Airdrop

An airdrop is when a crypto project sends tokens to wallet addresses for free, usually to reward early users, bootstrap a community, or decentralize ownership of a new token.

Eligibility is set by the project. Common criteria include past on-chain activity, holding a specific token at a snapshot, completing testnet tasks, or using a protocol before a cutoff date.

Airdrops are also a favorite target for scammers. A legitimate airdrop never asks for your seed phrase and never requires you to send crypto first to 'unlock' a reward.