Aligned Layer Delays ALIGN Token Launch After 20 Months of Waiting
Aligned Layer Shares Airdrop Details Without Setting Token Launch Date
Aligned Layer, a company building zero-knowledge (ZK) infrastructure, has released details about its ALIGN token airdrop but still hasn’t announced when the token will launch. The airdrop registration closed 20 months ago, and the project has since canceled its public sale and shut down its main product.
The ALIGN token does not yet exist on any blockchain. The token’s contract on Ethereum shows only 26 holders and no transactions. Websites like CoinGecko and CoinMarketCap list ALIGN as “not yet trading.”
The company’s website for its public token sale now displays a single message: “THE SALE HAS BEEN CANCELED.”
How the Airdrop Will Work
The airdrop will distribute 8.74% of the total 10 billion ALIGN tokens. The distribution depends on a future event called the “token generation event” (TGE), which is when the token officially launches. Aligned has not set a date for this event.
- 8.74% of the total token supply will be distributed in the airdrop.
- 44.36% of the airdrop tokens will unlock at TGE, meaning about 3.88% of the total supply will become available at launch.
- Wallets with 10,000 tokens or fewer will receive their full allocation at launch.
- Wallets with more than 10,000 tokens will receive 10,000 tokens at launch, with the rest unlocking over 12 months.
- Smaller allocations can be claimed on Base, while larger ones must be claimed on Ethereum.
A small portion (0.10% of the total supply) is reserved for participants in a gaming campaign called ZK Arcade. This portion will unlock fully at TGE. NFT holders will split 40% of this allocation, while the remaining 60% will be distributed based on leaderboard scores.
Who Else Will Receive Tokens
Aligned has allocated 2.10% of the total token supply to four groups it calls “Distinguished Contributors.”
- Protocol Guild: 1.5% of the total supply, to support Ethereum development. This is higher than the 1% the guild typically requests from projects.
- L2BEAT, ZachXBT, and the Zero Knowledge Podcast: 0.2% each.
Most of these tokens (2.08% of the total supply) will unlock at TGE, with the rest unlocking over 47 months.
Eligibility and Changes to Token Distribution
Originally, 986,843 people were eligible for the airdrop based on criteria like contributing to the project’s code, holding certain roles in its Discord community, or owning specific tokens. However, only about 160,000 wallets registered for the airdrop.
Aligned has also changed its token distribution plan since December 2024. Initially, 44% of the tokens were set aside for “Ecosystem & Community,” with 30% expected to be in circulation at launch. In April 2026, the company revised this plan:
- Ecosystem: 18%
- Future Provisions: 16.61%
- Airdrop: 8.74%
- Circulating supply at launch: about 16%
The allocations for the team (23.50%) and investors (19.71%) remained the same, with no tokens unlocking for them until 12 months after launch.
Public Sales and Product Changes
Aligned attempted two public sales for ALIGN tokens. The first, held on CoinList in January 2025, offered up to 166,666,667 tokens at prices of $0.03 and $0.04. The listing date for these tokens was never announced, and the unlock schedule was later changed.
The second sale, announced in April 2026, was an auction for 100 million tokens on the Sonar platform. The price range was set between $0.01 and $0.10. Aligned extended the Know Your Customer (KYC) window three times but never completed the sale. The company’s last update about the sale was on May 5, 2026, and no explanation was given for the cancellation.
Aligned has also deprecated its Proof Verification Layer, the product the airdrop was originally designed to support. The company cited advancements in ZK technology and Ethereum’s move toward native ZK support as reasons for shutting it down. Its replacement, the Proof Aggregation Service, launched in January 2026 but has seen limited use.
What Is Still Unclear
- Aligned has not announced a date for the token generation event (TGE) or the official launch of ALIGN.
- The company has not explained why its public sale was canceled or what its plans are for future sales.
- There is no official confirmation about whether ALIGN will be listed on exchanges like Coinbase, despite rumors circulating on social media.
How to Check Your Allocation
Participants can check their airdrop allocation by connecting a wallet or GitHub account to the website community.alignedlayer.com.
