Deep drive into web3 Airdrops for Beginners

Paschal of Web3
Coinmonks
3 min readJun 5, 2024

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The "tap and earn" narrative, popularized by Notcoin, has drawn many people into the crypto space. However, a significant number of these new participants don't fully understand what they're doing. Here, I break down what I know about web3 airdrops and explain how you can participate and benefit from them.

What Are Crypto Airdrops?

If you’re new to the blockchain industry, it’s crucial to first understand cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. Here’s a guide to get you started:

Crypto airdrops are free distributions of cryptocurrency tokens or NFTs by a project or platform to numerous wallet addresses.

Why Do Projects Introduce Airdrops?

The three main reasons for airdrop campaigns are:

1. Marketing and Awareness

2. Incentivized Contribution

3. Testing and Feedback

Marketing and Awareness:

Airdrops generate excitement and buzz around a project. When people receive free tokens, they are more likely to discuss the project, share it on social media, and attract further attention, potentially leading to viral marketing.

Incentivized Contribution:

Projects reward users for completing specific tasks such as promoting the project, creating content, or contributing to development. This can encourage developers to build on the platform by rewarding them with tokens for their contributions.

Testing and Feedback:

Projects often distribute airdrops to beta testers who provide feedback and help improve the platform before a full launch.

How Do Airdrops Work?

Projects typically follow four main phases to distribute airdrops:

1. Announcement:

Projects announce upcoming airdrops through their websites, social media channels, and community forums.

2. Eligibility Criteria:

The project defines the criteria for participation, such as holding a specific cryptocurrency, completing tasks, or signing up on their platform.

3. Snapshot:

For some airdrops, a snapshot of the blockchain is taken at a specific time to record which addresses hold the qualifying tokens or have performed specific transactions on their network.

4. Distribution:

Tokens are distributed to the eligible wallet addresses based on the set criteria.

Types of Airdrops

Standard Airdrops: Free tokens are distributed to users who sign up with their wallet addresses.

Bounty Airdrops: Tokens are given in exchange for completing tasks like promoting the project on social media, writing articles, or translating content.

Holder Airdrops: Tokens are distributed to users who hold a specific cryptocurrency or NFT at the time of the snapshot.

Exclusive Airdrops: Given to a select group of users based on specific criteria such as early adoption or high activity within the community. Under Exclusive Airdrops, there are two common types:

Incentivized Testnet Airdrops: Distributed to users who participate in the testing phase of a blockchain project’s network, rewarding them for identifying bugs, providing feedback, and ensuring the network’s robustness before its mainnet launch.

Retroactive Airdrops: Tokens given based on past actions or usage of a specific platform or protocol, primarily on the mainnet.

Loyalty Airdrops: Ongoing distributions made to users who consistently engage with and support the project.

Benefits of Participating in Airdrops

Participating in airdrops can provide several benefits, including:

- Receiving Free Tokens: You can get tokens without any initial financial investment.

- Early Access to New Projects: Gain early access and exclusive benefits from new projects.

- Community Participation: Become an active participant in the project’s community and earn additional rewards for contributions like promotion or feedback.

- Voting Rights: Obtain governance tokens, giving you influence over project decisions.

- Practical Experience: Enhance your understanding of the crypto ecosystem and learn about different projects and their use cases.

That’s all, i’m sure that after reading this you should be able to understand what airdrops is all about and be able to take advantage of any airdrop opportunity that comes your way.

Feel free to follow me for more content like this!

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Paschal of Web3
Coinmonks

Crypto influencer| Research Analyst| Content writer| Business developer| Opened to new innovation.