The Ink Foundation, the non-profit organisation overseeing Kraken’s Optimism-based Ethereum Layer-2 network Ink, confirmed plans to introduce a native digital asset called INK. The foundation said the entire supply will be permanently capped at one billion tokens and that an airdrop will reward early users of the network. INK’s initial utility will centre on a liquidity protocol powered by decentralised-finance platform Aave, enabling trading and lending services on the Layer-2. Participants in the Aave-backed pool will be eligible for the first distribution, with the foundation indicating additional token allocations may follow, although it has not provided a detailed timetable. Ink has attracted roughly US$7 million in total value locked since its launch seven months ago, a modest figure compared with the US$3.75 billion reported on Coinbase’s Base network, which has yet to issue a token. The rollout of INK comes as Kraken moves toward an initial public offering, positioning the exchange to become the first major listed company with a token linked directly to one of its own products.