Simply put
- Ledger’s CIP-8 support restricts ADA users from signing 251-byte payloads of Glacier Drops.
- A temporary workaround using metadata in null transactions is available for ADA users.
- The Midnight Foundation has assured participants that affected users will retain access to Airdrop.
Software limitations on Ledger hardware wallets have hindered some Cardano users from participating in the Glacier Drop, which is a two-month airdrop distributing night tokens across the blockchain ecosystem.
This situation stems from how Cardano processes signature messages. In a post, Cardano co-founder Charles Hoskinson mentioned that the implementation of ledgers has been shared. The CIP-8 protocol limits messages to just 31 bytes, while the Glacier Drop payload is 251 bytes—too large for the current Ledger firmware to handle.
“This is a Cardano-specific issue with Ledger’s software, which was flagged in July,” Hoskinson noted. “They haven’t provided us with a timeline for updates.”
For those interested in Glacier Drop support for ADA on Ledger devices, there’s a problem with implementing CIP-8 message signatures for Ledger. The GD payload is 251 bytes, but it only supports message signatures up to 31 bytes.
This is a specific issue with Cardano…
– Charles Hoskinson (@iohk_charles) August 5, 2025
Ledger has not yet responded to requests for comment.
Midnight Foundation President Fami Syed confirmed the matter and stated that the group is in touch with Ledger.
“There are limitations on how CIP-8 messages are structured and processed when signing with ledgers,” he explained. “We’ve identified potential security issues surrounding this and are prioritizing security.”
Ledger has not released any fixes, but Cardano developers are implementing alternatives. Hoskinson indicated that null transactions containing Glacier Drop payloads would be used as metadata instead of traditional message signatures. This workaround is included in the Glacier Drop protocol, allowing impacted users to claim their tokens.
The Glacier Drops aim to distribute night tokens designed for the Midnight blockchain ecosystem to eligible wallet holders from several chains, including Cardano, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, BNB, Avalanche, and Brave bats.
Syed mentioned similar problems with XRP and Avalanche and expressed hope that the Midnight Foundation would develop its own solutions to Ledger issues soon.
“We’ve collaborated with various partners, including the Ledger and Cardano teams,” Syed noted. “While those affected are in the minority, we take this issue seriously and plan to implement a secure solution by the week of August 25th.”
He cautioned users against seeking unofficial workarounds in the meantime.
“There are already fake sites and unsolicited claims circulating,” he warned. “We urge the community to stick to the official platform. There’s no need to transfer tokens, lock assets, or share private keys.”
Despite the challenges with Ledger, Syed stated that user participation in Airdrop remains strong.
“Over 120 million tokens have been claimed in just a few hours across all eight ecosystems,” he said. “This is larger than Cardano; it represents collaboration across chains.”
According to Syed, the claims window is open for 60 days, and eligibility is confirmed at the moment of verification.
“If you’re doing things in new and innovative ways, challenges are inevitable,” he remarked. “Ideally, we’d want everything to run smoothly, but this is about progress, and with today’s Glacier Calm, we’re moving forward.”
