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airdrop

airdrop

1 7.2
A free gift of digital coins or tokens sent to users' wallets
  • noun
  • /ˈɛrˌdrɒp/
  • Jargon
translation icon : airdrop
  • And then there's I think Tornado Cash had an AirDrop a couple of weeks back.

Examples

  • There will be no airdrops until I give the okay.

  • Many cryptocurrency enthusiasts eagerly await new airdrops to receive free tokens in their wallets.

  • The project announced an airdrop to reward its loyal users with exclusive tokens.

  • After signing up for the service, I received an airdrop of coins directly into my digital wallet.

Surface Forms

airdrop singular
airdrops plural

Morphology

airdrop = air + drop (semi-transparent) = air + drop

The compound form is clear, but the crypto meaning is a metaphorical/technical extension that is not obvious from the components alone.

Etymology

Airdrop in crypto uses the same picture: air plus drop suggests 'dropped through the air'. So an crypto airdrop is like a 'free gift' of tokens placed into users' digital wallets to reward or promote a project.