WalletConnect is the QR code and deep link that pops up whenever you connect a mobile wallet to a dapp, which means almost everyone in crypto has used it. That reach is exactly why “WCT airdrop” pages are such effective bait. The real picture is less exciting and more useful: WalletConnect’s first airdrop season closed in early January 2025, a targeted Solana claim followed in mid-2025, and today WCT reaches users mainly through staking rewards, boosted staker drops and cashback on WalletConnect Pay. This guide walks through each of those programs, explains how to check what applies to you, and shows how to tell an official WCT page from a copy.
What WalletConnect and WCT are
WalletConnect is an open protocol that lets wallets and applications talk to each other securely across chains. The WalletConnect Network is the infrastructure behind it: service nodes that relay encrypted messages between wallets and apps, governed by the WalletConnect Foundation and built with Reown, the company behind the core SDKs. More recently the company has pushed into payments with WalletConnect Pay, which lets shoppers pay merchants from their own wallets; in January 2026 Ingenico announced a digital currency payment solution built with it.
WCT, the WalletConnect Token, is the network’s token. According to the official token documentation, it has three jobs: rewards (staking rewards, node operator rewards and, more recently, consumer cashback), staking, and governance. The supply was capped at 1 billion at launch, and the docs say no inflation is envisioned in the first three to four years; any inflation would need a token holder vote.
The official starting points are walletconnect.network, the network’s home page, and the WalletConnect Network docs, which cover the token, staking, rewards and contracts.
How WCT is allocated
| Allocation | Share of 1B WCT |
|---|---|
| WalletConnect Foundation | 27% |
| Airdrops | 18.5% |
| Team | 18.5% |
| Rewards | 17.5% |
| Previous backers | 11.5% |
| Core development | 7% |
Team, previous backer and core development tokens unlock over four years with a one-year cliff from TGE. The 18.5% airdrop bucket is meant to be spread across several seasons, so Season 1 used only part of it. The 17.5% rewards pool is phased: 5% for the first year to test the network’s assumptions, with the remaining 12.5% described as a flexible incentive for later years that can change to suit network goals.
Airdrop history: Season 1 and the Solana claim
Season 1. WalletConnect opened its eligibility checker in November 2024 and distributed 50 million WCT to more than 160,000 eligible users, scored on their history of using WalletConnect with wallets and apps. Claims ran on Optimism, and the claim window closed in early January 2025. Tokens were non-transferable at first but could be staked straight away, and staking rewards went live in December 2024. Transfers were switched on from April 15, 2025, after a token holder vote, and major exchanges listed WCT the same day.
The Solana claim. In May 2025 the Foundation announced that WCT was expanding to Solana through Wormhole’s Native Token Transfers, with a targeted 5 million WCT claim for the Solana community. Phantom, Jupiter, Backpack and Solflare were named as partners helping to identify eligible users, and distribution was planned for that summer. The overall supply stayed at 1 billion.
Base. In September 2025 WCT went live on Base, followed by a weekly WCT rewards program for builders on Base.
At the time of writing, no general Season 2 claim is open on official WalletConnect pages. The airdrop allocation leaves room for future seasons, but until the Foundation announces one on its own site and X account, there is nothing to check or claim.
Where WCT rewards come from today
Weekly staking rewards
Staking is now the main ongoing source of WCT. In November 2025 WalletConnect switched to a new staking system, approved in a community vote with more than 99% in favour. Under it:
- You choose an unlock duration of 4, 8, 12, 26, 52, 78 or 104 weeks when you create a position.
- The position stays fully locked, at constant stakeweight, until you decide to start unlocking. Stakeweight then decays linearly over the chosen duration.
- Stakeweight equals the amount of WCT multiplied by the remaining lock time in weeks, divided by a normalisation constant of 209. Longer durations earn more.
- Rewards are paid weekly, in periods running from Thursday 00:00 GMT to Thursday 00:00 GMT. A position must exist before the period starts to count.
- Each address can hold one active position, and partial unstaking is not supported.
- Unclaimed rewards build up with no expiry.
Boosted Stakers Rewards
On top of weekly rewards, the Foundation has run Boosted Stakers Rewards. Wave 2, announced in January 2026, sent 1.9 million WCT directly to eligible wallets on Optimism, up from the 1.5 million originally planned. To qualify, stakers needed at least 100 WCT staked through the official staking portal for at least two weeks, active at the January 5, 2026 snapshot at 00:00 GMT. Governance participation and migrating to the new staking system acted as multipliers. In the same post WalletConnect proposed a staking redesign aimed at about 30% APY for long-term stakers; that is a proposal, not a guaranteed rate.
WalletConnect Pay cashback
In January 2026 WalletConnect introduced WCT rewards for consumers who pay with WalletConnect Pay: up to 2% back in WCT on online and in-store purchases, for transactions up to $100,000 a month, paid to the wallet used at checkout. The company says part of WalletConnect Pay revenue is used to buy WCT on the open market to fund these rewards, and that token holders will vote on the WCT budget for the program.
How to check and manage your WCT, step by step
- Find old claims on-chain, not on a website. If you claimed in Season 1, your WCT sits on Optimism. Check your address on a block explorer using the official contract address from the docs: 0xeF4461891DfB3AC8572cCf7C794664A8DD927945, which is the same on Ethereum, Optimism and Base.
- Open the staking app from an official link. The staking portal is at app.walletconnect.com/stake. Connect, then review your existing position before changing anything.
- Pick an unlock duration you can live with. Remember that choosing a duration does not start an exit. You will need to start unlocking later and then wait out the full duration.
- Approve only the amount you are staking. The flow asks for an approval followed by a stake transaction. Check the spender address matches the staking contract listed in the docs.
- Claim rewards when convenient. There is no deadline for weekly rewards. Boosted rewards, when they happen, are sent automatically.
- Vote if you want boosts. Governance participation was a multiplier in Wave 2. Proposals and voting are on the official governance site linked from walletconnect.com.
Risks specific to WCT
- Long lock-ups. A 104-week duration means up to two years of decay once you start unlocking, and the full position only becomes withdrawable at the end. Price moves during that time are yours to absorb.
- No partial exits. You cannot take part of a position out. Plan your position size around that.
- Multichain confusion. WCT exists on Ethereum, Optimism, Base and Solana. Sending it to the wrong network, or through an unofficial bridge, is a common way to lose tokens.
- Reward variability. APY depends on your share of total stakeweight and on how the rewards budget is set. The rewards pool is phased and partly flexible by design.
- Unlock overhang. Team, backer and core development tokens have been unlocking since the one-year cliff passed, which adds supply to the market.
How to recognise fake WCT pages
Genuine pages sit on walletconnect.network, walletconnect.com and their subdomains, including app.walletconnect.com for staking. The official X accounts are @WalletConnect and, for staking and token updates, @wcthub. Signs of a fake:
- A “WCT Season 2 claim” or “WCT airdrop checker” that is not announced on those accounts.
- A page that uses the WalletConnect connection modal itself as proof of legitimacy. Any site can show that modal; it does not mean WalletConnect runs the site.
- Requests to sign a Permit or unlimited approval for WCT or stablecoins to “receive” an airdrop. Receiving tokens never needs you to grant spending rights.
- Domains such as walletconnect-claim, wct-airdrop or walletconnect.org copies.
FAQ
Can I still claim my Season 1 WCT?
No. The Season 1 claim window closed in early January 2025. If you claimed, your tokens are on Optimism.
Is there a WCT Season 2 airdrop?
Not one that is open. The allocation leaves room for future seasons, but no general Season 2 claim is live on official pages at the time of writing.
How do I get boosted staking rewards?
For Wave 2 you needed at least 100 WCT staked through the official portal for two weeks before the January 5, 2026 snapshot. Future waves may use different rules; WalletConnect publishes them on its blog and X accounts.
Do I need to claim WalletConnect Pay cashback?
According to WalletConnect, rewards go directly to the wallet used at checkout.
Verdict
WCT is no longer an airdrop story. Season 1 and the Solana claim are finished, and what remains is a staking token with weekly rewards, occasional boosted drops for long-term stakers and a cashback program tied to WalletConnect Pay. If you hold WCT, the useful work is choosing a staking duration you can commit to and voting on proposals. If you do not, any page promising a free WCT claim deserves the same suspicion as an unexpected wallet approval.
This guide is not investment advice. Staked WCT stays locked while its market price keeps moving.
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