Connext: Determines airdrop distribution based on a points system, plans to support 20 chains by the end of the year

Recently, the crypto projects have entered a wave of Airdrops. Following Cyber and Sei, the blockchain interoperability protocol Connext has also announced the launch of its native token NEXT, with 10% of the total supply allocated for Airdrop. The NEXT token will be available for claiming starting September 5, and early users will be eligible for the Airdrop.

Connext was established in 2017 and is one of the early blockchain projects in the industry. According to the data, Connext has undergone multiple rounds of financing and received support from several well-known investment institutions.

Over the past six years, Connext has adjusted its business direction multiple times according to market conditions. In its early days, Connext focused on simplifying the process of purchasing and using cryptocurrencies. Subsequently, with the rise of ICOs and the surge in transaction volume brought about by crypto games, the team shifted its focus to Ethereum's layer two scaling solution—state channels. However, crypto payments did not become as widely adopted as expected, and scaling solutions using Rollup technology became dominant, while state channel solutions were not widely adopted. Ultimately, Connext transformed again, focusing on the current interoperability protocol.

Max, the head of growth at Connext, stated that Connext is the foundational layer for achieving interoperability among all Rollups and is the only cross-chain solution that does not introduce new trust assumptions on top of already connected blockchains. It allows developers and their cross-chain applications to access smart contracts, liquidity, and data on any chain, thereby unifying the fragmented ecosystem. Through Connext, users can interact with decentralized applications from any chain using any token without leaving the application interface.

Regarding the airdrop mechanism, Connext uses a points system to determine the amount of NEXT that users can receive. This system takes into account the liquidity supply for stablecoin swaps and the usage of cross-chain bridges, awarding the highest points to users who maintain stable and continuous usage.

After the DAO launch and token issuance, Connext plans to expand the supported L2 chains to 20 by the end of the year to promote the growth of the protocol and ecosystem.

Max emphasized that Connext is the first bridge that connects Arbitrum and Optimism without the need for trust. Compared to other cross-chain solutions, Connext does not rely on additional oracles or external validators, directly connecting to the native bridge of the chain, thereby reducing potential security risks.

In terms of security, in addition to multiple audits and an open bug bounty program, Connext has several teams responsible for managing and operating the monitoring network. Once potential malicious activities are detected, these monitoring systems can suspend connections to specific blockchains.

Connext's modular design allows for the insertion of the most secure and trust-minimized transfer and validation layers. This enables Connext to transfer assets across different chains and supports developers in creating cross-chain applications for various use cases, such as cross-chain lending.

In terms of user experience, Connext has achieved "chain abstraction," similar to account abstraction, aimed at simplifying user interactions with decentralized applications. Users can interact with applications from any supported chain without the need to switch networks or sign transactions on different chains.

There are already multiple cross-chain applications built on the Connext ecosystem. For example, Metamask integrates Connext to facilitate the exchange of any token on any chain; Alchemix utilizes Connext to create cross-chain assets that can move seamlessly across any chain; Keep3r Network uses Connext to create trust-minimized cross-chain oracles; Superfluid enables cross-chain token flows; Fuji Finance is used for cross-chain lending.

Looking ahead, Connext will focus on expanding the number of supported L2 chains and will continue to support developers who have created revolutionary cross-chain applications. At the same time, Connext is establishing partnerships with key industry participants to drive rapid growth in the future.