Z.ink Alpha Test Begins Ahead of $ZINK Airdrop Launch

Key Takeaways

• Z.ink, a new SVM Layer 1 blockchain from the Star Atlas team, has begun its closed a.lpha test season ahead of the $ZINK airdrop.
• The network introduces zProfile, a gamified digital identity that tracks player activity and rewards it with XP and future $ZINK tokens.
• Z.ink aims to solve the high-cost and scalability problems of web3 gaming by offering ultra-low transaction fees and faster processing.

A.lpha Test Season Begins

Z.ink officially started its closed a.lpha test season on October 30. This is the first of three major stages in its airdrop plan. Only users with an access code can join right now. Early testers receive an exclusive A.lpha Tester badge and can carry up to 20 levels of zProfile progress into the main airdrop campaign.

To get an access code, users can repost Z.ink’s post on X and wait for a possible DM from the team or get one from an existing tester. After receiving a code, players can set up their zProfile at z.ink. Creating a profile may involve a small setup fee in $SOL. This test season helps the team refine the network before the full $ZINK launch.

Z.ink is designed as an independent, high-performance Layer 1 blockchain that supports the Star Atlas ecosystem. It works with Solana but runs separately to avoid high gas fees and congestion. The network supports millions of transactions daily, a scale that traditional networks have struggled to handle efficiently.

Star Atlas players have often faced rising costs during busy network periods. Reports show that transaction fees could take up to 30% of earnings. Z.ink addresses this with a fee model similar to Solana’s but uses its cheaper native token, $ZINK, reducing transaction costs by more than 99%.

This improvement is critical for onchain gaming, where frequent microtransactions are common. Z.ink expects to handle about 20 transactions per second at launch, already surpassing many other Layer 1 and Layer 2 chains.

The zProfile is the foundation of Z.ink’s ecosystem. It acts as a digital identity and login layer that connects a user’s activity across games and apps. It supports privacy through zero-knowledge proofs and allows users to control permissions and verify their identity if needed.

Every action in the Star Atlas world—playing games, trading assets, or staking tokens—earns zXP, a gamified experience point. These points decide a user’s profile level and determine their share of the $ZINK airdrop. Players who collect more zXP gain higher rankings and better rewards.

Premium tiers such as Alpha, Aura, and Apex offer zXP multipliers from 1.25x to 2x. These memberships also unlock extra features like domain names and special passes.

Source: X

The Airdrop Roadmap

The airdrop plan unfolds across three main stages. The a.lpha test season comes first, focusing on system testing and community building. The second phase, called the O.rigin Airdrop Season, is set for mid to late December 2025. This will be the main campaign where $ZINK tokens are distributed based on user engagement. Ten percent of the total token supply is reserved for this event.

Players can earn zXP by participating in games, locking ATLAS or POLIS tokens, trading in the marketplace, or joining Star Atlas shooter and racing modes. Previous activity does not count toward the airdrop, giving new players a fair start.

The final stage, Airdrop & Genesis, is planned for March 2026. This phase will mark the full network launch, token generation, and mainnet rollout of Sage C4, transforming it into a complete 4X strategy game.

$ZINK Token and Network Growth

$ZINK is the utility token for the network. It will be used for transaction fees, staking, validator rewards, and ecosystem incentives. Half of all transaction fees will be burned to help maintain value over time. Ten percent of the total supply supports the first airdrop campaign, while 5% is set aside for the Star Atlas DAO to cover player fees through validator rewards.

At launch, the network will operate in a permissioned state to maintain low fees and stability. Over the next 18 to 24 months, Z.ink will open to full decentralization, allowing validators to join by staking $ZINK. The project starts with a 12% inflation rate, which will gradually decrease over eight years.

Final Thought

Z.ink is more than a new blockchain—it’s the base layer for everything Star Atlas plans to build. Its structure focuses on performance, fairness, and community participation. The airdrop seasons are designed as both a test and an opportunity for users to help shape the network’s future.

The a.lpha test season is active now, followed by the O.rigin airdrop in December and the Genesis event by March next year.

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