Introduction
The term Airdrop is gaining popularity amongst the Crypto network and beyond. Everyone wants an Airdrop but it is a challenge for newbies and enthusiasts in the ecosystem.
In this article, you will understand the concept of Airdrop, how it works, Airdrop scams and how to prevent them.

What is an Airdrop
Crypto Airdrop is the sharing of tokens or coins for certain requirements met by participants. Airdrops are used as a marketing strategy by blockchain-based projects to promote awareness, increase the user base, or reward loyal community members. The recipients of these tokens are usually required to perform certain tasks, such as following the project on social media, joining their Telegram group, or holding a specific amount of another cryptocurrency in their wallet.

Types of Crypto Airdrop
Standard Airdrop
Users receive free tokens without needing to do anything other than provide their wallet address.

Bounty Airdrop
Bounty airdrops require participants to complete specific tasks, such as promoting the project on social media, writing blog posts, or creating videos. In return for their efforts, participants receive tokens.

Is Airdrop a Good Investment?
Airdrop hunt is a good investment for newbies with zero capital because it is cost-effective.

Why do companies Airdrop
For Awareness — Crypto Airdrop is a marketing strategy to inform the targeted audience about the launch of a new project.

Large Potential Users — It is an acquisition strategy by Crypto projects to onboard potential users to their platform.

Incentives for loyal and early users — Airdrop is a way to reward loyal community members and early users for trusting the brand.

Community Building — Airdrops help in building a strong and engaged community. By rewarding users with tokens, projects can foster loyalty and encourage participation in their ecosystem.

Liquidity — Airdrops can help in increasing the liquidity of a new token. As more people hold and trade the token, it becomes easier to buy and sell in the market.

How does Airdrop work
Announcement and Criteria The project team announces an upcoming airdrop through their website, social media, or community forums. They provide details about the airdrop, such as the purpose, amount of tokens being distributed, and the criteria for participation. The announcement specifies the eligibility criteria. This could include holding a certain amount of a specific cryptocurrency, joining their Telegram group, following their social media accounts, or performing specific tasks.

Airdrop Activity — Participants will carry out specific activities that meet certain project specifications.

Distribution of Tokens — The project may use smart contracts to automate the distribution process. Smart contracts are self-executing contracts with the terms of the agreement directly written into code. The tokens are transferred from the project’s wallet to the eligible addresses. This process can take some time, depending on the number of recipients and the network’s capacity.

Receiving Airdropped Tokens — Participants are usually notified through email, social media, or the project’s website once the distribution is complete. Recipients can check their wallets to see the airdropped tokens. They need to ensure their wallet supports the new tokens, sometimes requiring them to manually add the token’s contract address to their wallet.

Using the Tokens — Recipients can choose to hold the tokens as an investment, trade them on exchanges if they are listed, or use them within the project’s ecosystem, such as for governance, staking, or accessing services.

Difference between ICO & Airdrop

Initial Coin Offerings abbreviated as ICOs are primarily used to raise funds for a new cryptocurrency or blockchain project. Investors purchase tokens with the expectation that the project’s success will increase the value of the tokens.

Airdrops are primarily used to promote a new cryptocurrency or blockchain project. By distributing free tokens, projects aim to increase awareness, and adoption, and build a community of users.

Unfortunately, the popularity of airdrops has led to scams where malicious actors create fake airdrops to steal personal information or funds.

Ways to prevent crypto Airdrop scam

Do your Research — It is vital to research the project token, the team, the whitepaper and usecases before carrying out an airdrop.

Don’t share private — Legit Airdrop will not require your private keys to meet the requirement.

Perform Airdrops from verified sources like Project Social Media pages or verified website sources.

Where to find Legit Crypto Airdrops?
Legit Airdrops are announced on the Company’s Social Media, official Community and websites.

Conclusion
Airdrops are legit ways to get free money in the Crypto ecosystem. Follow for more Blockchain and Crypto-related Articles.