Zora, a leading NFT and onchain social platform on Ethereum, is launching its ZORA token later this month on Coinbase’s Base layer-2 network.
Background:
- Zora will launch its native ZORA token on April 23, with a distribution based on two user activity snapshots.
- The first snapshot spans from January 1, 2020, to March 3, 2025; the second captures activity through April 20, 2025.
- These snapshots determine eligibility for a retroactive airdrop aimed at rewarding longtime participants, creators, developers, and collectors.
- The ZORA token will be launched on Base, Coinbase’s Layer-2 chain, rather than Zora’s own Layer-2 solution.
- 10 billion ZORA tokens will be minted in total:
> 10% allocated for the retroactive airdrop
> 20% for future community incentives (e.g., grants, hackathons)
> 5% for liquidity provision
> 20% to the treasury (unlocking begins after 6 months, vests over 4 years)
> 18.9% to team members (3-year vesting post 6-month delay)
> 26.1% to strategic contributors, including early backers and advisors
Why should you pay attention?
- The ZORA token is positioned as a memecoin with real community value, marking Zora's evolution beyond NFTs into broader onchain social tools.
- Its launch on Base aligns with the growing trend of social and meme ecosystems building on the chain.
- Zora has facilitated over $376 million in secondary NFT sales and engaged millions of users, hinting that this drop could be significant.
- Airdrop eligibility could include long-term collectors and creators, making it worth checking for retroactive rewards.
Who said what?
- In its March token announcement, Zora described the token as:
“A memecoin for the Zora community.”
- The team further wrote in the announcement:
“$ZORA is for fun only and does not entitle its holders to any governance rights or a claim on any equity ownership in Zora or its products.”
Zooming out:
- Zora’s growth from a niche NFT platform into an active onchain social network reflects a broader trend toward creator-focused crypto apps.
- With over 2.4 million collectors and 618,000 creators to date, the platform's token drop may drive further user engagement and experimentation.
- The move to Base mirrors what other social and memecoin platforms are doing which seems to be tapping into the chain’s expanding user base and cultural momentum.
- As Zora continues evolving with tools like "Coins" that turn posts into tradable tokens, the ZORA launch signals its deeper dive into the intersection of social, art, and finance on-chain.
