After receiving a pretty large $BERA airdrop without participating in farming testnets, I’ve gotten quite a few questions. Why is that? The answer is Yap-to-Earn — a concept that can be controversial but deserves serious discussion.

What is Yap? Simply put, it’s the activity of sharing information, analyzing projects (mainly on X) to earn rewards in the form of airdrops or incentives. It’s not a new concept; it’s just recently been widely adopted. Sanctum is one of the first projects to consider yapping as a criterion for token distribution, with 5% $CLOUD allocated to those with genuine social contributions, quality content, and community education instead of just farming airdrops.

I also received quite a few $EIGEN for similar reasons. Not out of jealousy, but because I’ve put considerable effort into researching and sharing knowledge about Restaking without knowing beforehand that there would be an airdrop. That’s exactly how Yap-to-Earn works.

Why do projects choose this model? Simply because the number of airdrop farmers is huge, but they hardly contribute anything. Yap-to-Earn is an effective way to filter out those who are genuinely interested. It helps prevent Sybil attacks and identify real contributors. Compared to other methods like on-chain detection (complex and costly), Discord roles (effective but low participation), or real capital in-game (few users), yapping stands out more.

But yapping shouldn’t be the only factor. Not everyone has the research skills to create educational content. Additionally, investing effort into uncertain airdrops can be a waste of time. Quality content alone is not enough without support from other factors.

If you want to start with Yap-to-Earn, here’s what I’ve learned. First, don’t yap randomly. Choose top projects within each narrative — for example, Eigen in Restaking, or major L1 and L2 blockchains with large user bases. Quality matters more than quantity. A good educational post should include definitions, context, comparisons, and real data. Don’t copy-paste others’ content; create something of your own.

Second, stay consistent. One post isn’t enough. Follow projects you like and mention them regularly. Every time I write about Restaking, I mention Eigen. Becoming part of the community is the only way to turn effort into tokens.

Third, avoid toxic environments. Every project has weaknesses, but spreading FUD rarely brings rewards. Instead, maintain a positive attitude and provide constructive feedback. Do you want to be right or make money?

One last tip: the Yapper leaderboard helps you easily track who’s yapping the most. Dominating the leaderboard is also a good way to improve your skills. If you want to start, check the leaderboard, identify the top contributors, analyze their posts — keywords, posting times, images, even comments from those engaging with them.

Overall, Yap-to-Earn offers new opportunities: connecting with the community, motivating personal branding, and trading opportunities. Berachain has adopted this model, and it seems to be the future direction for projects seeking genuine contributors rather than just airdrop farmers.