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Airdrop Basics
Types of Crypto Airdrops
A practical guide to different airdrop types, including retroactive, holder, community, testnet, staking, and points-based airdrops.
Airdrop map
What this means
Airdrops can be structured in many ways, such as retroactive rewards, holder distributions, testnet incentives, quests, or points campaigns.
Core ideas
What to understand first
- Retroactive airdrops reward past activity.
- Holder airdrops reward users who held a specific asset.
- Testnet airdrops may reward testing and feedback.
- Points campaigns track activity before token distribution.
Safety checklist
What to check before acting
- Identify which type of airdrop it is.
- Check whether eligibility is based on past or future activity.
- Read the rules for disqualification.
- Check whether a claim is required.
Risk note
Common mistakes to avoid
- Different airdrop types have different scam patterns.
- Some fake campaigns imitate real points systems.
- Holder airdrops can be used to push malicious claim links.