The Biggest Retroactive Airdrops in Crypto History

Retroactive airdrops have become a thrilling surprise for active crypto users. These rewards grant tokens to users who have previously interacted with a project’s ecosystem. 

Picture this: you discover a blockchain platform that piques your interest or serves your needs. You decide to test its features, security, interface, and usability by registering, connecting your wallet, and making small transactions. Later, the platform surprises you with a “Thank you for your support” in the form of real cryptocurrency—not just kind words. 

For many, these unexpected bonuses have significantly improved their financial lives.

In this article, we explore the biggest retroactive airdrops in crypto history, their impact on the market, and, most importantly, how to make sure you don’t miss the next big opportunity.

What Are Retroactive Airdrops and How Do They Work?

A retroactive airdrop is an event where tokens or other rewards are distributed to the most active users, often based on activities like completing transactions, testing platforms, or contributing to ecosystem growth. 

The criteria and multipliers for retroactive airdrops can vary, but their defining feature is that projects typically don’t announce them in advance or guarantee any rewards—there are no “pre-arranged deals” here.

This approach helps deter sybils and abusers—people who create multiple fake accounts or exploit campaign conditions for personal gain. By doing so, projects maintain fairness and transparency in distributing rewards, ensuring they attract genuine, engaged users who are likely to become long-term contributors to the ecosystem. This method also fosters a sustainable community that values real opportunities over short-term profits.

How retroactive airdrops work:

1. A list of eligible users is created based on their activity.
2. A filtering process removes sybil accounts and ensures only legitimate users are included.
3. The airdrop is announced via official project channels (website, social media).
4. Tokens are distributed proportionally based on each user’s contribution.
5. A claim process is opened, allowing users to receive the tokens in their wallets.

For projects, retroactive airdrops are not just a way to thank their users—they are a powerful marketing strategy. These airdrops attract new audiences, reinforce trust in the ecosystem, and create stronger bonds between the project and its community.

The Biggest Retroactive Airdrops in Crypto History

Uniswap (UNI)

Uniswap is a decentralized exchange built on the Ethereum blockchain. Anyone who used Uniswap at least once before September 1, 2020, received 400 UNI tokens, valued at approximately $1,300 at the time of distribution. Holders of SOCKS tokens were rewarded with 1,000 UNI, while an additional 49 million UNI tokens were allocated to liquidity providers.

This airdrop became one of the largest in crypto history, inspiring many other projects to reward their active users in similar ways.

Arbitrum (ARB)

Arbitrum, a Layer 2 solution for Ethereum, offers fast and low-cost transactions while preserving the security of the Ethereum mainnet. One of the most memorable events in March 2023 was Arbitrum’s highly anticipated airdrop. To qualify for rewards, users had to meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Use the Arbitrum bridge at least once to transfer assets into the network.
• Maintain active usage for 2, 6, or 9 months.
• Complete a specified number of transactions on the Arbitrum network (4, 10, 25, or 100 transactions).
• Execute transactions on the Arbitrum Nova network (3, 5, or 10 transactions).
• Deposit assets worth $10,000, $50,000, or $250,000.

*Higher transaction volumes or larger deposits resulted in a greater share of the rewards.

Qualifying for just one criterion guaranteed a minimum reward of 625 ARB, valued at approximately $800 at the time of distribution. 

Screenshot of the Arbitrum retroactive airdrop claim page

The maximum reward per user was capped at 7,000 ARB, worth about $8,960 at the time of distribution.

Aptos (APT)

Aptos is a next-generation blockchain designed for high transaction throughput and speed. In October 2022, the project conducted a retroactive airdrop of APT tokens to active participants in its testnet. The rewards varied based on the level of user engagement:

• 150 APT (≈ $1,200 at the time of distribution) were given to users who minted the Aptos Zero NFT in the testnet. This required simply minting the NFT to their wallet.

Aptos Zero NFT

• 300 APT (≈ $2,400 at the time of distribution) were awarded to users who submitted a form to set up a node. 

By completing both tasks—minting the NFT and submitting the node setup form—users could earn up to 450 APT (≈ $3,600) per account.

Ethereum Name Service (ENS)

In November 2021, the Ethereum Name Service (ENS) conducted a retroactive airdrop, distributing ENS tokens to users who had registered “.eth” domains. The number of tokens awarded was based on the length of domain registration and the domain's character count. To claim the tokens, users were required to vote on key articles of the ENS Constitution, which established a DAO to oversee the project.

A total of 25% of the ENS token supply was distributed, covering approximately 137,000 wallets. Lower-tier participants received an average of 200 ENS tokens, mid-tier participants earned 500 ENS tokens, while top-tier participants—the most active users—were rewarded with 1,000 ENS tokens.

Data from CoinGecko shows that ENS prices between November 9 and 10 ranged from a low of $17.63 to a high of $84.78. This means the minimum airdrop of 200 ENS was valued between $3,526 and $16,956.

ENS/USD 1-hour chart. Source: CoinGecko

dYdX (DYDX)

In August 2021, dYdX, a decentralized derivatives exchange, carried out a major retroactive airdrop of DYDX tokens. The rewards were given to users who traded on the platform before July 26, 2021. The size of the airdrop was based on trading volume, with users receiving between 310 and 9,529 DYDX tokens.

At its peak, the token’s price rose so high that the total market value of the airdrop surpassed $2 billion. Some users earned rewards valued at up to $100,000 (!!!).

Optimism (OP)

Optimism, an Ethereum scaling solution, continues to reward its users through ongoing token airdrops. The first airdrop was distributed to active users of the OP Mainnet, DAO participants, Gitcoin donors, and multisig users. The second and third airdrops were awarded to individuals who actively contributed to resolving protocol issues. The fourth airdrop went to users who created NFTs on the OP and Ethereum mainnets. The fifth wave of rewards was given to those who contributed to the growth of the Superchain ecosystem.

Blur (BLUR)

In 2023, the NFT marketplace Blur conducted a retroactive airdrop of BLUR tokens to active NFT traders. The distribution was based on trading volumes and user activity. On average, each user received 2,500 BLUR tokens, which were valued at approximately $2,250 one hour after the tokens were listed.

Gitcoin (GTC)

Gitcoin rewarded contributors to open-source software development with GTC tokens in a 2021 retroactive airdrop. The initiative highlighted the importance of decentralization and collaborative decision-making for funding development projects.

According to Gitcoin’s founder, 9,200 addresses out of 25,500 accounts qualified for the airdrop, with an average distribution of 68 GTC tokens per recipient.

Read more: What Is a Gitcoin Passport and Why Is It Important?

Top 8 Retroactive Airdrops in History. Source: https://cryptorank.io

 What Determines the Size of Retroactive Airdrops?

The size, timing, and criteria for retroactive airdrops are entirely up to the project. Typically, the amount of tokens distributed is influenced by the following factors:

• Network activity (e.g., the number of transactions or contributions to liquidity pools).
• DAO participation (such as voting or submitting proposals).
• Length of engagement with the protocol before the snapshot (a blockchain state capture used to determine eligible addresses).

How to Identify Projects with Potential Retroactive Airdrops

To spot projects that might offer retroactive airdrops, stay updated by following crypto communities, forums, and social media platforms like X and Telegram. Pay attention to new blockchain projects launching test phases or offering early access to their protocols. 

Projects often reward users who actively interact with their platforms or help test new features. Subscribing to crypto-focused resources and websites that monitor such initiatives can also be beneficial. That said, always remember to DYOR (Do Your Own Research). The time and effort invested in a “promising” project may not always meet your expectations.

Read more: Retroactive Airdrops: Exploring the Mechanics and Funding Sources

The Future of Retroactive Airdrops

Will retroactive airdrops continue to be popular? 

Their popularity will depend on how the crypto industry evolves. As new technologies and approaches to incentivizing user activity develop, airdrops are likely to adapt, incorporating more sophisticated and transparent distribution methods.

Retroactive airdrops are not just rewards—they are a key strategy for fostering decentralized ecosystems and engaging users. This model remains crucial for the crypto industry, fueling the growth of new projects, advancing blockchain adoption, and strengthening the bond between communities and innovation.