TLDR
- Chainlink has launched a new “Chainlink Rewards” program for ecosystem participants and LINK stakers
- The first partnership is with Space and Time, offering 4% of SXT token supply
- Season Genesis opens May 8, with eligible LINK stakers able to claim 2% of SXT supply
- To qualify, users must have been staking LINK before March 31
- The program aims to connect Build projects with active Chainlink ecosystem participants
Chainlink, the decentralized oracle network, has announced a new incentive system called “Chainlink Rewards” designed to reward ecosystem participants and LINK token stakers with tokens from other projects within its ecosystem. The program represents a new approach to community engagement and aims to boost participation across the Chainlink network.
The first collaboration under this new program is with infrastructure firm Space and Time, a member of Chainlink’s Build program. Space and Time will provide 4% of the supply of its SXT token to eligible LINK stakers as part of this initiative.
According to Chainlink’s announcement on Monday, “The Season Genesis pilot is an experiment, informing how the program could evolve into the future.” The company added that future plans for the Chainlink Rewards program include “a more advanced claiming mechanism incorporating a collection of Chainlink Build projects.”
We’re excited to introduce Chainlink Rewards—a community engagement & rewards program.
This allows Chainlink Build projects to make their token claimable by ecosystem participants, including eligible LINK Stakers.
Season Genesis launches May 8 with @SpaceandTimeDB.
— Chainlink (@chainlink) May 5, 2025
Starting May 8, when the incentive program officially launches, the network’s most active stakers will be eligible to claim 2% of the SXT token supply. An additional 2% of SXT tokens will be reserved for a future Chainlink Rewards activation.
To qualify for this initial distribution, users must have been staking LINK prior to a March 31 snapshot. This requirement was designed to ensure that both long-term stakers and smaller participants could take part in the Season Genesis program.
How the Program Works
The Chainlink Build program works with early-stage and established projects in the Chainlink ecosystem. It provides these projects with go-to-market support, priority access to services, and other benefits to help them grow.
In exchange for these services, the participating protocols make a percentage of their token supply available to the Chainlink ecosystem, including LINK stakers. This creates a mutually beneficial relationship between Chainlink, its stakers, and the projects building on the network.
Space and Time, the first Build project to participate in the rewards program, will allocate 200 million SXT tokens total for distribution. The initial batch of 100 million SXT will be available when claims open on May 8.
The claim period for this first distribution will last 90 days. Any unclaimed tokens, along with the remaining 100 million SXT, may be released in future reward seasons.
Space and Time joined the Build program in September 2022 and has since developed a decentralized database solution that uses zero-knowledge proofs to deliver data analytics to smart contracts. In 2024, the project integrated Chainlink Functions to support the delivery of ZK-proven queries on-chain.
Future Expansions
Chainlink has confirmed that future reward events may include other Build projects offering token rewards to ecosystem participants. The program is designed to bridge community participants with Build projects looking to grow their adoption, creating benefits for all parties involved.
The rewards system supports active users and node operators who contribute to the security and operation of the Chainlink Network, providing an additional incentive beyond the regular staking rewards.
Chainlink’s LINK token is currently priced at $13.66, down 2.8% in the last 24 hours but up 8% over the last month. Despite recent gains, the token remains 74% below its all-time high of $52.70 from May 2021.
The Season Genesis claim period opens on May 8, 2025, with eligible LINK stakers able to access the reward distribution through official Chainlink channels.
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