Path 05 / educational overview
Airdrops, rewards, and promotions
A project may distribute tokens or rewards under rules that can change and may have little or no realizable value.
General information only · Sources reviewed November 3, 2026
How it works
Understand the arrangement, not just its label.
Promotions may describe tokens as free, but eligibility can involve activity, identity checks, network fees, wallet permissions, or a connected service. A displayed token amount does not guarantee a market, a buyer, or a realizable value. Fake giveaways and impersonated projects can use the same language to obtain a transfer or wallet access.
Where uncertainty sits
- 01
Eligibility criteria, claim windows, supported networks, and distribution rules can change or be disputed.
- 02
A token may have limited liquidity or no accessible market; network and conversion fees can exceed its usable value.
- 03
A malicious page may ask for a seed phrase, broad wallet approval, or a payment disguised as a claim or verification fee.
Research prompts
Questions to answer in your own records
- Can I verify the promotion from a project’s independently confirmed official channel and read the full rules?
- What exact wallet action is requested, which contract and network are involved, and can I understand the prompt?
- Would I still take the action if the token had no resale value? Am I being asked to send funds or reveal a secret?
Pause and verify
A promotion says to send crypto first, scan an unsolicited QR code, connect through a message link, or share a seed phrase to receive free tokens. The FTC warns about fake giveaways and impersonators; a seed phrase or private key must never be shared.