---
title: Airdrop
url: "https://www.unknowngravity.com/en/glosario/airdrop"
site: Unknown Gravity
published: "2026-09-21T11:55:11+00:00"
modified: "2026-09-21T11:55:14+00:00"
language: en-US
description: "An airdrop is a free distribution of tokens to a group of wallets: early users, communities or customers of another protocol."
section: "Home > Airdrop"
---

# Airdrop

GLOSSARY · BLOCKCHAIN & WEB3

What a token airdrop is: free distribution as a web3 marketing tool, how the criteria work and the risks for project and user.

WHAT IS IT? · FOR DUMMIES

An **airdrop** is a free distribution of tokens to a group of wallets: early users, communities or customers of another protocol. For the project it is marketing paid in its own capital — buying distribution and community with tokens instead of ads. For the user, a possible gift with small print.

WHAT IS IT? · PRO

Serious airdrops define verifiable criteria (real use of the protocol, seniority, activity) precisely to filter out professional hunters (farmers and bots with thousands of wallets), which are their main design flaw: paying for users who disappear the moment they cash out. Common variants: retroactive (rewarding past use), milestone-based, or continuous for participation.

From the project's side, an airdrop is a [tokenomics](/en/glosario/tokenomics) decision and a marketing decision at once — and in Spain, if the distribution promotes crypto-assets as an investment, the CNMV's Circular 1/2022 comes into play (see [crypto advertising rules](/en/articulos/crypto-advertising-rules-spain)). For tax, tokens received are usually treated as income for the recipient: check before counting the gift twice.

## 01 / Key points

- Free token distribution as a distribution and community tool
- Verifiable criteria to filter bots and professional farmers
- A joint tokenomics and marketing decision
- Can trigger advertising (CNMV) and tax obligations

## 02 / Advantages

- Fast distribution of token and community
- Rewards real users if the criteria are well designed
- Acquisition cost paid in own capital

## 03 / Disadvantages

- Farmers and bots: users who leave when they cash out
- Selling pressure on distribution day
- Regulatory and tax implications almost nobody plans for

This entry is informative. It is not legal, tax or investment advice. The rules cited change: check the current version on [BOE](https://www.boe.es) and [EUR-Lex](https://eur-lex.europa.eu).