Ranking Crypto Airdrops by VALUE (Tier List UPDATED 2024)
Description
Crypto airdrops have been crazy so far this year, and there are still A LOT MORE to come. Over the past few months, we have observed a lot of changes in airdrop meta. So in this video, we will rank th...
AI Analysis
This video dives deep into the ever-evolving world of crypto airdrops, offering an updated tier list for 2024. The airdrop landscape has seen significant shifts, with projects rewarding loyalty and participation more than ever before, and the potential value being dropped to users is continuously increasing. This is essentially about "free money" for engaged community members in a market that's gearing up for major growth.
Here's a breakdown of the key airdrops discussed and their rankings:
* Blast: Initially considered for B or A tier due to being a bit late to the race, but it's ultimately placed in B tier. The airdrop size is expected to be huge, and the ecosystem is growing. If you've been following since December, you're in a good position. The token launch is likely in May, aligning with their Blast Gold and Blast Points campaigns, which also reward projects building on Blast and their users. Maximizing the airdrop requires a lot of activity and transactions, not just large capital, which is a positive.
* Mantra DAO: Ranked as S tier because it's currently well-positioned to capture a lot of value. 50 million OM tokens are allocated to the Hongbai incentivized testnet, which is live. Mantra has been pumping and is already listed on Binance, which is a massive indicator of potential success for any airdrop. A new video guide for the testnet is available, making it accessible.
* Orderly Network: Initially placed in A tier, but quickly downgraded to C tier because it's considered too late for significant gains. While it's critical infrastructure for many DeFi apps and has a valuation of at least eight to nine figures, the main airdrop criteria targeted active on-chain traders on platforms like WooFi and LogX (which is also on the list). The lack of public information about a Tier 1 exchange listing also contributes to its lower ranking.
* Eigenlayer: This is the biggest restaking narrative with billions of dollars staked. Its ecosystem is very strong, and even protocols natively getting onto Eigenlayer (like Ethify) have seen Binance listings. Though it's a bit late in the game for max points (early players got 6x more), it's still a solid A tier (Michael initially pushed for S+ but conceded to A due to lateness for new participants). It's advised to play Eigenlayer in conjunction with other protocols like Manta or Zero Lens for "triple-tier" or "quadruple" yield opportunities.
* Barachain: Placed in A tier, with potential for S tier, but it requires jumping through many hoops. The valuation is promising, with HackVC publicly backing it. However, it's still in testnet phase, and there's concern that mainnet airdrops might not heavily reward testnet users, potentially favoring larger capital. The presenters are wary due to decreased testnet activity.
* Ghaul (Goll/Gaul): Ranked as a solid A/B tier. It's a "very stake heavy play," meaning you stake other tokens (like Floki, Stone, Manta) on Ghaul to earn yields and participate in its ecosystem. It's seen as an opportunity to earn yields on tokens that might not have other staking options.
* Babylon: Placed in B tier, despite the initial temptation for A. While the presenters participated in its node guide and pioneer badge NFT, the project is extremely hot in Asia, especially among Bitcoin miners. The concern is that it will heavily reward Bitcoin whales and large asset holders rather than typical users, diminishing the potential for smaller participants. It's a BTC staking narrative.
* LayerZero: Remains an S tier project. Many chains use LayerZero technology for cross-chain messaging. Interacting with these chains makes you part of the LayerZero ecosystem. It's similar to Wormhole, which recently had a successful (though trending down) mainnet launch. The expectation is that LayerZero will also launch soon and value community participation.
* Lingo Coin: Placed in A tier. It offers easy, fast, and not-hard tasks, including social quests and on-chain activities. It's an RWA (Real World Asset) narrative that gamifies the process of onboarding real-world assets on-chain, backed by Animoca Brands. The airdrop campaign is live.
* ZK Link: Placed in A/B tier. The presenters respect its technology as it's "way smarter than everyone else" and a potential EVM counterpart to Dimension in the Cosmos ecosystem. Its tasks are not as easy, indicating a focus on backend development over marketing. It's considered a key player in the "ZK war" narrative, and a big community reward is expected.
* Manta: Ranked as A tier. It plays directly into the current restaking meta and works in conjunction with major restaking platforms like Eigenlayer, Renzo, Pendle, and Ethify. It allows for "triple airdrops" and is seen as an easier, cheaper alternative to direct Ethereum plays for earning yields.
* EC: Placed in A tier. It's an RWA play with a live mainnet and a gamified liquidity solution, backed by Animoca Brands. It aims to onboard real-world assets on-chain and is attracting institutional interest.
* Elixir: Initially placed in B due to difficulty, but strongly pushed to S tier. It's compared to Athena Labs, which had a very successful airdrop. Elixir is seen as a crucial liquidity infrastructure for order book exchanges with a valuation of $800 million, indicating significant potential.
* MarginX: Placed in C tier. It's a social-fi airdrop, but not much enthusiasm was shown, implying lower potential or interest compared to others.
* Plano Finance: Ranked as A tier. It offers easy tasks, primarily Galaxy quests, and is known for generous allocations. However, to maximize rewards, users need to perform frequent swaps on the Plano wallet, suggesting a time commitment for higher returns.
* Linea: Still an S tier contender, despite being around for a long time without an airdrop yet. It's backed by Consensus, a major player. Its strong anti-Sybil mechanisms, including KYC requirements for some tasks, make it annoying for some users. The ranking depends on whether you mind KYC: S if you don't, B if you do.
* Scroll: Placed in B tier. It's another Ethereum Layer 2 like ZK Sync, but the wait has been very long. It's highly valued, but the delay might reduce enthusiasm, potentially leading to regret for those who don't participate due to the wait.
* Webacy: Placed in D tier. While it's a passive play and the presenter likes its airdrop, its overall value proposition is considered low.
* Mode Network: Placed in B tier. Another Ethereum Layer 2 similar to Blast. It offers active airdrops, and its dApps (like Ionic and Kim Exchange) also conduct their own token airdrops, allowing users to "kill two birds with one stone."
* LogX: Placed in C tier. It's a trading platform on various EVM Layer 2s and collaborates with Orderly Network. It's considered a bit late to maximize rewards, though active users can still passively earn points.
* Taiko: Placed in D tier due to the extremely long wait (articles written on it two years ago) and lack of personal participation. It's acknowledged as a big infrastructure project that might lead to regrets for those who faded, but its protracted development makes it less appealing.
* Monad: Placed in B tier. It's generating a lot of hype, especially in the Chinese crypto community, and is seen as potentially getting listed on Binance. However, it's considered "very backend heavy" and not very user-friendly, making the airdrop difficult to acquire.
* Eclipse: Placed in D tier. A Solana Virtual Machine (SVM) execution environment that the presenters admitted they "forgot" about and haven't paid much attention to, despite its potential.
* ZK Sync: Placed in B tier after an initial thought of A/S. It's been talked about for two years and has strong ZK tech, but it's become "over-farmed," meaning too many people are trying to get the airdrop, potentially diluting individual rewards. The hype might be overshadowed by other projects.
* T Protocol: Placed in B tier. It's confirmed to be built on Base, which is currently a hot network, and has a confirmed testnet airdrop campaign. It's generous, rewarding both developers and users. While close to launch, it's still worth getting into.
* Camino Finance: Placed in C tier for value, with a potential B tier. It's a borrowing/lending platform on Solana, but it's been relatively quiet.
* Hyperlane: Placed in A tier. It's seen as the "next Wormhole and next LayerZero," indicating high potential for cross-chain messaging infrastructure.
* B-Ball: Placed in A tier. It offers "guaranteed money" but requires a lot of daily activity (sending messages) to earn rewards.
* BounceBit: Placed in A tier, though the presenter hasn't played with it personally. It was very popular at a recent event, especially among the Chinese crypto community, suggesting strong interest and potential.
The overall sentiment is that while some airdrops require significant effort or capital, the rewards are often substantial, sometimes "thousands of dollars per user," making them highly worthwhile. The key is to stay active, engage with communities, and keep an eye on projects that might get listed on Tier 1 exchanges like Binance.
Transcript
Start ever. Hey guys, welcome back to box mining channel. This is some video I've been looking really forward to make and that is our airdrop tier list. So we're all the way in April now and boy airdrops have been really good. Yeah, actually airdrops have been really crazy and I've noticed, you know, because we've been doing this very often, we've learned a lot. There's certainly a very big change in terms of the meta of crypto airdrops. I think the ins and outs and dynamics where the value is ...