Namada, a privacy-focused blockchain within the Cosmos ecosystem, has announced the launch of its public testnet. Within this testnet, participants will have the opportunity to take part in an airdrop, during which 30 million NAM tokens will be distributed, constituting 3% of the total supply.

The testnet, named Namada Shielded Expedition, functions as a role-playing blockchain game where participants compete to mine valuable resources on asteroids, earning ROID tokens. Competition leaders will be entitled to an airdrop of NAM tokens equivalent to their earnings. The testnet will also introduce the NAAN asset, required to power space vessels.

Namada developers distinguish between two types of participants: validators ("pilots") and regular users ("crew members"). Registration for participation will begin on January 2, 2024, with the testnet scheduled to launch on January 15.

Namada is an autonomous multi-chain network that employs zero-knowledge proofs to ensure transaction privacy between the Cosmos and Ethereum ecosystems. The project is founded by the nonprofit organization Anoma Foundation and has secured funding from major players, including Polychain Capital and Coinbase Ventures.

Additionally, Namada is compatible with the Internet Blockchain Computer ecosystem and the Ethereum virtual machine through a trustless bridge. In addition to the airdrop for testnet participants, Namada has allocated 65 million NAM tokens to decentralized application developers and participants in the Cosmos Hub and Osmosis blockchains.