A crypto airdrop glossary is a list of the terms used around free token distributions. This one explains more than 70 of them in plain English, from snapshot and TGE to sybil and points.
I have been farming airdrops for over a decade. Every cycle, new people arrive, and they come back with the same questions. What is a snapshot? Why did my wallet get filtered? When is TGE? So today I am putting every definition in one place, just to get you up to speed. If you want the bigger picture first, read our crypto airdrops explainer.
The Basics
Airdrop: A free distribution of tokens from a project to eligible wallets. The meaning has shifted over the years, as our history of the airdrop definition shows.
Token: A digital asset issued on a blockchain. Airdrops usually pay in the project’s own token.
Wallet: An app or device that holds your crypto keys. Therefore, every airdrop starts with one.
Wallet address: The public ID of your wallet. You can share it safely, because it only receives funds.
Seed phrase: The 12 or 24 words that restore a wallet. Never share them with anyone.
Private key: The secret code that controls one address. Our seed phrase vs private key guide explains the difference.
Gas fee: The cost of sending a transaction on a blockchain. Farming many chains means paying it often, and our Ethereum gas explainer shows how it works.
Mainnet: The live blockchain where assets have real value.
Testnet: A practice version of a blockchain that uses worthless test tokens.
Faucet: A site that gives out small amounts of crypto for free. Learn more in what is a crypto faucet.
Bridge: A tool that moves assets from one blockchain to another. For the mechanics, see what is a crypto bridge. Transfers sometimes get stuck, so run a stuck bridge funds check on old wallets now and then.
Classic Airdrop Types
Holder airdrop: Tokens sent to wallets that hold a specific coin or NFT. Our post on holder airdrops shows how the model returned.
Retroactive airdrop: A reward for activity you did before any token existed. The famous cases are in what is a retroactive airdrop.
Bounty: Tokens paid for small tasks such as posts, translations or bug reports. This model dominated the 2017 era. We even ran a sister site called BountiesAlert back then. Over the years, however, bounties and airdrops merged into one thing, so we sunsetted that site.
Exclusive airdrop: A campaign available through one platform only. AirdropAlert launched the first exclusive airdrops in October 2017.
Fork airdrop: New coins given to holders when a blockchain splits. Our Bitcoin fork history lists what each one paid.
Testnet airdrop: A reward for testing a network before launch. It costs time instead of money, and our list of new testnet airdrops tracks the open ones.
NFT airdrop: Free NFTs, or tokens sent to holders of an NFT collection.
Exchange airdrop: Tokens that a centralized exchange distributes to its users. We explain the trend in exchange airdrops.
Newer Airdrop Types
Potential airdrop: A drop that farmers expect but the project has not confirmed. Clues include venture funding and no token yet.
DEX airdrop: Tokens that a decentralized exchange gives to its traders. Our DEX airdrops list tracks the live ones.
DePIN airdrop: A reward for sharing real resources such as bandwidth, storage or data. Our list of DePIN airdrops shows where to start.
Staking airdrop: Tokens sent to people who stake a specific coin. As a result, stakers earn yield plus drops, and our staking and restaking airdrops list covers the current options.
Telegram airdrop: A campaign that runs inside Telegram apps or bots, often through tap-to-earn games. Our Telegram airdrops and rewards post lists the active ones.
Tokenized stock airdrop: A drop that pays holders in tokenized shares instead of regular tokens. See tokenized stock airdrops for examples.
AI-native airdrop: A campaign you complete through an AI assistant with a wallet. We tested it in farming airdrops with AI.
SocialFi airdrop: Tokens earned through posting and engagement on crypto social platforms. See our SocialFi airdrops roundup for examples.
Play-to-earn airdrop: Tokens or NFTs that crypto games pay for playing. Our list of P2E airdrops rounds up the games worth a look.
How Airdrops Are Decided
Eligibility: Whether your wallet qualifies for a drop.
Criteria: The rules a project uses to decide eligibility. Often, they stay secret until the end.
Snapshot: The moment a project records wallet balances or activity. Read what an airdrop snapshot is for details.
Allocation: The number of tokens assigned to your wallet. Our guide explains how airdrop allocations are calculated.
Airdrop points: A score that tracks your activity and later converts into tokens. Start with what airdrop points are.
Multiplier: A boost that makes certain actions earn more points.
Tier: A bracket that groups wallets by activity level. Each tier receives a set amount.
Season: A fixed period of a points program. Many projects run several before the token launches.
Sybil: One person using many wallets to claim multiple rewards. The aPriori sybil case shows the scale.
Sybil filter: The checks a project runs to remove those wallets. Our wallet sybil guide explains what gets flagged.
Eligibility checker: A tool that shows whether a wallet qualifies. Try our airdrop eligibility checker.
Launch and Claim
TGE: Token generation event, the moment a token goes live. See what TGE means in crypto.
Claim: The action of collecting your allocated tokens.
Claim window: The period during which you can claim. After the deadline, the tokens are usually gone.
Unclaimed airdrop: Tokens that eligible wallets never collected. Our guide to finding unclaimed airdrops shows how to check yours.
Vesting: A schedule that releases tokens over time instead of all at once.
Cliff: The waiting period before any vested tokens unlock.
Unlock: The moment locked tokens become tradable. Large unlocks often push the price down.
Pre-market: Trading of a token, or its points, before the official launch.
Listing: The first day a token trades on an exchange.
Sell pressure: The wave of selling when recipients cash out. Consequently, many tokens drop after launch.
Airdrop tax: The tax you may owe on received tokens. Our airdrop taxes guide covers the basics.
Farming Terms
Airdrop farming: Using protocols on purpose to qualify for future drops. Our airdrop farming guide covers setups for every budget.
Airdrop hunter: A person who farms airdrops seriously. I describe the job in what is an airdrop hunter.
Airdrop meta: The type of airdrop that currently pays best. Learn to spot one in our airdrop meta explainer.
Delta neutral: Farming with a hedge so price moves cancel out. See the delta-neutral farming guide.
Looping: Borrowing against a deposit to deposit again and multiply points. Our looping guide explains the risks.
Capital-efficient farming: Making one position earn several rewards at once. Details are in the capital-efficient farming guide.
Liquidity pool farming: Depositing tokens in a pool to earn fees and possible drops. Start with liquidity pool farming.
Points stacking: Earning points from several protocols with a single action.
Spray and pray: Joining every free campaign and hoping a few pay.
Volume farming: Trading mainly to build the volume a project rewards.
Multi-wallet: Running several wallets to farm the same drop. However, filters punish it hard.
Organic activity: Usage that looks like a real person and not a script. Our guide on building a real on-chain identity shows how to get there.
Wash trading: Trading with yourself to fake volume. Projects usually exclude it.
Safety and Scams
Fake claim site: A copy of a real claim page built to steal funds.
Phishing: Tricking someone into giving up keys or signing a bad transaction.
Drainer: A malicious contract that empties a wallet after one signature.
Token approval: Permission for a contract to spend your tokens. Old approvals stay active until you remove them.
Revoke: To cancel a token approval. Follow our guide on how to revoke token approvals.
Dust token: An unknown token sent to your wallet as bait. Do not interact with it.
Paid allocation scam: Someone selling a “guaranteed” airdrop spot. Real allocations are never for sale.
Burner wallet: A separate wallet with little money, used for risky claims.
KYC: Identity checks that some airdrops require before a claim.
One rule covers most of this section. Legitimate airdrops never ask for your seed phrase or a payment. For the full checklist, read how to claim crypto airdrops safely.
Putting the Terms to Work
Vocabulary is only the start. Next, turn it into action with four steps.
First, see what is live. You can browse the latest airdrops on our site every day.
Second, follow a real example in our first airdrop walkthrough.
Third, sharpen your discovery skills with how to find crypto airdrops.
Finally, if you enjoy history, the AirdropAlert origin story explains how this industry started.
Keep This Content Free
Airdrops are free, and learning the language around them should be too. If this page helped, you can support us by signing up through our OKX or Bybit links. We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Final Words
Airdrop terms sound technical, but each one describes a simple step. Projects set criteria, take a snapshot, calculate allocations and open a claim. Once those words click, every announcement becomes easier to read. As a result, you spot good campaigns faster and avoid the traps. Bookmark this crypto airdrop glossary, because I update it whenever a new meta brings new terms. Trading memes as well? Then our meme coin glossary covers that side of the market.
FAQ
What is a crypto airdrop glossary? A crypto airdrop glossary is a reference list that explains the terms used in airdrop campaigns. It covers airdrop types, eligibility rules, claim mechanics, farming strategies and common scams.
What does TGE mean in airdrops? TGE stands for token generation event. It is the moment a project creates and releases its token, and most airdrop claims open on or shortly after that day.
What is a snapshot in an airdrop? A snapshot is the moment a project records wallet balances or activity to decide who qualifies. Anything you do after the snapshot does not count for that drop.
What does sybil mean in crypto airdrops? Sybil describes one person running many wallets to collect multiple rewards. Projects use sybil filters to detect these wallet clusters and remove them before distribution.
What is the difference between a retroactive and a potential airdrop? A retroactive airdrop rewards past activity after the project announces it. A potential airdrop is still unconfirmed, so farmers position early and hope it happens.
What is an airdrop meta? An airdrop meta is the type of airdrop that currently pays best, such as points programs or DEX campaigns. Metas rotate, so spotting one early gives farmers an edge.
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