Airdrops have become the bread and butter of the crypto world — for good reason. They're an indispensable marketing tool for up-and-coming projects that want to create a buzz around their ecosystems. Done right, distributing free tokens to the public can help elevate demand — and unlock big benefits for recipients. After all, if these altcoins end up being listed on major exchanges at a later date, their value could explode. Unfortunately though, downsides have started to emerge. These campaigns aren't just reaching enthusiasts who passionately believe in what a project has to offer, but "airdrop hunters" who are merely …

Economies are shifting rapidly. From a global pandemic, to worldwide unrest, to evolving definitions of money and value, people are reimagining what matters in their daily lives. New societies are forming based on trustless protocols, and those online are seeking to acquire empowerment and make their voice heard. At present, the world holds items of worth in both the physical and digital worlds, leading many to a place where they must straddle the two. As the gap continues to close, it will only be a matter of time before a new standard is set for what the world deems truly …

Optimism’s freshly launched governance token, OP, has plunged 40% since peaking at $2.10, leading members of the community to discuss baring those who dumped their tokens from future airdrops. Cointelegraph reported on Tuesday that the Ethereum layer-2 scaling solution was overwhelmed with demand for the first OP governance token airdrop, as 5% of the token supply was distributed to around 250,000 eligible users. As per CoinGecko data, the token opened at roughly $1.43 before surging to $2.10, but as more users got their hands on the free airdrop over the day, OP dropped to as low as $1.09 before climbing …

Ethereum layer-2 scaling solution Optimism has been overwhelmed with “all-time high demand” following the launch of its highly anticipated airdrop on Wednesday. Users racing to collect their tokens were greeted with failed or delayed transactions as the Optimism team raced in the background to add additional capacity to the network. As previously reported in April, Optimism is airdropping the new OP governance token — over multiple phases — alongside the launch of a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) dubbed “The Optimism Collective.” Nearly 250,000 addresses are able to receive the airdrop, with the eligibility set for Optimism early adopters and regular …

On Tuesday, cryptocurrency exchange Binance said it completed the first stage of airdropping new Terra Luna (LUNA) tokens to holders of Terra Luna Classic (LUNC), TerraUSD (USTC) and AnchorUST (aUST). The distribution was based on "pre-attack" and "post-attack" snapshots of token holders taken at LUNC block height 7,544,910 at 14:59:37 on May 7, 2022 UTC and block height 7,790,000 at 16:38:08 on Thursday, respectively. As told by Binance, users received new LUNA tokens based on the compensation scheme outlined by Terra developers: Pre-Attack 1 aUST = 0.01827712143 LUNA Pre-Attack 1 LUNC = 1.034735071 LUNA Post-Attack 1 USTC = 0.02354800084 LUNA …

The price of LUNA briefly spiked around 90% overnight to an intraday high of $11.33 ahead of Binance’s airdrop but has since dropped back to around $8.26 at the time of writing. At current prices, as per CoinGecko data, the increase to $8.26 represents a 35% gain over the past 24 hours. Overall, however, the price has tanked 56% since launching on the weekend at an opening price of $18.87. Members of the community posted screenshots of the price jumping as high as $12 on the MEXC Global exchange, with Twitter user Bull_bnb highlighting some surging moments as they noted …

The price of Terra (LUNA) has tanked around 70% since the re-launch of the Terra ecosystem via Terra 2.0 on May 28. Under the revival plan of Terraform Labs founder Do Kwon, new LUNA tokens, also referred to as LUNA 2, are being airdropped to investors that previously held Luna Classic (LUNC), TerraUSD Classic (USTC) and Anchor Protocol UST (aUST). The only reason to buy $LUNA 2.0 is to qualify for the next airdrop of $LUNA 3.0 after it goes to zero like $LUNA 1.0 — Luke Martin (@VentureCoinist) May 29, 2022 According to data from CoinGecko, LUNA has dropped …

Hop Protocol, a cross-chain bridge designed to facilitate the quick transfer of tokens between different Ethereum layer-2 scaling solutions, has unveiled a new governance model alongside an airdrop that will see early users receive 8% of the total supply of soon-to-be-released HOP tokens. Similar to Optimism, which recently unveiled a new governance structure that will see early users airdropped 5% of the total supply of the HOP token. Because of this, Hop Protocol is aiming to create a community-oriented decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) called Hop DAO that seeks to aid layer-2 scalability. An official date for the airdrop has yet …

Cybersecurity experts identified and disclosed the rising popularity of airdrop phishing among crypto and nonfungible token (NFT) scammers. Airdrops serve as an essential marketing tool for crypto projects, which involves sending free cryptocurrency tokens or NFTs to promote awareness among investors. However, a new report released by Malwarebytes Labs highlighted an alarming rise in airdrop phishing attempts as scammers try to cash in on the hype around Yuga Labs’ BAYC Ape-related NFT collection. Airdrop phishing: what is it, and how is my cryptocurrency at risk? https://t.co/kWG09l06fi — Malwarebytes (@Malwarebytes) May 3, 2022 Malwarebytes recorded that the most common airdrop phishing …

Residents in three major Chinese cities have begun paying tax, stamp duty and social security premiums using the country’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) — the digital yuan (e-CNY). According to a domestic news report, a number of government agencies in the Zhejiang province — located just south of Shanghai — are currently running real-world trials programs that involve citizens using the digital yuan to pay taxes. The Zhejiang Taxation Bureau is working with the country’s central bank — the People’s Bank of China (PBoC) — to explore a variety of taxation payment methods using the digital yuan. The PBoC …

The Optimism Foundation has unveiled a new governance structure and token as part of its ongoing efforts to bring scalability and cost efficiency to Ethereum (ETH), the world’s largest smart contract platform. The “Optimism Collective” was introduced Tuesday afternoon in a lengthy post that outlined its mission and governance mandate. Described as a “large-scale experiment in digital democratic governance,” the Optimism Collective essentially comprises a band of communities and stakeholders committed to improving Ethereum’s technical capabilities. According to the details, the Optimism Collective will be governed by two components: the Citizens’ House and the Token House. The Citizens’ House will …

ApeCoin (APE) price has exploded higher on anticipations that it would become a de-facto payment token in an upcoming metaverse land sale. APE price swelled nearly 28% in one day to reach over $17 per token on April 20. The rally came as a part of a rebound from three-day lows under $11, resulting in a 55% gain. BAYC land airdrop A rumor circulating across social media platforms since April 18 suggested that the owners of the Bored Ape Yacht Club (BAYC) and Mutant Ape Yacht Club (MAYC) NFTs may receive virtual lands on the Yuga Labs' much-anticipated "Otherside" metaverse …