Airdrops are a popular marketing strategy in cryptocurrency, used to distribute tokens to holders of specific cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or Ethereum. This approach has gained significant traction, with a notable increase in airdrop activity since August 2017. New airdrops are announced almost daily across various platforms, highlighting their growing popularity in crypto.
The primary purpose of an airdrop is to promote awareness and adoption of a particular product, coin, or cryptocurrency exchange. Similar to free samples in shopping malls, airdrops offer users a small amount of complimentary tokens. New projects often use this tactic to generate buzz and build a community before launching an Initial Coin Offering (ICO).
Successful marketing campaigns often involve giving potential customers and investors a free sample of the product. Cryptocurrency airdrops mirror this strategy, providing free tokens to encourage user participation.
This guide highlights five upcoming airdrops worth exploring and details how to participate in these campaigns.
ZKsync Association Airdrops
The ZKsync Association plans to distribute 3.675 billion ZK tokens through an airdrop to early users and adopters of the ZKsync Ethereum Layer 2 network. This distribution represents 17.5% of the total 21 billion ZK tokens. The airdrop is a one-time event, with a claim window opening next week and lasting until January 3, 2025. Contributors can begin claiming their tokens starting on June 24.
The remaining distribution of the ZK token supply includes 49.1% allocated to ecosystem initiatives, 17.2% for investors, and 16.1% for the Matter Labs team. The ZKsync Association emphasized that the larger allocation to the airdrop, compared to the Matter Labs team and investors, is a deliberate decision to empower the community.
Upon the launch of the ZKsync governance system in the coming weeks, community members will hold the majority of liquid tokens, giving them significant influence over protocol governance upgrades.
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Visit the ZKsync airdrop claim checker page.
- Connect your wallet or submit your GitHub username to check eligibility.
- If eligible, view the number of tokens you have received.
- A total of 695,232 wallets qualify for the airdrop.
ZORA NFT Airdrop
ZORA is a decentralized NFT marketplace protocol offering composability, immutability, universal accessibility, and resistance to censorship. ZORA V3 introduces new mechanisms to incentivize platform development alongside a modular architectural design that enables a permissionless system for deploying new versions.
ZORA has secured $60 million in funding from leading investors such as Paradigm and Coinbase Ventures. While ZORA currently does not have its token, it may launch one.
Early users who have actively participated in the platform by buying, listing, or selling NFTs, including those who have tested the protocol’s testnet, may be eligible for an airdrop if a token is released.
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Visit the ZORA website.
- Connect your ETH wallet.
- List, sell, or buy NFTs.
- Visit their testnet page and add ZORA testnet to Metamask from the testnet page.
- Get some Goerli ETH.
- Bridge the testnet ETH to the ZORA testnet.
- If a token is launched, early users who interact with the platform and perform testnet actions may receive an airdrop.
Fuel Network Airdrop
Fuel is an innovative operating system designed to power Ethereum Rollups. Fuel enables rollups to achieve optimal performance in parallelization, state-minimized execution, and interoperability without compromising efficiency.
Fuel Labs, the team behind this technology, recently secured $80 million in funding from investors such as CoinFund, Maven 11 Capital, and Blockwall. This investment underscores Fuel’s potential to revolutionize Ethereum Rollups’ operations.
Fuel Labs has launched its final public testnet on the Sepolia network, allowing users to experience Fuel’s capabilities firsthand. Participants can download their wallets, interact with decentralized applications (dApps), and bridge assets.
Fuel Labs has hinted at a possible airdrop for active participants who contribute to the network during this testnet phase, potentially rewarding those who engage with the platform before the official token launch.
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Visit the Fuel website.
- Interact with the protocol by downloading their wallet, interacting with their dapps, and bridging assets.
- While Fuel has not officially announced a token launch, there is a possibility of a future airdrop for active users.
Lava Network Airdrop
Lava Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the modular blockchain network Lava, has secured $11 million in funding ahead of the network’s mainnet launch and subsequent token airdrop.
Lava is currently in its testnet phase, processing over 20 billion RPC requests across various blockchains. The network employs the Magma program to reward users with points for contributing to its growth. Users can accumulate Magma points by switching their RPC connection to Lava.
Blockchain node operators can join Lava and earn rewards for high-performance RPC services.
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Set up any supported wallet.
- Visit Lava Network.
- Connect your wallet.
- Join their Discord and follow them on X (Twitter).
- Copy the RPC of the network you want to change on the home screen. Exchange from your wallet and continue with your transactions.
- Share the referral link and your invitation code with friends.
- Stay updated on their mainnet launch and tokenomics.
SyncSwap Airdrop
SyncSwap is a prominent decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol within the zkSync ecosystem, known for its innovative approach to trading and liquidity provision.
As a decentralized exchange (DEX), SyncSwap allows users to trade various assets and deposit liquidity into pools to earn trading fees, with the same level of security as the Ethereum mainnet.
SyncSwap announced the launch of its testnet on the zkSync Era testnet on March 1, 2023. This milestone marked a significant step towards the platform’s full-fledged deployment.
While SyncSwap has not officially announced the release of its native token, $SYNC, the potential issuance has garnered considerable interest within the community. Given the prevalence of airdrops and their benefits in bolstering project adoption and engagement, a future $SYNC airdrop is anticipated with enthusiasm.
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Connect your wallet to SyncSwap.
- Go to their Swap page, choose the type and amount of tokens, and click “Swap”.
- Deposit liquidity to their Pools by clicking “Positions” and “New Position”. Select USDC and ETH and click “Enter Pool”. Then click “Deposit” and unlock your tokens to deposit them into the pool.
- Join their Discord.
- Go to their Guild page and complete the tasks.
Conclusion
Crypto airdrops are a novel way to distribute tokens in the cryptocurrency world. They serve as a tool for fostering community engagement, promoting projects, and expanding networks. By understanding the mechanics of airdrops and carefully assessing their potential risks and rewards, individuals can make informed choices and potentially benefit from these promotional efforts.