Airdrops have long been a popular strategy for generating initial excitement in the crypto world. However, in 2024, the oversaturation of these events led to mixed results. While some projects thrived, many tap-to-earn projects like Hamster Kombat and Catizen saw rapid sell-offs and failed to retain user interest. Check the biggest wins and losses among 2024 airdrops, highlighting key factors influencing their outcomes, such as FDV, liquidity, and distribution size.
One of the primary issues faced by many projects in 2024 was the inflated Fully Diluted Valuations (FDVs). Tokens with high FDVs struggled to maintain price stability due to inadequate liquidity. According to KeyRock analysis report, tokens like $JUP launched with an FDV of $6.9 billion but only had liquidity support of $22 million, creating massive sell pressure and price crashes. Managing FDV is essential for post-airdrop stability, as high FDVs without corresponding liquidity quickly lead to steep price declines.
Distribution size played a significant role in determining the success of an airdrop. Projects distributing over 10% of their token supply showed better user retention and community engagement. In contrast, airdrops with less than 5% supply often led to short-term gains but faced rapid sell-offs within three months. Larger airdrops foster a stronger sense of community ownership, leading to long-term price stability.
Successful airdrops, such as Drift ($DRIFT), focused on long-term community engagement by rewarding loyal users and staggering token distributions to reduce sell pressure. Projects that failed to cultivate an engaged user base, like ZkLend ($ZEND), saw value collapse as opportunistic reward hunters cashed out quickly. Strong community engagement, combined with realistic FDVs and robust liquidity, proved essential for airdrop success in 2024.