ZERC DeRace Airdrop: Complete Details on the zkRace Token Swap and Distribution

The DeRace to zkRace transition wasn’t just a rebrand-it was a full blockchain upgrade with a token swap that affected thousands of users. If you held DeRace (DERC) tokens before May 2024, you automatically received zkRace (ZERC) tokens. No action was needed. But if you missed it, or you’re confused about what happened, here’s exactly how it worked, what you got, and where things stand today.

What Was DeRace Before the Swap?

DeRace started as a play-to-earn NFT horse racing game built on blockchain. Users could buy, breed, and race digital horses, build their own virtual hippodromes, and earn rewards in the form of DERC tokens. Each horse was a unique NFT with different traits-speed, stamina, pedigree-that affected performance in races. The game combined racing simulation with blockchain mechanics, letting players trade horses on open markets and earn from race winnings, breeding fees, and event rewards.

It wasn’t just another crypto game. DeRace had a dedicated community of players who treated their NFT horses like real assets. But behind the scenes, the tech was aging. The original contract needed upgrades to handle more users, reduce gas fees, and improve security. That’s why the team decided to migrate to a new system: zkRace.

The Token Swap: DERC to ZERC

On May 13, 2024, at exactly 16:00:00 UTC, a blockchain snapshot was taken. This captured every wallet that held DERC tokens at that moment. The swap wasn’t optional-it was automatic. If you had 100 DERC, you got 100 ZERC. No claiming, no forms, no delays. The 1:1 ratio was locked in from day one.

The migration was handled by two major exchanges: KuCoin and Gate.io. Both platforms supported the swap for their users. KuCoin completed the swap on May 28, 2024, and began trading ZERC/USDT pairs at 10:00 UTC. Withdrawals for ZERC opened the next day, May 29, at 09:00 UTC. After that, KuCoin stopped supporting DERC entirely. Gate.io followed the same timeline, ensuring users on either platform weren’t left behind.

The old DERC contract was permanently frozen. Any leftover DERC tokens after the snapshot became useless. If you held DERC on a non-supported exchange or in a personal wallet, you still received ZERC automatically-no need to move your tokens. The blockchain handled the transfer via smart contract logic.

What Is zkRace (ZERC) Today?

zkRace isn’t just a renamed version of DeRace. It’s the same game, but with upgraded infrastructure. The core experience remains: race NFT horses, breed them, build hippodromes, and earn ZERC tokens. But now, everything runs on the Base blockchain-a layer-2 network built on Ethereum that cuts transaction costs and speeds up confirmations.

The ZERC token is now the sole currency inside the ecosystem. You need ZERC to enter races, buy new horses, pay for breeding, or rent out your hippodrome. There’s no more DERC. No dual-token confusion. Just one token powering the whole economy.

Here’s the current tokenomics as of February 2026:

• Total supply: 120,000,000 ZERC
• Circulating supply: 100% (all tokens are in circulation)
• Current price: $0.0258 (as of February 2026)
• Market cap: $3,094,440
• Daily volume: $122,795
• Contract address: 0xa3a2...f049815 (Base network)

The price has stayed relatively stable since the swap, with daily swings between $0.0257 and $0.0262. Trading volume shows consistent activity, meaning the community is still engaged. The project also underwent a security audit by Hacken, which adds a layer of trust for users.

How Did the Airdrop Work?

There wasn’t a traditional “airdrop” where you sign up and get free tokens. The ZERC distribution was a token migration-not a giveaway. It was designed to replace DERC with ZERC, not to reward new users.

If you owned DERC before the snapshot, you got ZERC. That’s it. No eligibility lists. No KYC. No social media tasks. The system was designed to be fair: if you were a holder, you were compensated one-for-one. This avoided the common pitfalls of airdrops-bots, fake accounts, and inflated demand.

For users who didn’t hold DERC before May 13, 2024, there was no automatic claim. But that doesn’t mean there’s no way to get ZERC now. You can buy it on exchanges like KuCoin, Gate.io, or Bitget. Or, you can earn it by playing the game: winning races, breeding successful horses, or referring new players.

How to Get ZERC Today

Since the migration is complete, here are your options:

1. Buy on an exchange: ZERC is listed on KuCoin, Gate.io, and Bitget. Search for ZERC/USDT or ZERC/BTC pairs.
2. Play the game: Create an account on the zkRace platform, get your first NFT horse, and start racing. You’ll earn ZERC from race payouts and breeding fees.
3. Refer others: The zkRace referral program gives you 5% of your referral’s earnings in ZERC.
4. Report bugs: The team still rewards users who find and report vulnerabilities in the smart contracts or game mechanics.

There are no current airdrops for new users. Any website or social media post claiming to offer free ZERC tokens is likely a scam. The only legitimate way to get ZERC is through the official platform or supported exchanges.

Why the Rebrand to zkRace?

The name change wasn’t cosmetic. “zk” stands for zero-knowledge-a cryptographic technique that improves privacy and efficiency on blockchain networks. The new zkRace system uses this tech to handle race results, horse traits, and breeding outcomes more securely and privately than before.

The old DeRace system was vulnerable to manipulation. Race outcomes could be predicted with enough data. Breeding results weren’t always random. The zkRace upgrade fixed those issues. Now, the game uses zero-knowledge proofs to verify results without revealing underlying data. That means fairer races, unpredictable breeding outcomes, and more trust in the system.

It also moved from a less efficient blockchain to Base, which slashed transaction costs. Where a race used to cost $2 in gas fees, it now costs less than $0.05. That opened the game to more casual players who didn’t want to pay high fees just to enter a race.

Is zkRace Still Active?

Yes. The platform is live. The website is updated. New NFT horses are being released. The breeding system is functional. The team is still adding new hippodrome designs and seasonal events.

Community activity has slowed since the initial swap, but core users remain. Discord and Telegram channels are still active, mostly discussing race strategies and upcoming features. The team has hinted at future integrations with other GameFi projects and cross-chain NFT support, but nothing is confirmed.

The market cap hasn’t grown dramatically, but it hasn’t crashed either. With a fully circulating supply and no inflation, the token’s value depends entirely on usage. If more players join, demand for ZERC will rise. If not, it’ll stay flat.

What Happened to DERC Holders?

If you held DERC before May 13, 2024, you received ZERC. Your holdings were preserved. If you sold your DERC before the snapshot, you lost out. There’s no compensation for that.

Some users reported confusion because their exchange didn’t notify them. Others thought the swap was optional. But the protocol didn’t require user action-it was automatic. If your DERC was in a wallet or on a supported exchange, you got ZERC. If it wasn’t, you didn’t.

There’s no way to recover lost DERC. The contract is gone. The tokens are burned. The migration was final.

Final Thoughts

The zkRace token swap was one of the cleanest token migrations in the GameFi space. No hype, no pump-and-dump, no fake airdrops. Just a straightforward upgrade that preserved value for existing holders and improved the game for everyone else.

If you’re looking to get into zkRace now, don’t wait for a free token. Buy ZERC on an exchange, or start playing. The game is still live. The NFTs are still racing. And the ecosystem is still growing-just quietly.

There’s no second chance to claim ZERC from the original swap. But there’s still plenty of opportunity to earn it-through play, not promises.