What Is an Airdrop?

Projects distribute free tokens to bootstrap and reward early users. But "claiming airdrops" is also a major phishing trap.

Why Projects Airdrop

Airdrops are a bootstrapping tactic: tokens go to early users, liquidity providers, or addresses meeting criteria — to attract users, decentralize distribution, and reward loyal communities. Some are "retroactive," based on past interactions.

Airdrop Scam Red Flags

A real airdrop never asks for your private key/seed and rarely requires "pay a gas/fee first to claim." Do not interact with unknown tokens that appear in your wallet (they can be bait to trigger an approval). Always verify via official channels; never click unknown links or sign on lookalike sites.