In crypto, new network launches are often followed by airdrop seasons. These “seasons” are when all new projects that successfully built applications on the network’s testnet prepare to release them on the mainnet. To stimulate activity and attract new users to their product, they send an allocation of their native token to early adopters. For new projects, airdrops are a great way to attract attention and get a fair initial distribution of your native governance tokens. For users, they’re a great way to make money risk-free by trying out new apps.
The most recent example is the launch of one of the most anticipated Layer 1 networks, Aptos, and the upcoming airdrop season.
Hunting for Aptos Airdrops
Before we dive into the best ways to capitalize on the Aptos Airdrop season, here’s a quick introduction to the network. Aptos is a proof-of-stake-based Layer 1 blockchain that combines parallel transaction processing with a new clever contract language called Move to achieve very high transaction throughput. It is being built by Aptos Labs, a blockchain startup led by two former Meta employees, Mo Shaikh and Avery Ching. It is considered the technological successor to Meta’s abandoned blockchain project. Diem is the main reason it has attracted much attention from the start.
Aptos launched on mainnet on October 19th with an airdrop of 150 APT tokens (then worth approx. Less than a month later, hundreds of new projects were found or announced to be launched in Aptos, with many hints of potential airdrops. And while most of these airdrops have yet to be officially confirmed, many airdrop hunters have already started using apps to qualify. The best way to cash in on this gold rush is to get as many Aptos- Apps as possible, as many might airdrop their users retrospectively. You can use the network and prepare for the airdrop season with a small amount of capital to reduce risk. It is unlikely that You will be locked out of potential opportunities by allocating a lower sum to airdrop search strategies.
Aptos News has a Notion page with an extensive list of active and upcoming apps on Aptos. You can filter projects already happening on the mainnet and then review them to see if they have any plans to launch tokens. To help you start your Aptos journey and possibly make a nice profit. We’ve put together a quick step-by-step guide that might help you get tickets for some projects that will launch soon.
Get an Aptos WalletThe first step in this process is to download a crypto wallet that supports Aptos. Currently, the two most popular wallets are Martian and Pontem. Download and install both, as some Aptos apps only keep one and not the other. Both wallets are rumored to be releasing their tokens, but you must go through different steps to qualify. For Martian, after downloading the Chrome extension and creating your wallet, visit this webpage, change the network in your wallet to Devnet, buy some APT tokens from devnet and make the free Martian NFT.
By holding this NFT, you increase your chances of getting a potential airdrop from the project soon. To qualify for the officially confirmed Pontem airdrop, you must first download the Pontem Chrome extension, create your wallet, and attach some tokens to Aptos.
Bridge USDC using the Aptos Bridge
We recommend linking a stablecoin like USDC to LayerZero’s Aptos Bridge. You will likely be killing two birds with one stone, as LayerZero is also said to be releasing its token. To move USDC to Aptos, go to Aptos Bridge, connect your MetaMask wallet on Ethereum and your Pontem wallet on Aptos, select the USDC amount you want to move from Ethereum to Aptos and click “Transfer.” In minutes you will have USDC in your Pontem wallet in Aptos. This should help you qualify for the LayerZero airdrop.
Trade on Liquidswap
To qualify for the Pontem airdrop, you must use the project’s decentralized exchange in Aptos, Liquidswap. However, before you can do that, you need to acquire some APT tokens, as you need them to pay the gas fees for transactions in Aptos. Currently, the only way to do this is to use centralized exchanges like Binance, Coinbase or FTX and then withdraw the APT to your Pontem wallet in Aptos. You can go to Liquidswap and make a simple trade. Hopefully, you qualify for the Pontem Airdrop. For example, if you want more APT exposure, you can exchange the USDC you transferred from Ethereum for APT, which should be enough to qualify you for airdropping.
To further increase your chances, providing liquidity can also make sense. As you should already have USDC and APT in Aptos, if you have followed the steps above, you can provide liquidity in the APT/USDC pool on the exchange. To do this, click on the “Pools” option in the top right corner of the Liquidswap homepage, select APT and USDC as your desired tokens, and then click “Provide Liquidity.” You can stop providing liquidity anytime, but it would be wise to continue until the airdrop is distributed.
Buy Aptos Monkeys or Aptomingos NFTs
Enchanter Finance is another decentralized exchange in Aptos that has confirmed an airdrop. To qualify for this, you must purchase NFTs from either the Aptos Monkeys or Aptomingos collections and follow the steps outlined in the team’s official Airdrop guide. This airdrop campaign is scheduled to begin in the next few days, so keep an eye on the project’s social media accounts for updates. It’s also a good idea to make a simple trade or provide liquidity for businesses in case they decide to do so retrospectively. Reward your users in the future.
5. Trade on Cetus Protocol
To cover all the bases, consider trading and providing liquidity on the Cetus protocol decentralized exchange, as rumors say another project will launch a token soon. The process is practically the same as trading or adding liquidity in Liquidswap and Enchanter Finance.
Start liquid staking on Tortuga. Another project to consider is the Aptos Tortuga Liquid Participation Protocol. While an airdrop has yet to be officially confirmed, Tortuga has announced plans to launch its token that it will distribute to its users. To qualify for a potential Tortuga airdrop, you can stake APT for the high-yield API token in Tortuga’s liquid staking app and then provide liquidity for the APT/tAPT trade pair on the AUX decentralized exchange in Aptos.
Final Thoughts
Since many potential airdrop opportunities are unconfirmed, there’s a good chance some won’t materialize. It should also be considered that the Aptos ecosystem is still in its early stages, and apps built on top of it may be prone to bugs or hacks. This is especially true for decentralized exchanges, where liquidity issues or platform-wide outages can occur. One and its protocols are based on smart contracts. As the Aptos airdrop season approaches, there are many reasons to follow our guide and get involved.
