Airdrop eligibility criteria

Before distributing tokens, a project takes a snapshot of the blockchain at a chosen block and scores wallets against criteria it often keeps secret until announcement. Common factors include the number and volume of transactions, how long an address has been active, bridging or providing liquidity, holding certain NFTs, points earned in a rewards programme and participation in governance or testnets. Allocations are frequently tiered, and users check their share through an eligibility checker before claiming.

The criteria shape user behaviour across the market: once people expect an airdrop, they try to guess the rules and repeat the actions that might qualify. They also determine who ends up owning the token and therefore its early selling pressure.

Projects filter out Sybil clusters, wallets controlled by one person, using funding patterns and identical behaviour, which sometimes excludes genuine users. Retroactive changes to criteria, geographic exclusions and fake eligibility checkers that drain wallets are frequent sources of controversy and losses.