Etherlink is Live! Initiatives Including $3M Rewards Scheme and Dedicated Builder’s Program Unveiled to Fuel the Debut of the Tezos Layer 2 

Etherlink, a Layer 2 blockchain powered by Tezos technology, has exited public beta and is now officially production-ready and ready for use by everyone. To mark the occasion and kickstart a year of activity on Etherlink, a number of initiatives are being unveiled during ETHDenver. These include a dedicated builder’s program, designed to attract developers to build on the chain, and a rewards program called Apple Farm that will see up to $3 million of rewards distributed to participants in its first season. Waitlists for the Etherlink Builder’s Program and Apple Farm open today, and the unveiling of these initiatives comes during a period of significant activity for the Etherlink ecosystem, including the rapid deployment of a number of (real-world asset) RWA and (decentralised finance) DeFi-focused apps.

Apple Farm is an incentive platform designed to reward people for exploring the Etherlink ecosystem. With engagement features and a robust points system designed to incentivise meaningful onchain actions, the program will initially focus on introducing users to DeFi applications. Apple Farm introduces an innovative points-based system where users earn "Apples" for participating in various DeFi activities. The program launches with founding partners Superlend, Hanji, and IguanaDEX, building on Etherlink's established infrastructure that has already processed over $2 million in trading volume. Users will have access to  a comprehensive dashboard to track their earned points, monitor their position on the leaderboard, and engage with integrated protocols. Additional benefits will include exclusive NFTs, special Discord roles, and other exclusive rewards.

"The launch of Apple Farm and the reveal of a dedicated builder’s program for Etherlink mark a natural progression in Etherlink's growth story, but, most excitingly, this is just the start," said Cédric Roche, Head of BD at Nomadic Labs, a Tezos R&D Hub in Paris. "With the recent launch of key platforms like uranium.io and the Superlend partnership, we're creating a robust foundation for sustained ecosystem growth that we're set to super-charge with these and other upcoming initiatives."

Apple Farm is powered by Merkl, the incentive platform behind successful DeFi liquidity programs with a total of over $80M in tokens distributed across 40+ chains since its inception.

"We're proud to partner with Etherlink on the ambitious Apple Farm program, further establishing Merkl as a leading incentive distribution platform," said Pablo Veyrat, co-founder of Merkl. "For this initiative, Merkl brings its full suite of capabilities — from reward calculation and allocation, to designing the Apple Farm app, and simplifying the token claim process for users.”

Today’s announcements come amid strong ecosystem momentum for Etherlink, including the successful recent implementation of the Bifröst upgrade, the launch of a dedicated “.etherlink” domain powered by Freename, and integrations from DeFi leaders such as Spiko and Midas. Etherlink’s infrastructure credentials are already well-established; it serves as the backbone of the first decentralized platform for tokenized uranium trading uranium.io, has hosted multiple sold-out NFT collections, and is integrated with major platforms including Rabby Wallet and Nebula by Thirdweb. 

For more information about Apple Farm and the Etherlink Builder’s Program, visit https://www.etherlink.com/  today.

About Etherlink

Etherlink is a non-custodial, EVM-compatible Layer 2 blockchain powered by Tezos Smart Rollups. Etherlink is permissionless, inherits the technology of Tezos’ Layer 1, and features a decentralized governance model, fraud proofs, and censorship resistance. https://www.etherlink.com/

About Tezos

Tezos is an open-source and energy-efficient blockchain designed to empower institutions, developers, and businesses and facilitate value transfer in a digital environment. It is designed for the scalable deployment of decentralized applications. As one of the first Proof of Stake blockchains, Tezos is globally supported and valued for its strong governance, long-term upgradability, and smart contract capabilities. For more information about Tezos, visit http://www.tezos.com. 

About Merkl

Merkl is the leading platform for incentive distribution, empowering DeFi protocols, blockchains, and Web3 projects to drive liquidity and growth through efficient, onchain reward programs. With over $80M in rewards distributed to date, Merkl streamlines token allocation across multiple blockchains, ensuring accurate calculation, seamless distribution, and tracking. Backed by a16z, Merkl is trusted by industry leaders such as Aave, Uniswap, TrustWallet, and Optimism. Discover more at https://merkl.xyz/