The XRP Flare (FLR) Airdrop Explained

How the real Flare Networks FLR airdrop to XRP holders worked: the December 2020 snapshot, January 2023 claims, and how it differs from the Midnight airdrop.

Updated August 2026 · Reviewed by the PipeFlare team

Flare Networks distributed its FLR token to XRP holders based on a snapshot taken on December 12, 2020, with claims opening January 9, 2023

The FLR program is frequently confused with the separate, unrelated Midnight (NIGHT) airdrop, which also included XRP Ledger holders; knowing which program is which prevents chasing the wrong claim page

About xrp flare airdrop explained

The XRP Flare airdrop is real: Flare Networks distributed its native FLR token to XRP holders based on a snapshot taken on December 12, 2020, with the first claims opening on January 9, 2023, more than two years later. The program is separate and unrelated to the 2025 Midnight (NIGHT) token 'Glacier Drop,' which also included XRP Ledger holders among several eligible chains but comes from an entirely different project. This guide covers what's actually documented about the Flare/FLR program from Flare Networks' own materials, and flags where the newer Midnight program needs checking directly at its own official source rather than assuming it works the same way.

How it actually works

Flare Networks designed FLR's public distribution around XRP specifically because Flare's technology was built to bring smart-contract functionality to assets like XRP that don't natively support it. The eligibility snapshot captured XRP Ledger balances on December 12, 2020. Claims did not open immediately; the first tranche, 15% of the total planned distribution, opened on January 9, 2023, at a rate of 0.151095 FLR for every 1.0000 XRP held at snapshot time. The full distribution ratio, once all phases are accounted for, works out to 1.0073 FLR per 1.0000 XRP. The remaining 85%, a fixed 24,246,183,166 FLR, was not simply airdropped outright; its distribution method was put to a live community governance vote, Flare Improvement Proposal 01 (FIP.01), which passed on January 27, 2023, with 93.78% support. Under FIP.01, that remaining supply was distributed as 36 separate monthly 'FlareDrops' to addresses holding wrapped FLR (WFLR) or FLR staked to a validator, using wrapping or staking as the mechanism for demonstrating active network participation rather than passive holding. Each monthly FlareDrop had to be claimed within a set window (67 days) or the unclaimed portion was burned rather than rolled over. The full 36-month schedule concluded on January 30, 2026, meaning the FlareDrop program, as originally designed, has now finished distributing. Separately, in 2025, an unrelated project called Midnight ran its own 'Glacier Drop,' airdropping its NIGHT token to holders across eight different blockchains, XRPL among them, based on a snapshot in mid-2025 and a claim window that opened in August 2025. Midnight is affiliated with the Cardano ecosystem, not Flare Networks, and the two programs share nothing beyond both having included XRP holders as one eligible group among several. Exact eligibility thresholds and current claim status for Midnight's program are best checked directly at Midnight's own official site rather than assumed from Flare's program rules.

Start here

1To check your own FLR eligibility or claim history from the original 2020 XRP snapshot, use Flare's official portal rather than a third-party site.
2If you're asking about a separate, more recent 'XRP airdrop' you've heard about, confirm which specific program is meant. Flare's FLR distribution concluded its 36-month schedule in January 2026, so a currently active claim is more likely referring to a different program entirely, such as Midnight's Glacier Drop.
3Verify any claim page against Flare Networks' own domain before connecting a wallet; the same drainer-scam risks that apply to any airdrop claim apply here.
4For Midnight's NIGHT token specifically, check Midnight's own official materials directly rather than a secondary source, since claim windows and eligibility thresholds for that separate program are documented there, not on Flare's site.
5If in doubt about whether a claim opportunity is real at all, see our guide on evaluating whether a crypto airdrop is legitimate before connecting any wallet.

Strengths

The FLR/XRP program is well documented directly by Flare Networks, including exact snapshot dates, distribution ratios, and the governance vote (FIP.01) that determined how the bulk of the supply was released.
Requiring wrapping or staking to receive later FlareDrops (rather than a simple one-time claim) rewarded active network participation over passive holding, a design later FlareDrops built on directly.
The program's core facts (snapshot date, total distribution, and conclusion date) are independently verifiable through Flare's own site and its published FIP.01 proposal text.

Common misunderstandings

Claims opened more than two years after the snapshot, and confusion between the original 2020 snapshot and any newer XRP-related airdrop is common, particularly with unrelated newer programs like Midnight circulating at the same time.
Unclaimed FLR from any individual monthly FlareDrop was burned after the claim window, not rolled forward, meaning inactive addresses genuinely lost their share rather than merely delaying it.
'Midnight airdrop' details for XRP holders specifically are less centrally documented in one place than Flare's own program, and figures vary across secondary sources, so checking Midnight's own official site directly matters more here than for the FLR program.

Common questions

Is the XRP Flare airdrop real?

Yes. Flare Networks distributed its FLR token to XRP Ledger holders based on a snapshot taken on December 12, 2020, with the first claims opening on January 9, 2023. The program's snapshot date, distribution ratio, and full schedule are documented directly by Flare Networks.

When did the Flare (FLR) airdrop actually happen?

The snapshot was taken on December 12, 2020, but claims didn't open until January 9, 2023, when the first 15% of the planned distribution became claimable. The remaining 85% was distributed over 36 monthly FlareDrops that concluded on January 30, 2026.

How much FLR did XRP holders receive per XRP?

The full ratio, once every phase is accounted for, was 1.0073 FLR for every 1.0000 XRP held at the December 12, 2020 snapshot. The first claimable tranche in January 2023 used a smaller ratio, 0.151095 FLR per XRP, representing the initial 15% portion.

Do I need to do anything to keep receiving FLR FlareDrops?

The original 36-month FlareDrop schedule under FIP.01 concluded on January 30, 2026, so that program is no longer distributing new monthly drops. During the program, receiving a monthly FlareDrop required holding wrapped FLR (WFLR) or FLR staked to a validator, and each drop had to be claimed within its window or the unclaimed portion was burned.

Is the 'XRP Midnight airdrop' the same thing as the Flare airdrop?

No, they are unrelated programs. Midnight is a separate project, affiliated with the Cardano ecosystem, that ran its own 'Glacier Drop' for its NIGHT token in 2025, and XRP Ledger holders were one of eight eligible groups. It shares no connection to Flare Networks or the FLR distribution beyond both having included XRP holders.

How do I check if I'm eligible for the Midnight NIGHT airdrop as an XRP holder?

Check Midnight's own official site directly for current eligibility and claim status, since specific figures for XRP Ledger allocations vary across secondary sources and this guide won't repeat unverified numbers. Treat any third-party site claiming to process this claim for you with the same scrutiny as any other airdrop claim.

Is it too late to claim FLR from the original XRP snapshot?

The 36-month FlareDrop schedule under FIP.01 concluded on January 30, 2026. Whether any specific unclaimed balance is still recoverable depends on your own wallet and claim history, which is best checked directly through Flare's own official portal rather than assumed either way.

Why did Flare choose XRP holders specifically for this distribution rather than another asset's holders?

XRP Ledger's own design doesn't support general-purpose smart contracts the way Ethereum does, and Flare's technology was built specifically to bring that functionality to assets like XRP without requiring changes to the underlying ledger itself. Distributing FLR to existing XRP holders gave the new network an initial user base already familiar with, and holding, the asset Flare's own technology was designed around.

Was every XRP holder from the December 2020 snapshot automatically eligible, or were there conditions?

Holding XRP at snapshot time made an address eligible for the initial distribution phase, but the later monthly FlareDrops under FIP.01 required an additional, active step: wrapping the received FLR into WFLR or staking it to a validator. An address that claimed its initial FLR but never wrapped or staked it would not have qualified for the ongoing monthly distributions that followed.

Sources

Ready to put this into practice?

Exchange sign-up bonuses pay both you and a referrer after a qualifying trade.

See bonuses →