Crypto token airdrops are one of the ways by which a blockchain-based project gives away tokens to its community. Commonly the crypto project team will often distribute the tokens for free or in exchange for certain actions, such as joining a social media group or referring a friend or interacting with the smart contract.
Some projects may also have eligibility criteria that you would need to hold a certain amount of a specific token in your wallet. For example, if a project is doing an airdrop of their new token, they might require users to hold a certain amount of Bitcoin in their wallet in order to receive the airdrop. This is done to make sure that only active users who are interested in the project get the airdrop.
Airdrops enables a new project to get its tokens into the hands of users and create a group of supporters. This can help increase the adoption of the project and create interest in it. In some cases, airdrops can also be a way for projects to give tokens to people who might not have the resources or knowledge to participate in a traditional token sale.
It is important to be cautious and do your own research before participating in an airdrop. As with any investment, there are always risks, and it's important to ensure that the project is legitimate and has a strong team and a solid business plan.
Some well-known crypto projects that have done airdrops in the past include Ethereum, which gave out its tokens to early supporters and developers through a series of airdrops, and Stellar, which conducted an airdrop of its lumens(XLM) tokens to Bitcoin holders in 2016.
It's worth noting that a crypto project's success is not solely determined by whether or not they do an airdrop. Airdrops are also frequently used as a marketing tactic, but they don't guarantee success.