Airdrops: free tokens and the catch

An airdrop distributes tokens to wallets, usually to bootstrap a user base or reward early use. Some have been genuinely valuable, which is why the format is so widely abused.

Legitimate ones

Distribute to addresses that already did something, such as using a protocol before a cutoff date. You claim on the project's own site. They never need your seed phrase.

The scams

• Tokens that appear unasked in your wallet. Interacting with them, even to sell, can route you through a contract that drains everything else.
• Claim pages that ask you to connect and sign. The signature can approve unlimited spending of your real assets.
• Anything asking for a seed phrase. There is no legitimate version of this.

Sensible handling

Ignore tokens you did not expect. If you want to chase airdrops, use a separate wallet with nothing of value in it. Never let curiosity connect your main wallet to an unknown contract.