You know, one of the most enjoyable ways to earn in crypto is when a project simply gives you tokens for using it. And retro airdrops are exactly what all market participants dream of.

I remember how it all started. Uniswap released its UNI and conducted a distribution among users — it was just explosive. In 2021, during the bull run, the UNI price soared above $40, and people who just traded on the exchange suddenly received thousands of dollars. After that, everyone realized: retro airdrops really work, and the hunt began.

Now every self-respecting crypto enthusiast tries to create as many wallets as possible, try out all the available DEXes, mint NFTs, make some transactions — all in hopes of a future drop. And you know, it often pays off. Honestly, it never worked out with MetaMask — there were plenty of rumors, but we never saw the token itself.

Projects like retro airdrops because it gives them activity, metrics for investors, shows life in the ecosystem. At the same time, it costs the developers nothing — they don’t spend anything and owe nothing. Some don’t even distribute anything later — they just ignore it.

But here’s the catch: retro airdrops aren’t always freebies. Fees, especially on Ethereum, can be significant. And you never know in advance if you’ll be on the recipient list — the conditions are usually not disclosed. Plus, it all depends on how generous the project is: one drop might give you a conditional $200, while another only 25 cents. That’s quite the lottery.