Ink Chain Guide for Beginners: How to Get Started With Kraken’s Ethereum Layer 2

Ink is an Ethereum Layer 2 network developed with support from Kraken and built for decentralized finance. It is designed to make onchain activity faster and less expensive than using Ethereum mainnet directly, while retaining Ethereum as its settlement layer.

If you have heard people discussing Ink, Tydro, Nado or a possible $INK airdrop but do not know where to begin, this guide walks through the process from the start. It covers adding the network to a wallet, moving ETH to Ink, trying the ecosystem carefully, checking transactions, and understanding what has and has not been officially confirmed about the Ink token.

Important: This is an educational guide, not financial advice. DeFi applications involve smart-contract, market, and liquidity risks. Start with an amount you can afford to lose and never connect your wallet through an unverified link.

What is Ink Chain?

Ink is an EVM-compatible Layer 2 blockchain built using the OP Stack. It is also part of Optimism’s Superchain, a broader group of networks built on common technology and greater interoperability.

The Ink team describes the network as a DeFi-focused home within the Superchain. The network launched with approximately one-second block times, uses ETH to pay transaction fees, and aims to offer much lower fees than Ethereum mainnet. Because it is EVM-compatible, familiar Ethereum wallets and Solidity-based applications can work with it.

Kraken’s connection is one of Ink’s biggest differentiators. The exchange can provide a relatively simple route between a centralized trading account and an onchain wallet, while Ink itself remains a public blockchain on which users hold and interact with assets through self-custody wallets.

Ink Chain network details

You can confirm these values at any time on the official Ink network-information page. Do not copy RPC details or contract addresses from replies, advertisements, or unknown social-media accounts.

How to get started on Ink Chain

Step 1: Choose and prepare a self-custody wallet

Ink works with common EVM wallets. Kraken Wallet and Rainbow natively support the Ink mainnet, while MetaMask lets you add it as a custom network. Other EVM-compatible wallets may detect the network when you open an Ink application.

For MetaMask, open the network selector, choose Add a custom network, and enter the official Ink mainnet details shown above. Save the network and confirm that the selected Chain ID is 57073.

The simplest and safest route is the interactive option on Ink’s official Connect Wallet page. Review every field before approving it in your wallet.

Step 2: Fund your wallet with ETH on Ink

ETH is the native gas token on Ink. You therefore need ETH on the Ink network, not merely ETH visible on Ethereum, Base, Arbitrum or another chain.

There are two practical ways to fund the wallet:

• Withdraw through Kraken: If Ink withdrawals are supported for your account and region, buy or hold ETH on Kraken, select withdrawal, choose Ink as the destination network and send it to your self-custody address. Ink’s FAQ says Kraken supports Ink-network withdrawals without a withdrawal fee, but availability and conditions should always be checked in the app at the time of transfer.
• Use a supported bridge: Move ETH or another supported asset from another network to Ink via a bridge listed in the official ecosystem directory. Current examples include Across, Bungee, Relay, Rhino.fi, Stargate and Superbridge. The available routes and fees can change, so begin from the official Ink bridge directory.

For your first transfer, send a small test amount. Confirm that the receiving address is correct, that the destination network says Ink and that you will still have enough gas on the source network to complete the transaction.

Step 3: Keep some ETH unused for gas

A common beginner mistake is depositing every available ETH into a liquidity pool or swapping the entire balance into another token. That can leave the wallet unable to pay for the next approval, withdrawal or swap.

Ink fees are generally small, but they are not zero. Always retain a little ETH in the wallet for gas. If an application asks you to sign a message, read it carefully: a signature is different from a transaction, but it can still authorise important actions.

Step 4: Explore the official Ink app directory

Once your wallet has ETH on Ink, use the official Ink Apps directory instead of searching for protocol names and clicking advertisements. The directory groups applications into DeFi, bridges, explorers, infrastructure, on-ramps and social tools.

Some prominent applications currently listed on Ink include:

• Tydro: A decentralized, non-custodial liquidity protocol built on Ink and powered by Aave. It allows users to supply and borrow supported assets. Lending and borrowing create liquidation and smart-contract risks, so understand collateral rules before using it.
• Nado: An all-in-one order-book DEX for spot markets, perpetuals and money markets using unified margin. Leveraged perpetual trading is significantly riskier than a simple spot swap and is not a sensible first transaction for most beginners.
• Velodrome: An automated market maker designed as a liquidity hub for the Superchain. Swapping is relatively straightforward; providing liquidity introduces impermanent loss and pool-contract risks.
• The Deep: A yield-focused entry point listed within the Ink ecosystem. Before depositing, check which strategy is being used, where the funds are held, and whether withdrawals are subject to conditions.
• Blockscout: Ink’s blockchain explorer, used to inspect wallet balances, transaction status, contracts, tokens and approvals.

The directory changes as new applications launch or integrations are updated. A listing is a useful discovery signal, but it is not a guarantee of profit or an elimination of protocol risk.

Step 5: Make one simple first transaction

There is no need to use every application immediately. A sensible first workflow is:

1. Add Ink to your wallet.
2. Transfer a small amount of ETH to Ink.
3. Confirm the balance in the explorer.
4. Open one application through the official Ink directory.
5. Make a small spot swap or another basic transaction you fully understand.
6. Open the transaction hash in Blockscout and review what happened.

This simple sequence teaches the most important onchain concepts: selecting the correct network, paying gas, approving a token, signing a transaction, and verifying the result independently.

How to check an Ink transaction

Every successful or failed transaction produces a hash. Copy it from your wallet and paste it into Ink’s Blockscout explorer.

The explorer can show:

• whether the transaction succeeded or failed;
• the sending and receiving addresses;
• the contract that was called;
• tokens transferred;
• gas used and the fee paid; and
• the block and timestamp.

If a balance does not appear immediately in your wallet, first check the address on the explorer. The token may simply need to be imported into the wallet interface. Never trust a random token name alone. Verify the contract address using the project’s official site and Ink’s explorer.

Is there an Ink token or a confirmed airdrop?

Kraken announced in July 2025 that a subsidiary of the independent Ink Foundation plans to issue the $INK token. Kraken also said $INK would be included in Kraken Drops and distributed to eligible active Kraken clients and ecosystem participants.

That announcement confirms the token plan and an intended airdrop, but it did not publish final eligibility criteria, a snapshot date, allocation amounts, a claim date, or a guaranteed reward for completing particular activities. Kraken said further details would be shared as milestones are reached.

In simple terms: using Ink does not automatically guarantee an airdrop. Avoid websites, NFTs or social accounts claiming that one particular transaction will secure an allocation. Until official eligibility and claim information is published, treat task lists and point strategies as speculation.

You can read the original Kraken $INK announcement and monitor Ink’s verified website and social accounts for updates.

Safety checklist before using Ink

• Start from inkonchain.com or the official documentation.
• Verify that the wallet shows Chain ID 57073.
• Check the destination network before withdrawing or bridging.
• Send a small test transfer first.
• Keep some ETH available for gas.
• Confirm token and contract addresses in the explorer.
• Read approval requests instead of clicking through automatically.
• Avoid unlimited token approvals when a smaller limit will work.
• Do not use leverage unless you understand liquidation completely.
• Never enter a seed phrase on a website or share it with support staff.
• Use a separate wallet with limited funds when exploring unfamiliar applications.
• Do not assume that activity guarantees future $INK rewards.

A simple Ink beginner workflow

Wallet → Kraken withdrawal or official bridge → Ink network → one verified dApp → Blockscout explorer.

That is enough to begin. You do not have to chase every campaign or lock funds into complicated strategies. Learn how the network behaves with a small amount, verify every action, and only move to lending, liquidity provision, or perpetual trading after understanding the additional risks.

Frequently asked questions

Does Ink use ETH for gas?

Yes. ETH is the native currency used to pay transaction fees on Ink mainnet.

What is the Ink Chain ID?

Ink mainnet uses Chain ID 57073.

Can I add Ink to MetaMask?

Yes. Add it manually with the official RPC and Chain ID, or use the connection option provided in Ink’s documentation.

Can I send ETH directly from Kraken to Ink?

Kraken supports Ink as a withdrawal network, subject to account, asset, and regional availability. Always select Ink explicitly and verify the destination address before confirming.

Which bridge should I use for Ink?

Use a bridge currently listed in Ink’s official bridge directory and compare the supported source network, asset, fee, and estimated arrival amount. Routes can change over time.

Is the $INK airdrop confirmed?

Kraken has announced plans for the $INK token and said it would be included in Kraken Drops for eligible clients and ecosystem participants. Final eligibility rules, timing, and allocation details have not been announced, so no individual activity can presently be treated as a guaranteed qualification.

What is the best first Ink dApp to use?

There is no single best option for everyone. Beginners should choose a simple action they understand from an application listed in the official Ink directory, use a small amount, and verify the result in the explorer.

Official Ink resources

• Ink official website
• What is Ink?
• Connect a wallet to Ink
• Ink network information
• Official bridge directory
• Ink ecosystem applications
• Ink Blockscout explorer
• Kraken’s $INK token announcement

Ink combines the familiar Ethereum wallet experience with lower fees, faster blocks and a DeFi-focused ecosystem connected to Kraken. The best way to begin is also the least dramatic: verify the network, fund a fresh wallet with a small amount, use one official application and inspect the transaction yourself.