The crypto world keeps reinventing itself, not just with new technologies but also with innovative ways of distributing value to its communities. One of the most exciting (and profitable) methods is the airdrop, the famous ‘free tokens’ that have rewarded thousands of early adopters with hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
But what exactly are airdrops? What types exist? What does it mean to ‘farm’ one? And how does all this connect to the recent Aster boom, one of the most talked-about cases of 2025?
What Is an Airdrop in Crypto?
An airdrop is the free distribution of tokens by a project to users. The main goals are:
- Marketing: increase visibility and attract new users
- Rewards: thank early adopters and community supporters.
- Decentralization: spread tokens across a wider base of holders.
A classic example: in 2020, Uniswap gave 400 UNI tokens to every wallet that had used the protocol before a certain date. That airdrop eventually reached a value of more than $10,000 during the next bull run.
Types of Airdrops
1. Promotional Airdrops
- Simple tasks like following on Twitter, joining Telegram, or signing up.
- Goal: fast community growth.
2. Holder Airdrops
- Distributed to wallets that hold a certain cryptocurrency.
- Example: owning ETH and receiving tokens from a new Ethereum-based project.
3. Community/Participation Airdrops
- Rewards active users who actually use the platform: swaps, liquidity provision, governance votes.
- Usually the most valuable since it incentivizes real adoption.
4. Retroactive Airdrops
- Not announced in advance.
- Suddenly, users discover they’ve received tokens just for being early users.
- Famous examples: Arbitrum and Optimism in 2023.
What Does It Mean to ‘Farm’ an Airdrop?
Airdrop farming means strategically using a protocol in anticipation of a future token launch. Most projects don’t reveal their airdrops ahead of time, but the community often suspects they’re coming.
To farm, users:
- Make regular transactions on the protocol.
- Provide liquidity or stake tokens.
- Test beta versions or participate in governance.
- Stay active in Discords and communities.
The goal: leave an on-chain footprint as an early adopter so you’re included when the airdrop arrives.
Examples of Airdrop Farming
- zkSync – swaps on SyncSwap, use bridges, explore dApps.
- LayerZero – cross-chain transfers via Stargate.
- Scroll – activity on its testnet and early mainnet.
- Base (Coinbase’s L2) – trading on Uniswap, social apps like Friend.tech.
- Lens Protocol & Farcaster – decentralized social networks with rumored future tokens.
Real case: users who farmed Arbitrum in 2021–22 received an airdrop in 2023 worth between $1,000 and $5,000 depending on their activity.
The Aster Case: A Live Example
One of the hottest cases this year is Aster (formerly Astherus), a decentralized perpetuals exchange (perps DEX) offering leverage up to 1001x and operating across Ethereum, BNB Chain, Arbitrum, and Solana.
In September 2025, Aster:
- Launched its native token $ASTER during the Token Generation Event (TGE).
- Distributed 704 million tokens (8.8% of supply) through Airdrop Stage 2.
- Rewarded over 500,000 wallets that joined the Genesis program, which generated more than $37B in trading volume.
The points system (Rh points) rewarded:
- Trading volume.
- Duration of open positions.
- Referrals and consistent engagement.
However, withdrawals remain locked until October 1st, meaning liquidity will be limited and volatility could spike when tokens become fully transferable.
Opportunities with Airdrops
- Massive community participation → strong proof of adoption.
- Strong narrative → perps DEXs are trending.
- Innovative design → high leverage and capital efficiency.
- Fresh token launch → early volatility often creates big opportunities.
Risks to Watch Out For
- Sell pressure: many users may dump their airdropped tokens once withdrawals unlock.
- Liquidity risk: without major exchange listings, trading could face high slippage.
- Tokenomics: watch for vesting schedules and future unlocks for teams/investors.
- Complex farming mechanics: not just volume, but holding time and consistent activity matter.
OG Takeaway
Airdrops remain one of the most lucrative opportunities for early crypto adopters. They’re not about luck, they’re about strategy: using promising protocols before they go mainstream.
The Aster boom is the latest proof: hundreds of thousands of users were rewarded simply for being early, echoing the legendary airdrops of Uniswap, Arbitrum, and Optimism.
At CryptoOGs we believe the key is simple: educate yourself, test projects early, and diversify your farming efforts. That way, when the next big airdrop drops, you’ll be ready to harvest it.
News Highlights
1. Bitcoin pulled back slightly (about -0.6%) to around $116,500, with Ethereum, Solana, and XRP also seeing minor declines as traders took profits after strong weekly gains.
2. The Federal Reserve’s rate cut of 25 basis points boosted bullish sentiment, as lower interest rates often redirect capital from traditional assets toward riskier plays like crypto.
3. The SEC approved new listing standards for commodity-based exchange-traded products, making it easier for U.S. exchanges such as Nasdaq, Cboe BZX, and NYSE Arca to list crypto ETFs.
4. Analysts expect a wave of new crypto ETFs to launch in October, including multi-crypto products and funds targeting smaller tokens or specific crypto themes.
5. Remittix (RTX), a PayFi altcoin, raised $22.2 million in its presale, secured listings on BitMart and LBank, and is drawing attention with its cross-border crypto-to-fiat focus.
6. Bitcoin faces resistance at $113,600, and some forecasts warn it could slip below $100,000 in September if it fails to break higher.
7. XRP shows resilience thanks to whale accumulation and optimism surrounding potential U.S. approval of spot ETFs, even as broader markets remain sideways.
8. Bahrain rolled out new crypto regulations to improve safety, transparency, and trust in Bitcoin and stablecoin trading, positioning itself as a regulated hub.
9. The UK crypto sector clashed with the Bank of England, criticizing proposals to cap individual holdings of systemic stablecoins, warning it could hurt innovation and competitiveness.
10. France threatened to block EU crypto licence passporting under the MiCA framework, meaning licences granted in one EU country may not be valid in France if local regulators view them as risky.
