I just realized that many newcomers to crypto still don't fully understand what an airdrop is and how to make money from it. In fact, this is a relatively easy way to earn money when starting out, especially without needing a large capital.

In short, an airdrop is a reward that projects give to early supporters. The reward can be coins, tokens, NFTs, or opportunities to buy tokens at a discounted price. The essence of an airdrop is that the project uses it for marketing and community building from the early stages. Whenever a new project launches, there are usually airdrop campaigns to attract market attention.

But not everyone is suitable for this type of opportunity. You need to understand what an airdrop is—basically, it’s an exchange of your time, effort, and sometimes money for a certain amount of airdrops. It’s quite suitable for newcomers with limited capital but free time. Or those who have money but don’t know how to invest wisely can also try, because the required capital is much smaller compared to other investment types.

There are three main types of airdrop opportunities you should know. First is DeFi, such as DEX or lending platforms—suitable for those with more capital but less time. You just need to deposit tokens into the platform, which takes about 3-5 minutes per opportunity. Second is Game and NFT projects—designed for those with limited capital but plenty of free time. Pixel is a typical example; people have to grind games to receive airdrops, with rewards reaching $2,000–$10,000. Third is testnets and product testing—best suited for beginners, usually free and with the lowest risk. For example, the ARKM project, where you only need to test the product using Gmail without any costs, and each person can receive $200–$300 when the token hits $0.8.

When starting out, you need to allocate your resources wisely. I suggest 65% for high-potential airdrops, 25% for riskier ones, and 10% reserved for unexpected opportunities. The key is to focus on good opportunities rather than spreading yourself too thin. Doing too many campaigns can lead to not completing any of them properly.

To participate in airdrops, you need to prepare a few basic things. First is knowledge about the market and projects. If you’re new, follow reputable Twitter channels to stay updated on safe airdrop opportunities. Second is basic skills in wallet management and on-chain interactions. Third is social media accounts like Telegram, Discord, and X. Last but not least, your money, effort, and time.

The benefits of participating in airdrops are obvious—you get a chance to receive tokens from projects and sell them for profit. Additionally, airdrops can give you a better position to stay involved with the project long-term. For example, with Sui, those who participated in the airdrop got the chance to buy tokens at $0.03, and when Sui’s lowest price was $0.35, they couldn’t lose money. Doing airdrops also helps you learn a lot about the market and build potential relationships within the community.

But there are also risks to watch out for. The biggest risk is losing money, especially with campaigns that require fees. You’ll also face scams—from fake project links to fake airdrop invitations. There’s also opportunity risk, where you spend time and effort but might not get anything worthwhile. Therefore, it’s important to be very cautious and treat airdrops as a secondary income source, not something to rely on entirely.

In summary, to make money from airdrops, the first thing you need is diligence and the ability to learn. Immerse yourself in the market, seize every opportunity, and learn to use supporting tools. Understanding what an airdrop is and how to approach it will help you avoid many mistakes along the way. Wishing you success!