Are Airdrops Really Building Communities, or Just Funding Quick Flips?

Over the last few years, crypto projects have handed out millions in airdrops and rewards. On paper, it looks like a great way to attract users. In reality, many tokens end up in short-term speculation, while the actual communities remain small and disengaged.

Some patterns we’ve noticed:

• Unequal distribution: Top wallets often get the biggest slice, regardless of participation.
• Quick flips: Tokens are dumped almost immediately, leaving projects with hype but no lasting engagement.
• Contribution invisibility: It’s hard to distinguish who is genuinely helping a project versus just chasing rewards.

Some projects are experimenting with proof-of-participation, reputation-based systems, or activity-weighted rewards. For example, Nomis has been exploring ways to secure more meaningful airdrops and actively discusses Dex launches on Twitter—showing how platforms can try to reduce quick-dump behavior and reward real contributors.

Curious to hear what the community thinks:

• Have you seen any airdrops or reward models that truly foster long-term engagement?
• What mechanisms would make you feel rewarded for contributing, rather than just holding or speculating?

Bonus points if you’ve seen examples that actually work in the wild – we’d love to learn from them

And what do you think about it