While most blockchain launches come stockpiled with infrastructure and finance applications, the upcoming Abstract blockchain is taking a consumer-focused approach, aiming to excite and entertain active Web3 participants with “fun and viral” applications.

The Ethereum layer-2 network is being built by Igloo Inc., the parent company of Pudgy Penguins, which raised $11 million in July to “change the dynamic of how users interact with blockchain technology.”

As excitement builds for Abstract’s expected January 2025 launch, you may be wondering how you can prepare to participate on day one. Below we’ve gathered some ideas on how you can be ready.

What can you do on Abstract before launch?

Even though the Abstract mainnet is not expected to launch until later in January 2025, forward-looking participants are already readying themselves so they can hit the ground running upon launch.

Join the waitlist, claim "Early Bird" badge

The most official way to interact with Abstract before its launch is to join its email waitlist and claim a spot for the eventual "Early Bird" badge.

No benefits for the badge have been announced, and details about claiming it are still to come.

Interact with Abstract testnet

Participation in the Abstract testnet is not incentivized—in other words, performing transactions on the chain will not lead to any direct benefit like a token airdrop. However, you can familiarize yourself with the chain and its user interface and experience by interacting on testnet.

Abstract’s block explorer suggests that more than 16 million transactions have been validated to date.

A testnet bridge is open and available to users looking to move funds from Ethereum’s Sepolia testnet to Abstract testnet.

Grab your role in the Abstract Discord

The Abstract Discord is a critical hub for staying up to date with information about the chain and the projects that will be launching on it.

The Discord may also provide exclusive benefits to active users and those who are eligible for elevated roles within. For example, users with the “Elite Chad” role were eligible for an allocation of the PENGU airdrop in December and “will receive elevated chances to participate in incentives after mainnet for Abstract,” according to a message from a moderator.

Interact with apps that will migrate to Abstract

More than 350 applications are in the pipeline for Abstract, with around 120 projects expected to be live on day one, according to Abstract’s pseudonymous marketing lead Phin.

While some new apps will be built natively on Abstract, a handful of the projects committed to building on the chain are already live and may be migrating from other blockchains.

Getting to know these projects and interacting with them prior to mainnet launch could give users a head start when they ultimately find a home on Abstract.

Some examples include games like Duper and Vibes, MYRIAD’s prediction markets (Myriad Markets is a product of Decrypt’s parent company, DASTAN), and existing Web3 projects like Imaginary Ones and Dogami.

A more complete list of Abstract ecosystem additions can be found in the Abstract ecosystem-updates Discord channel.

How are others preparing for Abstract?

One popular way that users are preparing for Abstract is by whitelist hunting for NFT projects that will launch on the consumer-focused chain.

Lists are already circulating, attempting to rank the “hottest” upcoming NFT projects.

Many of these projects, like Ruyui Studios and Finalbosu, are already giving out or fielding submissions for access to their upcoming mints.

What potential benefits are there?

While early posts from the Abstract Ecosystem Twitter account mentions a native incentive system, no details have been formally shared by the Abstract team.

Nevertheless, it is heavily speculated that there will be a native Abstract token used for its unique panoramic governance and further incentivization of building the chain’s economy.

However, it is important to note that engaging with projects or communities in the ecosystem does not guarantee any eventual reward.

More information about Abstract can be found in our Learn guide about the chain.

Edited by Stephen Graves