The moment I open my wallet, my pupils tremble—an array of unfamiliar assets suddenly appears. This is not a dream, but a common phenomenon in the 2026 crypto airdrop scene. Who understands this kind of surprise!

As a veteran who has been navigating the crypto space for five years, I must honestly say that behind this wave of "divine blessings" lies a completely different market logic. Not long ago, the Lighter project airdropped $675 million worth of tokens at once, and many early users received five-figure returns—this is certainly not an isolated case.

But to be honest, most people’s understanding of airdrops still lingers around three or four years ago. Today, I want to discuss what changes have actually taken place in the airdrop market in 2026.

**Three New Forms of Airdrops**

On the surface, an airdrop is simply the project team distributing tokens for free. But looking deeper, things are much more complex.

The first is the ecosystem reward type. Projects airdrop tokens to addresses that have interacted before, as a way to thank early users. Uniswap did this back in the day—400 UNI per person, initially worth about $1,200. If you held onto them, they’ve multiplied several times by now. This logic is the most straightforward and traditional.

The second is the points exchange type, which has been especially popular in recent years. Projects set up a points system, where users earn points through trading and staking, then exchange those points for tokens proportionally. The obvious benefit of this approach is that "wool party" (arbitrageurs) are kept out, and genuine users are the ones who receive rewards. It also prevents tokens from being dumped on the market.

The third is the holder benefits type. This targets those who have long-term confidence in the project and have been holding tokens all along. They receive additional token airdrops or other privileges. This tactic helps retain loyal users and stabilize price expectations.

These three airdrop mechanisms coexist, representing that the market has evolved from "rough money distribution" to "refined allocation." Want to profit from airdrops? You first need to understand which system the project is using.