A software program limitation in Ledger {hardware} wallets is stopping some Cardano customers from collaborating within the Midnight Basis’s Glacier Drop, a two-month-long airdrop distributing NIGHT tokens throughout eight blockchain ecosystems.
The problem stems from the dealing with of message signing for Cardano. In a submit on X, Cardano co-founder Charles Hoskinson defined that the Ledger’s implementation of CIP-8—a protocol for securely signing messages—limits messages to only 31 bytes. The Glacier Drop is 251 bytes, making it too massive for Ledger’s present firmware to assist.
“This can be a Cardano-specific problem with Ledger’s software program that we flagged in July,” Hoskinson wrote. “They haven’t given us a timeline for his or her replace.”
For these interested in glacier drop assist for ada on ledger units, there is a matter with ledger’s implementation of CIP-8 message signing. It apparently solely helps signing messages as much as 31 bytes whereas the GD payload is 251 bytes.
This can be a cardano particular problem…
— Charles Hoskinson (@IOHK_Charles) August 5, 2025
Ledger has not responded to Decrypt’s request for remark.
Midnight Basis President Fahmi Syed confirmed the problem and stated the group is in touch with Ledger.
“There are some limitations round how the CIP-8 message is constructed and delivered when signing on Ledger,” Syed informed Decrypt. “We recognized that there was a possible safety problem round that, and for us, safety is paramount.”
Whereas Ledger has but to problem a repair, Cardano builders are rolling out a workaround. Based on Hoskinson, the system will use a null transaction that features the Glacier Drop payload as metadata as a substitute of a standard message signature. The workaround will probably be built-in into the Glacier Drop protocol to permit affected customers to assert tokens.
The Glacier Drop is designed to distribute NIGHT tokens—used inside the Midnight blockchain ecosystem—to eligible pockets holders from eight chains: Cardano, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, XRP, BNB, Avalanche, and Courageous’s BAT.
Syed acknowledged comparable points with XRP and Avalanche. He stated the Midnight Basis expects to roll out its personal answer to the Ledger drawback within the coming weeks..
“We’ve been working with many companions, together with Ledger, and in addition the Cardano workforce,” Syed stated. “The affected customers are a small minority, however we’re taking it critically and can have a safe answer in place by the week of August twenty fifth.”
He warned customers in opposition to searching for or accepting unofficial workarounds within the meantime.
“There are already pretend websites and unsolicited claims circulating,” he stated. “We ask the neighborhood to stay with our official platforms. Nobody must be transferring tokens, locking property, or sharing their non-public keys.”
Regardless of the Ledger problem, Syed stated consumer participation within the airdrop stays excessive.
“We’ve had over 120 million tokens claimed in just some hours, throughout all eight ecosystems,” he stated. “That is greater than Cardano—it’s about collaboration throughout chains.”
Based on Syed, the declare window stays open for 60 days, and consumer eligibility is locked from the second of verification.
“Whenever you do issues in another way and innovatively, you’ll be challenged,” he stated. “In a perfect world, would I favor every thing labored completely? Completely. However that is about progress, and with the Glacier Drop in the present day, we’re making it.”
