What Crypto Airdrops Are and How They Work? #AirdropGuide
Introduction
Crypto airdrops have become somewhat of a trend in the cryptosphere. They provide an avenue for blockchain projects to give away tokens (for free), increasing awareness and incentivizing potential developers to use their platforms. This article will explore what a crypto airdrop is, how they operate, various forms of airdropping, some popular examples, and giving you the best ways to find & get involved with airdrops the right way.

Understanding What Crypto Airdrops Are
A crypto airdrop is a distribution event during which a blockchain project sends out free tokens or coins to wallet addresses. Most of the time, this is done to incentivize early adopters or to help tokens circulate or even to simply create hype around a new project. Most airdrops are free and do not require any kind of payment, however, there are airdrops for which you have to perform some tasks like holding a particular cryptocurrency or doing social media advertising, joining online groups etc.

How Crypto Airdrops Work
Airdrops work differently depending on the project you're working with, and their goals and structure. The steps involved in this are in general:

Announcement: The project announces an airdrop with details on how to qualify and the process to participate.
Check Eligibility: Participants must make sure that they are eligible for the reward, whether it is in another coin (Reward could require that a participant holds a specific token) or not (Reward could be a follow on social media channels or sign up on the project platform).
Tokens Distribution: The project gives the tokens directly to the wallets of the participants after the validity of the lock-up period.
Types of Crypto Airdrops
Types of airdrops - there are different types of crypto airdrops, depending on what has been distributed and who benefits from the airdrop.

Standard Airdrops: Tokens are given away to users that register for the airdrop event. There was no need to take any additional action - apart from passing a wallet address.
Holder Airdrops: Participants need to have certain cryptocurrencies in their wallets to claim. The number of tokens received may vary depending on the quantity held.
Bounty Airdrops: Either the tasks will be that the participants have to share posts on their social media account, or they need to join the Telegram groups or write a blog post about the project.
Exclusive Airdrops: These are created for certain people depending on the groups, such as early investors, active community members, or important crypto influencers.
Fork Airdrops: Happens when a blockchain is forked and holders of the original chain get an equivalent amount of token on the new chain. The Bitcoin Cash fork from Bitcoin is one of the significant examples.
Examples of Prominent Airdrops
Several well-known airdrops were able to attract a lot of attention and grew their user base:

OmiseGO (OMG): In 2017, OmiseGO airdropped tokens to everyone who held at least 0.1 ETH on the Ethereum network. The purpose of this airdrop was to encourage adoption and usage of OMG tokens.
Stellar Lumens (XLM): Stellar suddenly became an airdrop powerhouse in 2017 and distributed its native asset with great fanfare, particularly the collaboration with Blockchain.com to distribute $125 million in XLM to the users.
Uniswap (UNI): Uniswap airdropped 400 UNI tokens on each wallet address that interacted with the protocol prior to September 1, 2020. The airdrop was given to early adopters and launched decentralized governance.
Possible Ways to Identify & Join Airdrops
Taking part in airdrops successfully is all about being ahead and informed. Some success strategies include:

Stay Informed: Be in the know by subscribing to crypto news websites, forums, and their social media channels that announce upcoming airdrops in the community. Useful websites to find airdrops include AirdropAlert and CoinMarketCap's airdrop page.
Join Communities: Communities on Telegram, Discord, and Twitter. Most projects which want to fork do airdrops officially right to their followers.
Use Airdrop Aggregators: These are services that combine active and upcoming airdrops in one place to keep up with all the available airdrops.
Wallet Security: Make sure to use a secure and reputable wallet. Note: Make sure it supports the tokens that are being airdropped and always keep your private keys secure.
Complete Tasks: Be ready to complete tasks - these may include social media engagements, content creation etc. for bounty airdrops. Both timely and accurate are the key criteria for eligibility.
Conclusion
Cryptocurrency airdrops are a novel way for projects to interact with potential users, as well as a way to dispense coins or tokens and attract an interested community. Knowing the types of airdrops and the right tactics in which one can hunt for and engage in airdrops could increase one's portfolio in cryptocurrency and participation with the blockchain ecosystem. For a seasoned crypto enthusiast or newcomer, staying informed and proactive in the world of airdrops could turn out to be extremely beneficial or rewarding in terms of potential.