Crypto glossary
Crypto quests (quest platforms)
Crypto quests are lists of tasks, on-chain and social, that users complete on quest platforms to earn badges, points or token rewards from projects.
A quest bundles actions a project wants users to take: bridge funds to a new network, make a swap, mint an NFT, follow an account or join a community server. Quest platforms verify completion by reading the blockchain or connected accounts and reward participants with points, NFT badges, often non-transferable, or entries into token prize pools. Projects pay the platforms to run campaigns, and users collect a visible history of completed quests on their profile.
Quests are a marketing and onboarding tool, especially for new chains and apps that need activity at launch. They teach newcomers how to use a product step by step and generate data that projects later use to select airdrop recipients.
Much of the activity is shallow: users complete tasks for rewards and leave, and farmers automate quests across hundreds of wallets. Fees spent on required transactions can exceed the value of rewards, and fake quest sites are a common way to trick users into signing malicious approvals.
Example
To launch its new network, a project runs a weekly quest: users who bridge at least 20 dollars, make two swaps and provide liquidity receive an NFT badge that counts toward a future airdrop.