 25-26 in Istanbul, though the drop date is still under wraps.
They're dishing out 700 million JUP tokens, with a combined estimated market value of $575 million. In detail, 440 million tokens will go to regular users, 60 million to the stakers, and 200 million to drive forward growth opportunities that invite more users.
Switching gears from the norm, the working plans see a move to a tier-based distribution method, aiming to create a more versatile spread across different segments of their community, as explained by Jupiter's own Kash Dhanda.
Data shared by Dhanda Peering into the data shows that the top users take the lion's share of activities with the top 10% of swap users, managing over $8,000 in volume, making up 99% of the total swap volume. More staggering yet, the cream of the crop, constituting 1% of users with volumes over $200,000, lead almost the entirety of swap activities at 97%.
Under the new tier-based framework, users are divisible into different categories. Seasoned traders diving headfirst into product experimentation and issuing feedback can earn between 20 JUP ($20) and 300,000 JUP ($246,000), hinged on their tiering.
Common swap users will tread a distinctive tier structure with top-tier awards of 20,000 JUP ($16,400) and a baseline of 25 JUP ($20). Users sidestepping into multiple categories will catch everything they're qualified for.
While around 2 million wallets have the green light for the airdrop, representatives from Jupiter note that some past recipients might not make the cut this year. A tool is now live for users to verify eligibility.
This scheduled release takes the baton from Jupiter's debut airdrop from January of the previous year, which saw 1 billion JUP tokens landing in 955,000 wallets. The forward-looking plans confirm a third airdrop in 2026, albeit in a reshaped format.
With an eye towards broader goals, Jupiter contributor Mei (@9yointern on X) underscored that the airdrop rolls into a larger agenda focusing on education and community expansion. In a livestream that drew 232,700 sets of eyes, the 'Jupuary' campaign was highlighted as more than free JUP tokens.
The marketplace's pulse reacted mixed to the news. Over the past 24 hours, JUP saw a bump up by 3.6%, despite a notable 22.5% downturn stretching over the month, pegging the trade value at around 82 cents a pop, with CoinGecko pinning its market cap near the $1.4 billion mark.
Within the expansive Solana ecosystem, Jupiter stands tall as the second-largest decentralized finance protocol, with $2.5 billion in total value secured, closely trailing behind liquid staking giant Jito, as chronicled by DeFiLlama.
Jupiter’s clout transcends beyond token allocation. Acting as a decentralized exchange aggregator, it provides key infrastructure pivotal for token swaps and trading throughout the Solana network.
In a post from Jupiter Research, Dhanda unpacked the specifics of this year's select distribution, highlighting that though the number of gifted wallets decreased from last year, the recipients are 'more likely to be real cats,' participating in DAO governance, and propelling the mission towards a deeper decentralized reality.
This token dispersion is strategically aligned with broader developments unfolding in the Solana network, including freshly debuted updates like Bubblemaps’ token rollout and the forthcoming investigative platform slated for the first quarter of 2025.
Users curious to partake are advised by Jupiter to stay tuned to official outlets for the exact announcement day of the token claim, expected soon.
