The Pool 21 airdrop has officially entered its distribution phase, and the claim page is now open.
Eligible participants can claim their allocation at any point during the active window. There is no need to claim immediately and no requirement to claim daily. The system is designed to support flexibility, not urgency, and to reward long-term participation over short-term reaction.
This post is meant to share context around Pool 21, explain how this round was structured, and outline what comes next as Matchain continues to evolve.
A note to the community
As Pool 21 went live, we heard a wide range of feedback.
Some participants expected to see allocations immediately and didn’t. Others questioned why different participation levels resulted in different outcomes. A few ran into claim visibility issues despite staking correctly. All of this feedback was valid, and it helped surface real edge cases in how this round played out.
This is not about something being “broken.” It’s about visibility, expectations, and how systems behave as they scale.
Eligibility and claim visibility
The most common question we received came from users who staked in Pool 21 but did not immediately see an allocation on the claim page.
In most cases, this was due to eligibility conditions tied to prior participation combined with how Pool 21 delegations were indexed at snapshot time. We would like to highlight this mechanics and explicitly state that you must bind the wallet used for staking to MatchID otherwise we are not able to recognize your allocation. The rules were enforced as designed, but the way they surfaced to users was not always as clear as it should have been.
Because of that, some participants reasonably felt something was missing.
To ensure accuracy:
- Wallets flagged by the community are being manually reviewed
- A structured intake form is being used to collect and verify edge cases
- Any wallet that meets the criteria but was affected by indexing or visibility issues will be handled explicitly
If you believe your allocation needs review, you can submit details here:
👉 Review form: https://forms.gle/ZwXBYfT4tThgof9u9
No eligible participant is being ignored. This is verification, not dismissal.
Distribution structure and level-based pools
Pool 21 used a level-based distribution model.
Each level had a fixed allocation divided among participants within that cohort. Because participation density differed between levels, individual allocations also differed, even when stake size was higher in one level versus another.
This was not a bug. It was an intentional design choice.
At the same time, the feedback is clear: many community members would prefer future distributions to be weighted by percentage staked rather than divided by level cohorts.
We agree this deserves direct input.
A community poll will be launched with clear options so future distributions reflect collective preference, not assumptions.
Operational notes from this cycle
A few practical improvements were applied during the live window:
- Claim gas fees were reduced significantly
- Claims do not need to be made daily. You can claim periodically to reduce gas costs
- Support and moderation workflows were expanded to handle increased volume
These are small details, but they matter during live distribution.
Long-term alignment and market behavior
Pool 21, like future distributions, is designed with long-term participants in mind.
The goal is not to create short-term sell pressure, but to reward sustained engagement as the ecosystem develops. While we don’t control market behavior, we do design systems that favor continuity over speculation.
Participants who choose not to claim during the window are not penalized. In fact, unclaimed allocations may be eligible for additional upside in future distribution phases. This is intentional and aligned with long-term alignment rather than urgency-driven behavior.
What comes next
A refreshed roadmap is being finalized and will be shared soon. It will outline upcoming launches, infrastructure upgrades, and the next phase of development across Matchain, including MatchAI and the Joint Innovation Studio.
Pool 21 is one step in a longer arc. Each cycle provides signal, and that signal is already shaping what comes next.
Closing
If you raised questions, thank you. If you felt frustrated at moments, that’s understandable. And if you stayed engaged through it, that matters.
Pool 21 helped move the system forward, even where it revealed friction. The work underway now is focused on making future distributions clearer, smoother, and easier to participate in.
More soon.
