TLDR
- Chainlink launched a new rewards program offering tokens from Build program projects to LINK stakers
- Space and Time (SXT) is the first partner, allocating 4% (200M) of its token supply
- Season Genesis begins May 8, with eligible LINK stakers able to claim 2% of SXT tokens
- To qualify, users must have been staking LINK before March 31
- The program aims to reward ecosystem participants while connecting them with Chainlink Build projects
Chainlink, the decentralized oracle network, announced on Monday the launch of “Chainlink Rewards,” a new incentive program designed to distribute ecosystem tokens from projects in its Build program to active participants and LINK token stakers. This move represents a fresh approach to community engagement within the Chainlink ecosystem.
The first collaboration in this program is with infrastructure firm Space and Time, a member of the Chainlink Build program. Space and Time will allocate 4% of its SXT token supply—totaling 200 million tokens—for distribution through the rewards program.
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
Half of this allocation, or 100 million SXT tokens (representing 2% of the total supply), will be made available to eligible LINK stakers starting May 8 when the program officially launches. The remaining 2% is being reserved for future Chainlink Rewards activations.
To be eligible for the initial claim period known as “Season Genesis,” users must have been staking LINK tokens prior to a March 31 snapshot. This criterion ensures rewards go to both longstanding and smaller stakers who have shown commitment to the network.
How the Build Program Supports Ecosystem Growth
The Chainlink Build program plays a central role in this new rewards mechanism. The program was created to accelerate growth for both early-stage and established projects within the Chainlink ecosystem.
Projects participating in Build receive various benefits from Chainlink, including go-to-market support and priority access to services. In exchange, these projects make a percentage of their token supply available to the Chainlink ecosystem, including LINK stakers.
Space and Time joined the Build program in September 2022. Since then, it has developed its decentralized database solution utilizing 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.
The claim period for Season Genesis will last 90 days. Any unclaimed tokens, along with the reserved portion, may be distributed in future reward seasons.
Chainlink describes Season Genesis as an “experiment” that will inform how the program evolves. Future plans include a more advanced claiming mechanism incorporating a collection of Chainlink Build projects.
The LINK token is currently priced at $13.66, down 2.8% in the last 24 hours but up 8% over the past month. Despite recent gains, the token remains 74% below its all-time high of $52.70 reached in May 2021.
Chainlink Rewards represents one of several airdrop programs announced for May 2025. Other recent announcements include the RICE token airdrop for FLOKI holders and ZORA’s launch on Base Network.
