Etherlink, a Layer 2 blockchain built on Tezos technology, has officially moved out of public beta and into full production readiness, signaling a major milestone for the platform. To celebrate this achievement and ignite activity throughout 2025, Etherlink announced a slate of initiatives at ETHDenver, including the $3 million Apple Farm rewards program and a dedicated builder’s program aimed at attracting developers to its ecosystem. The waitlists for both programs opened today, aligning with a surge of momentum that includes over $2 million in decentralized exchange (DEX) trading volume and the successful Bifröst network upgrade. The Apple Farm program, set to launch in March 2025, is designed to encourage users to dive into Etherlink’s growing decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. Participants will earn “Apples”—points awarded for engaging in meaningful onchain activities—through a system powered by Merkl, a platform that has distributed over $80 million in tokens across more than 40 chains. Founding partners Superlend, Hanji, and IguanaDEX will kick off the program, offering users a dashboard to track points, monitor leaderboard rankings, and interact with integrated protocols. Rewards will include exclusive NFTs, special Discord roles, and other perks, enhancing user engagement. Dedicated builder’s program aims to accelerate dApp development Alongside Apple Farm, Etherlink introduced its builder’s program, crafted to make deploying decentralized applications (dApps) on the chain more appealing and accessible than ever. With the waitlist now open, the initiative targets developers eager to leverage Etherlink’s robust infrastructure, which already supports innovative platforms like uranium.io—the first decentralized tokenized uranium trading platform—and multiple sold-out NFT collections. Cédric Roche, Head of Business Development at Nomadic Labs, a Tezos R&D hub in Paris, called the programs a “natural progression” in Etherlink’s journey, hinting at more initiatives to come. Ecosystem gains traction with upgrades and partnerships Etherlink’s announcements arrive amid significant ecosystem growth. The recent Bifröst upgrade has bolstered network performance, while integrations with DeFi leaders like Spiko and Midas, and platforms such as Rabby Wallet and Nebula by Thirdweb, underscore its expanding reach. The launch of a “.etherlink” domain via Freename further solidifies its identity. Pablo Veyrat, co-founder of Merkl, praised the collaboration, noting that Apple Farm leverages Merkl’s full suite of tools to streamline reward distribution and enhance user experience. With a strong foundation and ambitious plans, Etherlink is poised to drive sustained growth in the DeFi and blockchain space. The post Etherlink unveils $3M Apple Farm program and builder incentives at ETHDenver appeared first on Invezz