What Is LINEA? KuCoin Pre-Market Launch and $160M Incentive Program Put Project in Spotlight
2025/09/08 10:51:02
Recently, the crypto community's attention has been drawn to a new project—Linea. From a major exchange's pre-market trading, to a generous 160 million token incentive program, and the highly anticipated airdrop, Linea's series of significant moves are rapidly pushing it into the spotlight. For countless crypto enthusiasts, a core question has emerged: why is this new project so highly sought after?

(Source:CoinGecko)
This article will provide an in-depth analysis of Linea's core technology and value, and, in conjunction with three key news announcements, explore its potential in the future market.
I. Linea's Core Technology: zk-EVM
Linea is not just another Layer 2 solution; it is a zero-knowledge rollup based on zk-EVM (Zero-Knowledge Ethereum Virtual Machine) technology.
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What is a zk-rollup? Simply put, it's a scaling technique that bundles thousands of off-chain transactions into a single "zero-knowledge proof," which is then submitted to the Ethereum mainnet. This proof is very small but can verify the validity of all transactions, significantly reducing the mainnet's burden.
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What is a zk-EVM? This is an advanced version of zk-rollup technology. Its "EVM compatibility" means it can perfectly support smart contracts on Ethereum. Developers can seamlessly migrate existing Ethereum applications (DApps) to Linea without needing to modify their code. This greatly lowers the barrier to entry for developers and lays the foundation for Linea's rapid ecosystem growth.
II. Linea's Core Features and Value Proposition
Linea’s design philosophy is not just to scale Ethereum, but to deeply integrate with its ecosystem for mutual benefit.
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Synergy with Ethereum: Linea is designed to "work with Ethereum, not against it." Its gas fees, token rules, and governance mechanisms are all structured to drive value back to ETH. This means Linea's prosperity will directly contribute to the healthy development of the Ethereum mainnet.
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Ultimate Security: As a zk-rollup, Linea inherits the security of the Ethereum mainnet. Unlike other Layer 2 solutions that might rely on independent validators, Linea uses zero-knowledge proofs to guarantee transaction correctness, providing the same level of security as Ethereum.
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"Dual Burn" and "Native Yield": Linea features a unique dual-burn system and native yield design. This means that as the ecosystem grows and transaction volume increases, the value of both LINEA and ETH will be enhanced, creating a positive feedback loop.
III. Three Major News Announcements: Revealing Linea's Rise
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KuCoin Pre-Market Trading: Seizing the Early Advantage
According to The KuCoin Team, KuCoin launched pre-market trading for Linea (LINEA) on September 2, 2025, at 8:00 UTC. This move is highly significant, as it not only provides the first trading window for LINEA before its official spot market launch but also signals a major exchange's confidence in its future potential. For early participants, pre-market trading offers the opportunity to trade the token at an anticipated price, potentially gaining a first-mover advantage. This "pre-launch" approach has garnered significant interest and liquidity for LINEA, building a strong foundation for its future performance on the spot market.
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160 Million Tokens: Igniting the DeFi Liquidity Engine
Five days after the KuCoin announcement, Linea officially released even more explosive news on September 7: its "Linea Ignition" liquidity incentive program would distribute 160 million LINEA tokens, an increase of 10 million from the initial plan. This generous move demonstrates the project's commitment to building a robust ecosystem.
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80% (128 million LINEA) will be allocated to liquidity providers (LPs) in lending pools, primarily covering major assets like USDC, USDT, and ETH on Aave and Euler.
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The remaining 20% (32 million LINEA) will be used for Etherex trading incentives.
This large-scale token incentive program is designed to quickly attract liquidity, injecting a powerful burst of energy into the Linea ecosystem and encouraging users to actively participate in its DeFi protocols.
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The Airdrop is Coming: Igniting Community Frenzy
According to @CoinGapeMedia and Linea's official announcements, the LINEA airdrop is set to go live on September 10. This news has created a huge stir in the crypto community, with countless followers and early participants eagerly awaiting the event. This airdrop is not just a reward for early community contributors but also a strong stimulus for market liquidity. Speculation about its potential launch price is widespread, with many believing it has significant room for value appreciation.
Linea Airdrop Claim Guide and Details

The airdrop will benefit 749,662 eligible wallets. Qualified users must have participated in previous campaigns:
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LXP (Linea-Voyage) Contributors: Need at least 2,000 LXP. Rewards are split into 7 tiers based on the amount of LXP earned. Additionally, boosts of +10% each are awarded for using the token before the March 2024 Dencun upgrade, staying active for 6 different months between August 2024 and June 2025, or using MetaMask features.
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LXP-L (Linea-Surge) Contributors: Need at least 15,000 LXP-L. The distribution for this group is simple and linear: more liquidity equals more LINEA tokens.
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Builder Airdrop: Beyond community users, 1% of the total supply is reserved for strategic builders across the ecosystem.
Claim Timeline:
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Eligibility check begins: September 3, 2025
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Claim starts: September 10, 2025
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Claim ends: December 9, 2025 (90 days)
Any unclaimed tokens will be returned to the Ecosystem Fund to support other future projects.
IV. Tokenomics and Market Outlook
Linea's token distribution model is highly transparent and community-focused, which is a rare sight in the industry.
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Total Supply: The total supply of LINEA is 9.36 billion.
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Core Allocation Principle: According to official disclosures, the airdrop does not include any allocations for the team or investors, highlighting the project's emphasis on early community contributors.
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Allocation Breakdown:
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Ecosystem Fund (85%): 7.956 billion tokens, serving as the core engine for project development, used for growth, funding, R&D, and supporting early users and contributors.
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Early Users & Contributors (10%): 936 million tokens, dedicated to rewarding the community and serving as the primary source for the current airdrop.
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ConsenSys Treasury (15%): 1.404 billion tokens, held by Linea's core development team, ConsenSys, for ongoing operations and project development.

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From a macro perspective, Linea is more than just another blockchain; it is designed to "work with" Ethereum, not "against" it. Its gas fees, token rules, and governance mechanisms are all intended to push value back to ETH. Furthermore, it features a dual-burn system and native yield, ensuring that the value of both LINEA and ETH grows stronger over time.
Conclusion
The LINEA airdrop can be seen as one of the most significant events in Ethereum's history since ETH itself. With nearly 750,000 eligible wallets, a clear token allocation framework, and a substantial ecosystem fund, Linea is poised to inject powerful new momentum into the Ethereum ecosystem for the next decade.
