Ink 

What is the Ink (INK) Layer-2 blockchain?

Ink is a Layer-2 blockchain incubated by crypto exchange Kraken and built on Optimism's OP Stack within the Superchain ecosystem. The network targets onchain capital markets — trading, lending and borrowing — bridging Kraken's centralized user base to DeFi. Mainnet went live in December 2024 with permissionless fault proofs and ~1-second block times; DropsTab tracks the official mainnet announcement dated December 18, 2024. At launch, Ink was the first Superchain network to run multiple sequencers.

Is Ink built by Kraken?

Yes — Kraken incubated Ink and funds the network. The INK token itself is framed as a utility token issued by the Ink Foundation, an entity independent of Kraken. Kraken products control the primary distribution channel: the July 24, 2025 announcement named Kraken Drops and Kraken integration for the token. This single-parent backing concentrates dependency — the network's prospects track Kraken's product decisions rather than a diversified investor set.

When did the INK token launch and when is its listing date?

The INK token has not launched — no TGE occurred as of September 2026. The Ink network itself went live earlier: testnet on November 3, 2024, mainnet in December 2024. Community trackers point to a Q3–Q4 2026 TGE window, but the Ink Foundation has confirmed no official date. Any INK price quoted before TGE refers to an unrelated legacy token, not Kraken's Ink.

What is INK's tokenomics and total supply?

INK has a fixed supply cap of 1,000,000,000 tokens, announced by the Ink Foundation on June 17, 2025. No allocation is reserved for Kraken or the Ink Foundation, per Kraken's July 24, 2025 announcement. The remaining allocation breakdown and the emission schedule are not publicly disclosed. No tokens existed on-chain as of September 2026, because TGE has not occurred. The fixed cap rules out unlimited post-TGE emission.

Is there an INK airdrop and who is eligible?

Kraken announced on July 24, 2025 that INK will be distributed via Kraken Drops to eligible active Kraken clients and ecosystem participants. The airdrop remains undistributed — the snapshot date is not announced. Secondary trackers report an Ink Points Season 1 launched April 13, 2026 with a $25M airdrop backstop; this is single-source reporting, not confirmed by primary documentation. Activity on Kraken Pro and the Ink network is the community-described earning path pending that snapshot.

What reward campaigns did the Ink network run before the airdrop?

Per DropsTab data, Ink ran three completed campaigns alongside its launch. The testnet phase ran November 3 – December 18, 2024. A Guild quest campaign opened December 20, 2024, rewarding weekly quests with NFTs and Discord roles. A ZNS domain-name mint ran December 9–18, 2024, marking ZNS as Ink's official name service. DropsTab also tracks the potential airdrop as an active campaign since December 18, 2024.

Which DeFi protocols run on Ink?

Ink's ecosystem includes an Aave v3 deployment approved by Aave governance in February 2025, the ZNS name service, and DEXs such as InkySwap. The independent Ink Foundation coordinates ecosystem development. The Vertex Protocol team joined Ink to build on the network, announced July 1, 2025 in secondary reporting. Ink sits inside the Optimism Superchain, alongside other OP Stack networks.

Can you buy INK anywhere today?

No — INK trades nowhere as of September 2026. No spot, DEX or derivative markets exist for the token because TGE has not occurred, so no CEX-versus-DEX liquidity comparison applies yet. Once the token generates, Kraken is the expected primary venue under the July 24, 2025 integration plan. Any venue currently displaying an INK price lists an unrelated legacy token — buying it does not give the buyer exposure to Kraken's Ink.

Is Ink the same as Base?

No — Ink and Base are separate Layer-2 networks. Base is built by Coinbase; Kraken incubated Ink. Both use Optimism's OP Stack, which places both inside the Superchain ecosystem and makes the two frequent comparison points — Ink is often framed as Kraken's counterpart to Coinbase's Base. The comparison is structural: shared technology stack, different parent companies and distribution channels.

Do other projects use the INK ticker?

Yes — the INK ticker has a history of reuse. Ink Protocol, an unrelated 2017/2018 payments project, traded under the same ticker, and INKSNATION is a separate unrelated project. Third-party price pages that display an INK ticker before Kraken's Ink completes its TGE reference these legacy assets. InkySwap is also not the coin — it is a DEX application running on the Ink network.