Ink, a new Layer 2 blockchain unleashed by Kraken, built their entire community from the ground up using Guild. By launching two large-scale campaigns - DeFi Training Grounds and Ink Academy - they attracted and activated over 164,000 members on Guild. From developer onboarding to DeFi quests and platform education, Ink used Guild’s creative tooling to structure roles, reward actions, and build meaningful, long-term engagement.

Guild is the platform for building and growing communities in the decentralized world. It brings together role-based access, cross-platform logic, and custom requirements with flexible tools like NFTs, points, and quests. With Guild, creators can design permissionless onboarding, loyalty systems, and gated experiences without relying on centralized platforms. From simple rewards to complex access structures, Guild powers the community infrastructure of web3 - interoperable, composable, and fully yours.

Ink is a next-generation Layer 2 blockchain built on the Ethereum OP Stack, designed to be the DeFi hub of the Superchain. With 1-second block times (and sub-second on the way), ultra-low gas fees, and seamless Ethereum compatibility, Ink empowers builders to launch fast, scale efficiently, and innovate freely. Unleashed by Kraken, Ink combines deep security, rich dev support, and a streamlined UX - from fiat onboarding to DeFi protocol deployment. Whether you’re a developer, DeFi user, or curious explorer, Ink provides a powerful, open-source base layer to help you pursue onchain financial sovereignty.

Ink’s Guild featured a wide array of main roles that acted as both onboarding filters and reward layers. These included:

• Ink Apprentice Dev – For developers who deployed contracts on Ink, had a GitHub account older than 1 year, or were on a dev allowlist.

• Ethereum on Ink – For users who held ETH on the Ink blockchain.

• Ink Seeker Role – For users who completed DeFi Training Grounds Week 1 to 4.

• Ink OG – Claimable by holders of the Superchain NFT, tracked via allowlists.

• Certified Onchain– For users with over 100 transactions.

• Dabbling Onchain – For those with 10+ transactions.

Each role came with customized requirements - GitHub checks, Discord roles, wallet balances, and social engagement - showcasing how Guild can combine on- and off-chain data in powerful ways.

Ink’s first major campaign on Guild was the DeFi Training Grounds — a 4-week activation experience aimed at introducing users to Ink’s DeFi ecosystem and basic blockchain functions.

• Week 1: Follow Ink on Twitter, hold 0.0001 ETH, like & repost tweets, and create memes using the hashtag #Ink.

• Week 2: Mint an Ink-related article, complete 3+ transactions on Ink, follow Ink on Farcaster.

• Week 3: Deploy a contract, claim roles through Discord, deepen on-chain interactions.

• Week 4: Complete advanced DeFi tasks, follow partners, claim a .ink domain.

Each task unlocked new roles or rewards - often via gated forms, exclusive Discord perks, or AMA participation. All activities were verifiable and tracked through Guild’s role system.

After the success of the Training Grounds, Ink launched Ink Academy - a more focused campaign aimed at educating users about the ecosystem applications they could use to interact with the Ink blockchain.

• RhinoFi – Bridge & swap on Ink.

• Orbiter Finance – Engage with bridge mechanics and social follow tasks.

• Reservoir Relay – Various tasks to explore NFT infrastructure.

• BlockScout – Learn to navigate Ink’s blockchain explorer.

• Dinero – Stake ETH, add liquidity, explore DeFi options.

• NFTs.to – Interact with NFT tools and minting flows.

• InkySwap – Swap tokens, provide liquidity.

Each activity in the Academy earned users campaign-specific roles or access to rewards and forms, continuing the learning loop.

If you’ve read this far, you’ve seen what’s possible.

Ink started with no community - just a vision and a blockchain. In a matter of weeks, they onboarded over 160,000 members, ran multi-phase campaigns, and turned learning DeFi into something fun and rewarding. And they did it all using Guild.

Guild isn’t just a tool - it’s a creative engine. Whether you're launching a Layer 2, a DeFi app, a protocol, or even an NFT project, Guild gives you the infrastructure to build, organise, and reward your community from day one.

• Want to reward your early users? You can.

• Want to run multi-step quests or campaigns? Easy.

• Need to verify on-chain actions, Discord roles, or social follows? Done.

• Looking for a points system, allowlists, NFTs, or private perks? All built in.

You don’t need to build custom infrastructure from scratch or rely on a dozen fragmented tools. With Guild, you can go live in hours and scale with your ideas.

Your community deserves more than a Twitter feed and a Discord link. Give them a real home.

Let Guild be your platform for onboarding, engagement, and loyalty.

Working with Ink was a great experience - they pushed the boundaries of what’s possible with Guild and created one of the fastest-growing new communities in the space. From DeFi quests to learning-based campaigns, they showed that blockchain onboarding can be fun, engaging, and meaningful.

If you’re looking to replicate what Ink did - whether you’re launching an L2, DeFi platform, or any web3 product - we’re here to help you build, reward, and grow your community with Guild.