The community was buzzing early this morning—Infrared Finance officially announced that the IR token will be listed for trading on Gate at 08:00 UTC on December 17.
As the DeFi protocol with the highest total value locked (TVL) in the Berachain ecosystem, Infrared Finance’s launch has attracted widespread market attention.
01 Project Background
Infrared Finance holds a central position within the Berachain ecosystem, ranking first in TVL among all DeFi protocols on the network.
It’s more than just a simple liquid staking protocol—it serves as the "liquidity gateway" for Berachain, streamlining the complex liquid proof-of-stake mechanism into a user-friendly interface.
By issuing the iBGT token, the protocol overcomes the "soulbound" limitation of Berachain’s native governance token, BGT, allowing holders to maintain governance rights while unlocking liquidity.
This innovation has enabled iBGT to capture nearly 60% of the BGT market share, making it the leading token in its segment. As of launch, Infrared Finance boasts a total value locked of $500 million and a user base exceeding 400,000.
02 Core Functions of the IR Token
The IR token is more than just the governance token for Infrared Finance—it’s a multifunctional catalyst for the ecosystem, designed to drive protocol growth and value accumulation.
According to the official announcement, the IR token has three core functions:
Governance Voting Rights: Holders can stake IR tokens as sIR to gain governance voting power, allowing direct participation in Infrared Finance’s future decision-making.
Revenue Sharing Mechanism: A portion of protocol fees goes into the "Red Fund" to buy back IR tokens, enabling holders to share in the protocol’s profits—a model that sets it apart from many traditional DeFi tokenomics.
Protocol Optimization Tool: The token issuance mechanism is used to optimize the protocol’s operational efficiency and revenue model, fostering a more sustainable ecosystem.
03 Airdrop Details and Eligibility
Infrared Finance’s airdrop program is a key part of its community-driven value creation strategy. This airdrop primarily targets three groups of participants:
Early Community Members: Users who actively participated in Infrared’s points program will receive rewards.
Boyco Pre-Deposit Event Participants: Those who joined this event are also included in the airdrop list.
Active Community Contributors: This includes those who engaged on Discord, completed user surveys, participated in community events, or joined the testnet.
Users can claim the airdrop in two ways: either by participating in the pre-deposit process through a centralized exchange for early access, or by waiting for the token generation event (TGE) to claim through non-exchange channels.
Gate, as one of the three designated pre-deposit exchanges, offers a convenient early claim channel for users.
04 Key Dates to Remember
The IR token listing and airdrop claim process involve several important dates that users should note:
The centralized exchange pre-deposit window opened at 12:00 UTC on December 13 and will close at 17:00 UTC on December 15.
The IR token will officially be listed for trading on Gate and other exchanges at 08:00 UTC on December 17.
All airdrop claims will permanently close at 00:00 UTC on January 12, 2026. Unclaimed tokens after the deadline will be reclaimed.
Additionally, Binance Wallet will host the 42nd exclusive TGE event for Infrared Finance from 08:00 to 10:00 UTC on December 17, but participation requires Alpha Points.
05 How to Participate in Pre-Deposit on Gate
For users looking to claim the IR airdrop early via Gate, the process is straightforward:
Visit the Infrared Finance official website and start the pre-deposit process.
Select "Gate" as the pre-deposit platform from the exchange options.
Submit your Gate user ID to complete the pre-deposit registration.
Please note that the pre-deposit window is limited, so users must complete the process within the designated timeframe. As a designated exchange, Gate provides a stable and reliable pre-deposit service for eligible users.
06 Market Performance and Future Outlook
As of December 17, with the IR token listed on Gate, the market has shown strong interest in this flagship Berachain ecosystem protocol. Infrared Finance, as the leading DeFi protocol by TVL, has already built a solid user base and ecosystem.
The IR token’s design cleverly integrates governance, value accumulation, and liquidity. Its governance flywheel effect—where liquidity provision, validator delegation, and yield generation reinforce each other—drives protocol growth.
As the Berachain ecosystem continues to evolve, Infrared Finance is poised to further strengthen its role as the primary liquidity gateway.
Investors and users can track the real-time price of the IR token on Gate, as well as key metrics like TVL and user growth, to assess its long-term potential.
Looking Ahead
At 08:00 UTC today, the IR token trading page on Gate began to light up. The token’s initial price fluctuated amid strong market enthusiasm, with buying interest clearly outpacing selling.
As more users claim their airdrops through Gate, IR token liquidity is steadily increasing. In the Infrared Finance Discord community, users are sharing their staking strategies—some opt for long-term holding and governance participation, while others leverage Gate’s convenient trading features for short-term allocation.
On the Berachain ecosystem map, this $500 million TVL project is redefining the rules of liquid staking with its dual engines: iBGT and IR. Meanwhile, Gate’s trading volume chart quietly records every market vote in this ongoing experiment.
