Akshita Jhalani
Crypto Analyst
What Caught My Attention
I cover a lot of airdrops. Most of them require you to bridge real money, pay gas, and hope something eventually lands in your wallet. ACI is different, and that's precisely why I think it deserves your attention right now.
ACI describes itself as the first AI blockchain built on post‑quantum cryptography. That's a big claim, but what I find more interesting is what they're doing for early users. They've confirmed a testnet airdrop with 30,000,000 $ACI tokens on the line, the whole thing is free to participate in, and Phase 1 closes on June 30, 2026. That window is tight.
The total supply sits at 1 billion ACI tokens. Your allocation from Phase 1 depends entirely on how active you are, not how much money you put in.
The Airdrop Is Confirmed and Free
This isn't speculation. ACI has officially confirmed the token airdrop. What's rare here is that farming costs nothing beyond a little time. You don't need to deposit real funds or hold any actual crypto. All you need is Sepolia test ETH, which is free to claim from a public faucet.
Everything else, swapping, staking, completing missions, happens with test tokens. The more tasks you complete before the deadline, the larger your share of the Phase 1 pool. It's one of the cleanest airdrop setups I've seen this year.
Getting Started: Claim Your Sepolia ETH First
Before anything else, head to a faucet like Alchemy and grab some Sepolia test ETH. This is what you'll use to pay gas and swap for $ACI test tokens. It's free and takes under a minute.
Once you have it, open the ACI testnet app, connect your MetaMask wallet, and switch your network to Sepolia. Approve the connection and you're in.
Swap and Stake to Unlock the Mission Board
After connecting, navigate to the wallet tab and swap your Sepolia ETH for $ACI test tokens. I'd recommend checking which missions you want to complete first so you know roughly how much ACI to swap for, that way you're not going back and forth.
Here's the part that trips people up: the mission board doesn't open until you stake. Go to the staking page, stake your ACI, and only then will your missions become accessible. Don't skip this step. It's required.
Complete Missions and Zealy Quests
Once staking is done, work through the on‑chain missions inside the ACI app. These are straightforward tasks built around using the testnet, nothing complicated. After clearing those, head over to the Zealy quest board for social and community‑based tasks.
I always tell people: do both. Your allocation is built from the full range of activity. If you only complete one side, you're leaving points on the table for no reason.
There's a Creator Program Too
ACI is also running a Creator Program with a 400 USDT reward pool. If you create content about the project, whether that's a thread, a short video, or a write‑up, follow ACI on X and submit your entry. This step is completely optional and separate from your testnet allocation, but it's a genuine way to earn extra if you're already writing or posting about crypto.
What I'd Keep in Mind
The June 30, 2026 deadline is the most important thing on this page. Set a reminder now, not the day before. Faucet rate limits and network delays are real, and rushing at the last minute can cost you your entire allocation.
Also, keep everything in one wallet. Use a single dedicated address for all swaps, staking, and missions. When allocation is calculated, you want a clean, connected history attached to one wallet, not fragmented activity spread across several.
Why This One Is Worth Acting On
Fully free, confirmed, and closing in just a few weeks, the ACI airdrop is one of the most accessible opportunities I've come across in a while. You don't need to be a DeFi power user or have ETH sitting around. All it takes is a bit of time and a MetaMask wallet.
If you've been sitting on the sidelines waiting for a low‑risk entry point into the airdrop space, this is it. Go claim your Sepolia ETH and get started today.