Ethereum's restaking protocol, EigenLayer, has made headlines again with its recent announcement to airdrop approximately 28 million more of its native EIGEN tokens to over 280,000 wallets.

This decision comes shortly after the protocol faced criticism for the perceived restrictions in its initial airdrop program. Some saw EigenLayer's commitment to allocating 15% of its total supply to the community as inadequate, leading to the protocol revisiting its distribution strategy.

In response to the community's feedback, EigenLayer has expanded its airdrop to include users who interacted with the protocol before April 29, encompassing initial and subsequent claimants.

In a detailed follow-up, EigenLayer outlined the benefits for Season 1 and Season 2 claimants, setting a minimum receipt of 110 and 100 EIGEN tokens, respectively.

With EIGEN perpetual futures contracts trading at $10, the latest airdrop is estimated at around $280 million. This significant figure underscores the growing interest and speculative market surrounding EIGEN, even before its official market release.

However, the price of EIGEN could fluctuate leading up to the token's distribution event on May 10, adding an element of uncertainty and excitement to the community.

The initial backlash from users excluded from the first airdrop highlighted concerns over EIGEN's nontransferable token structure, the smaller community allocation, and stringent anti-VPN measures that restricted access in several countries.

EigenLayer's latest announcement aims to address these issues by including more testnet users and providing further details on token non-transferability.

However, a date for when tokens can be freely transferred has yet to be disclosed.

"After that, they will unlock at 4% per month and finish unlocking three years after transferability. This ensures that the users of the protocol get transfer powers well before any core contributors can."

This statement from EigenLayer highlights the protocol's effort to prioritize its community and users in the token distribution and transferability plan.

With private investors and team members facing a one-year lock-up period followed by a gradual unlocking process, EigenLayer aims to maintain a stable and user-focused ecosystem.

As the official distribution date approaches, the crypto community watches closely, anticipating the potential impact of EIGEN on the Ethereum restaking landscape.