ZKM co-founder: How to improve when incentive airdrops become ineffective?
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ZKM co-founder: How to improve when incentive airdrops become ineffective?
Spread a culture, not just a product.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsAuthor: Kevin, Co-founder of ZKM and Metis
Translation: Luffy, Foresight News
Points and airdrops are dead—or more accurately, they no longer achieve their intended purpose. It's time to rethink the goals of points and airdrops, and how to make them more effective.
Why Have Points and Airdrops Failed?
Initially, points and airdrops were designed to build communities and reward genuine contributors. However, they have now become a standard checkbox in nearly every project’s launch plan. As a result, the goals of “community building” and “rewarding contributors” are not being met. Instead, professional “airdrop farmers” flood in, exploiting these systems for personal gain. Projects invest resources into airdrops only to face FUD and token dumping. This is a lose-lose situation—neither benefiting the project nor the authentic community.
The deeper reasons behind this current lose-lose scenario include:
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Delayed TGE and devalued points: Many projects initially offer points with promises of future token redemption. But frequent TGE delays frustrate users, cause point accumulation beyond original projections, and dilute value. If the future value of points is uncertain, they’re merely unsecured IOUs, undermining community engagement.
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Exchange listing challenges: Points are often marketed with expectations of major exchange listings. Yet as listings become harder to guarantee, community trust in these systems erodes, weakening user interest and participation.
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Airdrop mining dilutes rewards: Airdrops once rewarded early loyal users but are now exploited by airdrop witches using multiple wallets solely to claim rewards. While such activities may temporarily boost on-chain metrics, they ultimately dilute rewards for genuine users and stray from the goal of building a loyal community.
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Controversial analytics tools: Some projects use on-chain analysis to combat airdrop farming, but these measures can mistakenly flag real users. Combined with rampant airdrop hunting, this risks damaging project reputation and creates an environment where loyal users feel overlooked while speculators benefit.
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Conflict of interest: Insider farming (team members or insiders leveraging privileged information for gains) breeds distrust within the community and undermines project credibility.
How to Improve Points and Airdrop Systems?
What should be the true purpose of points and airdrops? I believe their core objective should be uniting a community around a shared vision—not fostering a PvP culture.
1. Promote a Culture, Not Just a Product
Projects should embody a clear cultural identity that resonates with the community. Establishing this unique cultural connection is crucial, especially in competitive spaces where users have many choices. Culture can serve as a differentiator that drives authentic engagement.
2. Set Unified Goals for the Community
Align the community around a clear overarching goal, turning it into a shared mission so members see how their efforts contribute to a common purpose.
3. Tie Project Milestones to Points and Airdrops
Link rewards to key project milestones, so community returns grow alongside the project. This structure involves users in the project’s success and fosters a sense of shared progress.
4. Create a Tiered Reward System
Design a reward structure offering short-term incentives (e.g., raffles), mid-term benefits (e.g., profit sharing), and long-term loyalty rewards (e.g., voting rights and reputation). This approach gives users ongoing reasons to engage, making them feel rewarded for both early and sustained participation.
By shifting focus from tokens to genuine community coordination, projects can cultivate not just users—but advocates. After all, the most successful communities are built on shared culture, purpose, and trust. Users receive sustainable returns, projects gain loyal communities, and ultimately, everyone wins.
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@kevinliub
