TLDR
- Jupiter announces second “Jupuary” airdrop worth $575 million, distributing 700 million JUP tokens next week before January 25-26 Istanbul conference
- 440 million tokens allocated for users, 60 million for stakers, and 200 million for growth initiatives
- Approximately 2 million wallets eligible, with tier-based distribution rather than linear to ensure wider spread
- Expert traders in top tier could receive up to 300,000 JUP ($246,000), while basic swap users in top tier could get 20,000 JUP ($16,400)
- Third airdrop planned for 2026 but will have different structure from previous years
Jupiter, a leading decentralized exchange aggregator on Solana, has announced details of its second annual token airdrop, scheduled for next week. The distribution will occur before the protocol’s “Catstanbul” conference in Istanbul on January 25-26, though an exact date remains unconfirmed.
The airdrop will distribute 700 million JUP tokens, currently valued at approximately $575 million. Of this total, 440 million tokens are designated for users, 60 million for stakers, and the remaining 200 million will fund growth initiatives to attract new users to the platform.
The distribution method marks a departure from traditional approaches, implementing a tier-based system rather than a linear distribution. This decision aims to ensure a more balanced allocation across the user base, according to Jupiter contributor Kash Dhanda.
Data shared by Dhanda reveals the concentration of activity among top users. The highest 10% of swap users, those with more than $8,000 in volume, accounted for 99% of total swap volume. Even more striking, the top 1% of users, with volumes exceeding $200,000, were responsible for 97% of all swap activity.
The new tier-based system creates distinct categories for different types of users. Expert traders, described as users who actively test new products and provide feedback, can receive between 20 JUP (worth about $20) and 300,000 JUP (approximately $246,000), depending on their tier level.
Regular swap users face a different tier structure, with top-tier allocations of 20,000 JUP ($16,400) and minimum distributions of 25 JUP ($20). Users who qualify for both categories will receive both allocations.
Approximately 2 million wallets will be eligible for the airdrop, though Jupiter representatives have noted that not all previous recipients will qualify this year. The protocol has launched an airdrop checker tool allowing users to verify their eligibility.
This distribution follows Jupiter’s first airdrop in January 2024, which shared 1 billion JUP tokens among 955,000 wallets. The protocol has already confirmed plans for a third airdrop in January 2026, though officials indicate it will differ from the current format.
Jupiter contributor Mei (@9yointern on X) emphasized that the airdrop serves a broader purpose beyond token distribution, focusing on education and community growth. During a livestream watched by 232,700 viewers, she stated that “Jupuary” represents more than just free tokens.
The market has shown mixed reactions to the announcement. JUP’s price has increased 3.6% in the past 24 hours but shows a 22.5% decline over the last 30 days, trading at 82 cents. This price gives JUP a market capitalization of nearly $1.4 billion, according to CoinGecko data.
Jupiter maintains a strong position in the Solana ecosystem, ranking as the second-largest decentralized finance protocol on the network. With $2.5 billion in total value locked, it trails only liquid staking provider Jito, according to DeFiLlama.
The protocol’s influence extends beyond token distribution. As a decentralized exchange aggregator, Jupiter provides essential infrastructure for token swapping and trading within the Solana ecosystem.
Dhanda addressed the selective nature of this year’s distribution in a Jupiter Research post, stating that while fewer wallets will receive tokens compared to last year, the recipients are “more likely to be real cats, more likely to participate in DAO governance, and more likely to help us accelerate towards a decentralized future.”
The timing of this airdrop coincides with broader developments in the Solana ecosystem, including the recent announcement of Bubblemaps’ token launch and investigation platform planned for Q1 2025.
For users interested in participating, Jupiter recommends monitoring official channels for the exact claim date, expected to be announced in the coming days.
