After navigating delays and internal restructuring, Shardeum’s SHM token is now scheduled for a May 5 rollout.

Shardeum, the next-generation layer 1 blockchain founded by Nischal Shetty, has confirmed that its long-anticipated token launch will happen on May 5, 2025. The project announced the updated date in an April 17 X post, stating that upcoming announcements will cover its airdrop strategy, token sales, and initial exchange listings.

The confirmation marks a major step forward for the project, which has been in the works for years and has seen its mainnet timeline repeatedly shifted to adapt to broader market conditions.

Launch Postponed from April to May

Originally expected to launch on April 15, Shardeum issued a delay notice on April 10, saying that the timing wasn’t ideal due to market volatility. Although the development was complete, the team said the decision to push to May was aimed at ensuring stronger traction and ecosystem alignment at launch.

“Our tech is production-ready, but launching in a turbulent market could diminish the impact,” the team explained in the update.

Testnet Success Sets the Stage for Mainnet

Shardeum has relied on a phased testnet rollout to prepare for its mainnet. These included Liberty, Sphinx, and the incentivized Atomium testnet — each designed to test throughput, validate scalability, and engage the community.

The project reports over 171,000 validators and more than 81 million transactions on its testnets, highlighting strong user participation and technical capability. These numbers have built confidence in Shardeum’s performance under real conditions.

Internal Turnover Highlighted Amid Progress

Despite its technical achievements, the company has seen significant staff turnover. Reports from The Economic Times revealed that over a dozen team members, including those from critical operational teams, left in the past year.

However, Shardeum asserts that the project is now in a stronger leadership phase, recently appointing Srinivasan Parthasarathy as CTO to oversee future development and guide the protocol through its launch and scaling phases.

SHM Airdrop to Reward Early Community Members

Shardeum’s airdrop initiative will take place in three phases, with the first phase distributing 3.6 million SHM to active contributors — including validators, developers, and community supporters.

Future rounds will focus on rewarding testnet contributors and mainnet participants, reinforcing the project’s aim to incentivize real engagement over speculation.

Token Utility and Supply Model

The SHM token will be central to the Shardeum network. It will be used for gas payments, staking rewards, and governance decisions, giving holders meaningful influence within the ecosystem.

Shardeum’s tokenomics are deflationary by design. All transaction fees paid in SHM will be burned, reducing the total supply over time. The total cap stands at 508 million SHM, with more than half allocated to community programs.

With May 5 now locked in, the countdown to Shardeum’s mainnet is officially underway — a pivotal moment for both the team and its community of early supporters.