Experts explained how the distribution of tokens is going on, why they are carried out and what risks such promotions carry for projects and their participants
It is quite easy to become the owner of a digital coin. In the cryptocurrency sector, it is common practice when some sites give out tokens to users for free. To do this, just complete a few simple tasks. The experts interviewed by topplabs.org explained how to properly participate in such events.
What is AirDrop
The giveaway of tokens is called AirDrop. In fact, this is an ordinary marketing campaign, says Nikita Zuborev, senior analyst at Bestchange.ru. According to him, most of these actions are organized by young crypto startups or large companies that have launched a new line of business. The main goal of any free distribution of tokens is to spread information, create a community, attract investors and develop infrastructure, the expert noted. He also added that successful giveaways always create excitement, provide liquidity and accelerate the price of an unreleased token.
Now all projects understand that they need to grow the community, and that is why AirDrop is made – so that there are many motivated holders of this digital asset, said Grigory Klumov, founder of the Stasis stable cryptocurrency platform. In his opinion, receiving free tokens motivates digital coin holders to follow the project, make suggestions and improve it.
How hands usually go
It is easy to get free cryptocurrency, usually it is given as a reward for simple tasks, explained Nikita Zuborev. According to him, subscribing, writing a comment, registering, performing several operations in the ecosystem are typical tasks for AirDrop. The analyst also warned that if money is demanded from the user for the distributed tokens, then this is most likely a fraudulent scheme. The purchase of tokens is provided for at their initial offerings (ICO) and initial exchange offerings (IEO), but there are completely different conditions for participation and organization of these events, added Nikita Zuborev.
According to the analyst, sometimes participation in AirDrop still requires financial investments. For example, if this is a DeFi project that uses ERC-20 standard tokens (they work on the Ethereum blockchain), then you will have to pay a network commission for carrying out an operation through smart contracts (about $ 10-60, depending on the situation in the Ethereum network and the number of operations required ), explained Nikita Zuborev. Such distributions can pay off in multiples of the money spent, but you should be more careful with the choice of the project, he added.
How to choose a project
When looking for suitable distributions, you need to focus on the project community, its leaders, and the experience of these people in the cryptoindustry, recommends Nikolai Shkilev, founder of the Private Business Club and CEO of the ZELWIN marketplace. He recalled that a strong project will never give out many tokens. It is better not to believe in promises of great benefits, since there is a high probability of wasting time and not living up to expectations, Nikolai Shkilev advised.
Nikita Vassev, the founder of the international forum for digital mining and trading in the CIS, Terracrypto, considers Uniswap and 1Inch to be good examples of the distribution of free tokens. According to him, users were rewarded for using the service, and they, in turn, talked about it on social networks and attracted an additional audience for the project.
In September 2020, the Uniswap decentralized exchange issued UNI tokens and distributed some of them to users. As a result, 8 traders received from 95 thousand to 245 thousand coins. At the time of the asset, it was from $ 250 thousand to $ 750 thousand. About 50 people received from 10 thousand to 95 thousand coins, that is, $ 25-250 thousand.
AirDrop implications for the project
Many projects are trying to increase their popularity by giving away their digital tokens for free, but as a result, this puts pressure on the price of the cryptocurrency, Nikolai Shkilev believes. He does not recommend AirDrop for startups, as it could negatively affect the value of tokens in the future.
“After listing on the stock exchange, most projects are rapidly losing value. Everyone who received the coin for free starts to drain it. There is no benefit from such users, only the load on the project. As a result, the project itself loses, ”Nikolai Shkilev explained.
A similar situation happened with the 1Inch tokens, the free distribution of which took place in December 2020. Immediately after AirDrop, digital coin trading started on the leading trading platforms: Binance, OKEx, Poloniex, Huobi Global, FTX and others. After the listing, the cost of tokens, according to Coingecko , fell 62% to $ 0.89. Already in February of this year, 1Inch set a historic maximum at $ 5.82 and today, April 2, is trading at $ 4.48.
The project, which AirDrop conducts, is not obliged to redeem or in any way support the value of its token, so it is also a free trial for it, according to a senior analyst at Bestchange.ru.
“In the overwhelming majority of cases, rewards are made in newly created tokens, the company does not spend funds in advance, but only shares a part of the future profit from the sale of its share of tokens,” added Nikita Zuborev.
Where to get information about distributions
There are many groups on Telegram and other messengers that notify users about free token giveaways. But Nikolai Shkilev does not recommend using them. In his opinion, it would be more effective to participate in projects like AMA (Ask me anything, "Ask about anything"), since they allow you to communicate directly with the founders of the project.
“Real founders go to big chats and answer questions from the public on the air. For the best questions, generous prizes are paid in project tokens, ”added the founder of the Private Business Club and CEO of the ZELWIN marketplace.
Nikita Vassev recommends tracking AirDrop on Twitter, since, in his opinion, the entire target audience of such actions is concentrated there. If a good project decides to distribute its tokens, then everyone will talk about it, he says.