Short description: Unsolicited token or coin distribution
An airdrop is an unsolicited distribution of a cryptocurrency token or coin, usually for free, to numerous wallet addresses. Airdrops are often associated with the launch of a new cryptocurrency or a DeFi protocol, primarily as a way of gaining attention and new followers, resulting in a larger user base and a wider disbursement of coins.[1] Airdrops have been a more important part of ICOs since crypto entrepreneurs have started doing private sales instead of public offerings to raise initial capital.[citation needed] One example of this is by the company Omise, which gave away five percent of its OmiseGO cryptocurrency to Ethereum holders in September 2017.[2]
Airdrops aim to take advantage of the network effect by engaging existing holders of a particular blockchain-based currency, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum in their currency or project.[3]
In the United States, the practice has raised policy issues about tax liability and whether they amount to income or capital gains.[4]
References
- ↑ Van Boom, Daniel. "Crypto airdrop season: Why people are making thousands for 'free'". https://www.cnet.com/personal-finance/crypto/crypto-airdrop-season-why-people-are-making-thousands-for-free/.
- ↑ Marshall, Mo (2017-09-06). "The latest crypto PR craze: 'Airdropping' free coins into your wallet" (in en-US). https://venturebeat.com/commerce/the-latest-crypto-pr-craze-airdropping-free-coins-into-your-wallet/.
- ↑ BJORØY, Trond Vidar (2017-09-06). "The latest crypto PR craze: 'Airdropping' free coins into your wallet". https://venturebeat.com/2017/09/06/the-latest-crypto-pr-craze-airdropping-free-coins-into-your-wallet/.
- ↑ "Bitcoin Is on a Collision Course With the IRS" (in en). Fortune. http://fortune.com/2017/11/16/bitcoin-cash-irs/.
Cryptocurrencies |
|---|
| Technology |
- Blockchain
- Cryptocurrency tumbler
- Cryptocurrency exchange
- Cryptocurrency wallet
- Cryptographic hash function
- Distributed ledger
- Fork
- Lightning Network
- Smart contract
|
|---|
| Consensus mechanisms |
- Proof of authority
- Proof of space
- Proof of stake
- Proof of work
|
|---|
| Proof of work currencies | | SHA-256-based |
- Bitcoin
- Bitcoin Cash
- Counterparty
- MazaCoin
- Namecoin
- Peercoin
- Titcoin
|
|---|
| Ethash-based |
- Ethereum
- Ethereum Classic
|
|---|
| Scrypt-based |
- Auroracoin
- Bitconnect
- Bitcoin Gold
- Coinye
- Dogecoin
- Litecoin
- PotCoin
|
|---|
| Equihash-based | |
|---|
| CryptoNote-based | |
|---|
| X11-based | |
|---|
| Lyra2-based | |
|---|
| Other |
- Primecoin
- Verge
- Vertcoin
- Zcoin
|
|---|
|
|---|
| Proof of stake currencies |
- Gridcoin
- EOS.IO
- Nxt
- Steem
- Tezos
|
|---|
| ERC-20 tokens |
- Aragon
- Augur
- Aventus
- Basic Attention Token
- Centra
- Kin
- KodakCoin
- Minds
- Power Ledger
|
|---|
| Other currencies |
- BitShares
- Filecoin
- Libra
- NEM
- NEO
- Ripple
- Stellar
- Tether
|
|---|
| Related topics |
- Airdrop
- BitLicense
- Blockchain game
- Complementary currency
- Crypto-anarchism
- Cryptocurrency bubble (2018 cryptocurrency crash)
- Digital currency
- Double-spending
- Initial coin offering
- Initial exchange offering
- Initiative Q
- List of cryptocurrencies
- Stablecoin
- Token money
- Virtual currency
|
|---|
|
Template:Cryptocurrency-stub
 | Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airdrop (cryptocurrency). Read more |