Berachain Unveils Proof-of-Liquidity Blockchain with $1.17 Billion BERA Airdrop

Berachain has officially launched its highly anticipated proof-of-liquidity layer-1 blockchain, kicking off with a massive BERA token airdrop valued at a staggering $1.17 billion at its peak price on Thursday.

Trading for BERA is now in full swing on major exchanges, including Binance, OKX, and Coinbase. The token initially soared to $14.83 after launch before experiencing a sharp 49% decline, stabilizing at $8.00 at the time of writing.

Emerging from a 2021 Ethereum NFT initiative, Berachain secured over $100 million in funding to develop its novel blockchain and consensus model. "Feels surreal," said Smokey the Bera, the pseudonymous co-founder, in a post on X (formerly Twitter). "The team and I are in the trenches, fixing bugs and ensuring teams thrive on Berachain."

The mainnet went live at approximately 8 AM ET, with eligible users already receiving their BERA airdrop—except in cases where a bridge or exchange claim process is required. Thanks to Berachain’s “EVM-identical” nature, wallets like MetaMask and Rabby seamlessly support the network, making it easy for users to access their tokens.

A total of 15.75% of BERA’s supply—equating to 79 million tokens—was allocated for the airdrop. Of that, 11.15% (55.75 million tokens) became immediately accessible, injecting over $800 million into recipients’ wallets at peak valuation. The remaining 4.6% is reserved for social media contributors, teams, and applications that participated in Berachain’s “Request for Broposal” initiative, an incentive program designed to encourage ecosystem growth.

Further allocations will go to Boyco participants, the pre-launch liquidity platform for Berachain. Depending on their market participation, these users will receive their BERA rewards within 30 to 90 days.

Should BERA maintain its peak price of $14.83, the total airdrop distribution would surpass $1.1 billion, reinforcing the importance of rewarding early supporters. "Airdrops are about giving back to the community that propelled your project forward," Smokey the Bera remarked in a Wednesday post.

Beyond this initial distribution, an additional 65.5 million BERA tokens are earmarked for ongoing community incentives, targeting developers, users, and applications. Berachain also released a full tokenomics breakdown alongside an eligibility checker for prospective claimants.

BERA operates as one of three core tokens within the Berachain ecosystem, alongside the governance token BGT and its native stablecoin, HONEY. As the network continues to evolve, these assets will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the Berachain economy.