In just two months since its May 2025 mainnet launch, Yala Protocol has surged past $211.9 million in total value locked (TVL) and minted over $122.5 million worth of $YU stablecoins, cementing its position as one of the fastest-growing Bitcoin-native DeFi platforms.
Now, Yala (YALA) is rewarding its earliest supporters with a 34 million-token Season 1 Airdrop, recognizing the builders, testers, liquidity providers, and community champions who helped make this rapid growth possible. This milestone marks the first step in Yala’s long-term vision to unlock yield and liquidity for BTC holders, without compromising self-custody.
This article offers a complete guide to Yala Protocol’s Season 1 Airdrop, including an overview of what Yala is, how it works, and step-by-step instructions to claim your $YALA tokens after the snapshot date.
What Is Yala Protocol (YALA) and How Does It Work?
Yala Protocol is a Bitcoin-native liquidity platform designed to make your BTC work harder without giving up ownership. At its core, Yala lets Bitcoin holders deposit their BTC into a secure, non-custodial vault system and mint an over-collateralized stablecoin called $YU. This means every $YU you create is backed by more BTC than its face value, providing a built-in safety buffer against market volatility.
Once minted, $YU acts as your gateway to both DeFi and real-world asset (RWA) yield opportunities across multiple blockchains, including Ethereum, Arbitrum, and Base. You can use $YU for activities like lending, staking, liquidity provision, or even earning returns from tokenized assets such as U.S. Treasury bills and real estate income streams.
The protocol’s second token, $YALA, serves as the governance and incentive asset. Holding $YALA allows you to vote on key protocol decisions, adjust risk parameters, and participate in ecosystem reward programs. Together, the dual-token model ($YU for liquidity and yield, $YALA for governance and incentives) creates a capital-efficient, transparent, and decentralized system where your Bitcoin doesn’t just sit but it actively generates yield.
What Is the Yala Airdrop Season 1?
The Yala Protocol Season 1 Airdrop is the project’s first official token distribution event, designed to reward early users and contributors who helped grow the ecosystem before and shortly after its mainnet launch. Yala's airdrop campaign is a targeted reward for meaningful contributions, not random wallet farming.
By securing tokens at launch, participants gain an early edge for governance, staking, or trading, while strengthening their long-term alignment with the protocol’s growth. Since its May 16, 2025 launch, Yala has already achieved $211.9M in TVL and minted $122.5M worth of $YU in just two months, underscoring its rapid adoption and expanding influence in Bitcoin-native DeFi.
YALA Season 1 Airdrop: Eligibility and Token Allocation
The Yala Protocol Season 1 Airdrop is distributing 34 million $YALA tokens, representing 3.4% of the total supply, to early contributors who actively supported the project across its testnet and mainnet phases. Rewards are based on meaningful activity, both on-chain and off-chain, as well as creative contributions to the community.
Here’s the full breakdown of allocation and eligibility:
1. Mainnet Berries (30,000,000 $YALA): For on-chain actions such as minting $YU, staking in the Stability Pool, providing liquidity, and migrating vaults.
2. Mainnet Ice Berries (618,180 $YALA): For off-chain engagement including linking wallets, referrals, posting content, daily check-ins, feedback submissions, and campaign participation.
3. Testnet Berries (321,820 $YALA): For early testers who interacted with Yala’s V2 and V3 testnet features, including MetaMint, LP staking, bridging, and Stability Pool testing.
4. Yeti Footprints Program (3,000,000 $YALA): For high-impact content creators, researchers, and community members who provided valuable insights and helped expand Yala’s presence.
5. Bonus Rewards Pool (60,000 $YALA): Reserved for exceptional early supporters outside the other categories.
This structure ensures that tokens go to real participants who contributed to building and promoting the Yala ecosystem, rather than passive or opportunistic claimants.
$YALA Airdrop Highlights: Season 1 Snapshot
• Snapshot Date: July 8, 2025 — All eligibility was determined based on activity up to this date.
• Airdrop Launch & Claim Window Opens: July 22, 2025, coinciding with $YALA token listing on Binance Alpha.
• Claim Window Duration: 1 month from launch day. After this period, any unclaimed tokens will be reallocated for future campaigns.
How to Claim Yala Tokens After the Airdrop: A Step-by-Step Guide
Claiming your $YALA tokens is a simple process, but following the correct steps ensures you receive your allocation safely and within the claim window.
1. Go to the Official Claim Portal: Visit claim.yala.org during the claim window. Always verify the URL to avoid phishing scams.
2. Connect Your Wallet: Link your eligible Ethereum or Solana wallet that was used to participate in Yala’s mainnet or testnet activities.
3. Check Your Allocation: The system will automatically display your eligible $YALA allocation based on your contribution category.
4. Confirm and Claim: Click the “Claim” button and approve the transaction in your wallet. You may need a small amount of ETH or SOL for network fees.
5. Claim Within the Deadline: The claim window opens July 22, 2025 and stays open for 1 month. Any unclaimed tokens after this period will be reallocated to future Yala campaigns.
Tips for Claiming: The one-month claim window for the YALA airdrop begins on July 22, so be sure to claim your tokens before the deadline. Always use the official Yala portal to avoid phishing scams, as fake sites with similar names are already circulating. Stay involved with the community, as Season 2 of the airdrop is already in the works.
YALA Token Utility and Tokenomics
The $YALA token is the governance and utility backbone of the Yala Protocol, designed to incentivize participation, secure protocol infrastructure, and enable decentralized decision-making. Beyond powering governance, $YALA plays a central role in protocol security, ecosystem growth, and reward distribution.
1. Stability Pool Rewards: Users can deposit $YU into the Stability Pool to backstop system debt during liquidations, earning $YALA rewards, liquidation collateral shares, and stability fees in return.
2. Cryptoeconomic Security: Staked $YALA helps secure critical infrastructure, including validator nodes for the Notary Bridge and decentralized verifier networks that protect the $YU stablecoin.
3. Governance Evolution: $YALA holders vote on protocol parameters, submit improvement proposals, and can convert tokens to $veYALA for gauge weight voting to direct emissions and incentives.
YALA Token Distribution
• Investors – 15.98%: 1-year cliff, followed by 18-month quarterly vesting.
• Ecosystem & Community – 20%: 45% released at TGE, remaining vested linearly over 24 months.
• Foundation & Treasury – 29.12%: 30% at TGE, 1-year cliff, then 36-month linear vesting.
• Marketing – 10%: 20% at TGE, 1-year cliff, then 24-month linear vesting.
• Team – 20%: 1-year cliff, followed by 24-month linear vesting.
• Airdrop – 3.4%: Fully unlocked at TGE.
• Market Makers – 1.5%: Subject to market-making agreements.
How to Trade YALA Tokens on BingX After Claiming the Airdrop
YALA/USDT trading page on BingX spot market, powered by BingX AI insights
Once you’ve claimed your $YALA tokens, you can start trading them on the BingX spot market to take advantage of market opportunities. On the BingX app or website, search for the YALA/USDT trading pair, then choose between a market order (instant buy/sell at the current price) or a limit order (set your desired price). After executing your trade, you can hold your tokens for governance and staking, or realize profits by selling them.
For smarter trading decisions, use BingX AI to monitor real-time market trends, sentiment analysis, and price forecasts for YALA. BingX AI can help you identify entry and exit points, track trading volume spikes, and assess volatility, giving you data-driven insights to make informed moves in the fast-paced DeFi market.
Bottom Line
Yala is opening new opportunities for Bitcoin holders by enabling them to generate yield across DeFi and real-world assets while maintaining full self-custody. The Season 1 Airdrop rewards early participants who contributed to the protocol’s growth, coinciding with its listing on Binance Alpha and an active claim window.
While this is a chance to secure $YALA and position yourself ahead of the Season 2 rollout, remember that cryptocurrency markets are volatile and returns are not guaranteed. Always do your own research and assess your risk tolerance before making any investment or trading decisions.