What is an airdrop? Morten Christensen, Airdrop Alert CEO, spills the beans

Morten Christensen

Morten Christensen is the CEO and Founder of AirdropAlert.com which was launched in July 2017 to create awareness within the cryptocurrency community about the existence of airdrops. It started as an informational page collating data on when and where airdrops take place.They have since helped build Telegram community channels from 0 to 15k members in under 48 hours.

How did you get involved in cryptocurrencies?

In 2012/2013 I lived with a friend who got very interested in bitcoin. He introduced me to it, and eventually convinced me to buy some, just to hold for a few years to see where it goes. With the surge of early 2013 I got excited and starting to get more familiar with the concept of decentralization. Like many early enthusiast I started trading, mining and looking for opportunities within the cryptocurrency space.

What are airdrops?

Airdrops can be described as the process whereby a cryptocurrency project distributes coins or tokens to the wallets of some users, free of charge. Airdrops are usually carried out by Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) to bootstrap their cryptocurrency projects. Also, established blockchain-based enterprises like cryptocurrency exchange platforms and wallet services can also carry out airdrops. It can be compared to Uber giving away free rides to new customers.

Tell us a bit about AirdropAlert.com

We founded AirdropAlert while the co-founder and myself were travelling around the world. We found out about Airdrops in Japan while we were sleeping in famous capsule hotels. It was very difficult to find information about Airdrops on the crypto forums and Reddit, so we started the website and helped over a million people to find free cryptocurrency.

Fast forward to today, AirdropAlert grew into a platform where you can find free airdrops. We research every airdrop and select the safest airdrops to list on our site. We host an airdrop service for ICO clients, so they can focus on the development of their product while we present our users the opportunity of free coins.

We try to help new users get involved with cryptocurrency through free coins. We make regular beginners guides to join airdrops or walk through videos like the one we created for the IP Gold Airdrop.

Should businesses or other organisations include an airdrop as part of their ICO?

We already see that the majority of ICOs realise that airdrops are a great way to get users to the platform. It can be used as a marketing tool, however it is very important for a blockchain project to find users. Even if the majority of people sell their airdrop, an ICO still achieved a significant broader distribution and engagement than other Blockchain start ups.

What does a user usually need to do to be part of an airdrop?

Every airdrop has a different set of rules to receive it. If you are looking to join airdrops regularly, I suggest having an account on most social media platforms. Many airdrops require to join one or more of their social channels. You will also need the most common cryptocurrency wallets like Ethereum, Neo and Stellar. If you visit our site and try to join 5 airdrops, you will see what the most common requirements are. Usually it only takes a few minutes of your time to join an airdrop!

Some people have been burned by scam airdrops – what indicates an airdrop is legitimate? 

All airdrops that are listed on AirdropAlert have gone through a vetting process. But there are some very simple guidelines you can follow to not get scammed while collecting airdrops:

  1. Never give your private keys!
  2. Use two-factor authentication on your wallets
  3. Be careful downloading wallets of smaller projects, possibly use a Virtual machine.
  4. Never click on links redirecting to wallets
  5. Don’t use your main email address to apply for airdrops
  6. Don’t re-use your passwords when you register on a website
  7. Don’t pay crypto to receive your airdrop
  8. Do not invest through email or private messages of “admins”

Are there any upcoming airdrops that you’re particularly excited about?

Yes, we can’t reveal our new clients yet. However, there will be some very interesting upcoming Exclusive Airdrops. From projects on Ethereum network, Stellar network, NEO network and even completely new Blockchains.

The Exclusive BandZ Airdrop is already listed as an upcoming airdrop on our website, starting on Friday 8 June.

What are your tips for any people thinking of running an airdrop?

Run an airdrop campaign that is user friendly. Your goal should to build a real community of people who care about your project. Welcome your new users and engage with them. Compare it to offering a free drink at the bar of your new restaurant. If you just put free drinks on the counter, most people will finish their drink and leave. If a host talks to them, makes them feel welcome and invites them to sit down to have a look at the menu, you will end up with more people ordering a meal and possibly becoming regular customers at your restaurant.

The ICO market appears to be slowing down – any projections for ICOs or cryptocurrencies in the next six months?

At the end of 2017 we saw a crazy surge of ICOs, combined with the tremendous price surges of cryptocurrency marketcap.  Currently we are in phase of recovery. People are waiting to see what happens after many got burned in the beginning of 2018.  I am just waiting on the market to find the next hype cycle and expect that airdrops will be the next booming factor in the world of cryptocurrency.

You can find out more about Airdrop Alert on Twitter or read up further on airdrops on their blog.

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