Airdrop Trend Shift: From Ethereum to Emerging Public Chains

Once upon a time, the Ethereum mainnet was a gold mine in the eyes of airdrop players. However, over time, the focus of airdrops has quietly shifted to emerging public chains such as Base, BNB, Sui, and Berachain. What logic lies behind this trend? Where should airdrop enthusiasts go from here? Let us explore this issue together.

This article will discuss the following aspects:

1. The Ethereum airdrop frenzy has subsided.
2. Emerging public chains have become the main battleground for Airdrops.
3. Analysis of New Public Chain Project Characteristics
4. Recommended Potential Projects and Participation Strategies
5. Key Factors for Successful Airdrops

1. The Ethereum Airdrop Craze Subsides

Jason, a newcomer who entered the circle in 2022, was full of hope as he participated in Ethereum ecosystem projects, looking forward to generous airdrop rewards in the future. However, by 2025, he had chosen to leave the crypto space. "I didn't make any money; instead, I spent quite a bit on various operations. In the end, I wasn't clear where the problem lay and could only return to work with my tail between my legs." Jason's experience represents the voice of many airdrop players.

In February 2025, a well-known NFT trading platform suddenly announced its token issuance plan, but it still adopted the traditional points, blind boxes, and experience points (XP) model, which seems unlikely to stir up market enthusiasm.

2. Airdrop news in the Ethereum ecosystem is scarce

Recently, there have been few airdrop announcements in the Ethereum ecosystem. Once-active influencers in the space have shifted their focus, with some even beginning to advocate for various projects. Taking the favorable market conditions in January 2025 as an example, among the 14 projects launched, there were almost no native Ethereum projects. Most public chains choose to directly launch their mainnet and airdrop tokens, while other projects tend to opt for emerging public chains with lower Gas costs and greater exchange support.

Compared to the glorious period of Ethereum in 2021, the current situation is drastically different. Even though Ethereum's gas fees have significantly decreased, the number of projects choosing to launch on its mainnet has instead become fewer and fewer. This phenomenon may be attributed to the rise of new public chains, as well as the decline in innovation and development activity within the Ethereum ecosystem.

3. Characteristics of Emerging Public Chain Projects

Star projects on emerging public chains often possess the following characteristics:

1. Large financing scale, high valuation
2. The lineup of investors is strong.
3. The team's execution ability is strong.
4. The token price performs stably and has the potential to break historical highs.

Taking an airdrop project officially confirmed by a certain Sui Network as an example, its financing scale reached 140 million USD, with a valuation of 2 billion USD, and the investors include several top institutions. The airdrop criteria for this project are relatively simple, allowing even basic participants to achieve considerable returns.

4. Airdrop New World Exploration

As the Ethereum airdrop market becomes saturated, players are beginning to shift their focus to new opportunities. Currently, emerging public chains like Sui Network and Berachain seem to be the new hotspots. These public chains share the following common characteristics:

1. The project valuation is high, and the financing scale is large.
2. The native token has been listed on mainstream exchanges.
3. Public chains offer strong ecological incentives
4. Projects within the ecosystem generally complete quality financing.
5. Continuing the low-threshold, high-return gameplay of traditional Airdrops

Projects worth paying attention to include:

• Berachain ecosystem: KodiakFi, InfraredFinance, Beraborrow, GummiFi, etc.
• Sui ecosystem: HaedalProtocol, AftermathFi, etc.

5. Grasp the Market Cycle

In the crypto market, understanding and grasping market cycles is crucial. Projects that can truly transcend cycles often perform a "deep V" trend in coin prices and continuously give back to supporters in ecological construction.

For airdrop players, the most important thing is to remain patient and enjoy the process of participation. Choosing the right projects and timing is more important than blindly following short-term trends.