An airdrop distributes tokens to wallets, usually to reward early users or spread awareness. This coinavenir guide separates legitimate distributions from the fake ones built to harvest wallets.
Real airdrops announce criteria retroactively or transparently: using a protocol before a date, holding a specific asset, or completing published tasks. They never ask you to pay a "gas fee" to claim, never need your seed phrase, and always point to the project\u2019s own verified domain.
Engage with protocols you would use anyway, keep records of your activity, and claim only through official links typed by hand. Check the token contract address on a block explorer before interacting. Treat every unsolicited token that appears in your wallet as untrusted — interacting with it is how drain-approvals work.
The scam pattern is simpler than the technology: a token appears, a site offers to "sell" or "swap" it, and the site\u2019s real purpose is an approval that empties the wallet. The airdrop was the bait for the approval, not a gift.
The verification habit is quick: search the token contract on an explorer, check whether the distribution announcement lives on the project’s own domain, and confirm the claim window dates. Five minutes of checking filters nearly every fake distribution that lands in wallets.
The record-keeping angle matters too: claimed tokens are income events in many jurisdictions, and the claim transaction itself is on-chain forever. A short screenshot plus the transaction hash is enough to document what happened and when.
- Are airdrops free money?
- Legitimate ones cost nothing to claim, but taxes may apply and value is volatile. Anything demanding payment first is not an airdrop.
- Why did a random token appear in my wallet?
- Anyone can send tokens to any address. Do not trade, transfer or interact with unknown tokens — the interaction is the attack.