Yesterday, the threshold score for claiming airdrop projects unexpectedly dropped to 216 points, while this project usually benchmarks against the first phase of airdrops — this is a clear signal of a sharp decline in the airdrop market.
On December 23, 2025, the cryptocurrency community did not receive the anticipated new airdrop announcement, but beneath this calm surface, there are undercurrents. A consensus regarding the value of Alpha points is quietly being broken, and the 'elite club' that once required a high score threshold to enter seems to be opening its doors to more people. Meanwhile, a project called Decentralized USD (USDD), with its concept of decentralization and stability, is carving out another path for value capture in the crypto world, forming a subtle contrast to the frenzy of airdrops.
At this moment, a more concerning phenomenon is that a large number of users' points are being rapidly consumed. According to statistics, users who successfully claimed airdrops consume 15 points with each operation. This is akin to a large-scale 'wealth evaporation', directly leading to a sharp decline in the overall points level of the community, laying the groundwork for the general decline of airdrop score lines this week.
01 Alert: Score Lines are 'Trampling' Downward
The sentiment indicators in the airdrop market are undergoing fundamental changes. Just on December 20, the airdrop threshold for TradeTide (TTD) was set at 226 points; earlier in December, the claim threshold for Power Protocol (POWER) was as high as 245 points. However, the market direction changed dramatically last night.
Last night, the claim line of a TGE (Token Generation Event) project unexpectedly dropped to 216 points. In the Alpha ecosystem, the entry threshold for TGE projects is usually considered equivalent to the first phase of airdrop projects, and its failure is significant.
Several senior community observers predict that the score lines for airdrops that may appear this week will be at a relatively low level. This is not the kindness of the project parties, but rather the inevitable result of market competition — everyone's scores have been lowered by the 'consumption war'.
02 New Task: Transfer to Earn 5 Points, Is it a Windfall or a Trap?
Faced with the 'blood loss' of the points pool, the platform is trying to inject new vitality. A limited-time task has quietly launched: Users can earn up to 5 Alpha points by completing at least $5 worth of cryptocurrency transfers in the official chat room between December 22, 2025, and January 4, 2026.
This seemingly simple 'benefit' has kept veteran players alert. The task design is such that for each successful referral of a person to transfer, the inviter can only earn 1 point, capped at 5 points. This means that to obtain this paltry 5 points, users must persuade at least 5 friends to complete complex operations. In the current market situation, expending such social energy to exchange for points that may not be monetizable is highly cost-ineffective, and the community generally believes it is not worth investing.
03 Meat Grinder: Trading Competition Becomes a 'Death Game'
If regular airdrops are a consumption war, then the NIGHT trading competition has deteriorated into a 'meat grinder'. This competition, ranked by trading volume, is seeing its entry threshold and competition intensity rise at a visibly rapid pace.
Early participants have revealed that when the entry threshold was only $500 in trading volume, they have now generated $150,000 in trading volume. However, the competitive situation has spiraled out of control, with daily trading volume increasing by tens of thousands of dollars. This irrational 'involution' means that even if one eventually wins, their profits are very likely to be consumed by high trading costs and energy investments. For those yet to enter, this is already a 'red ocean' full of risks.
04 Market Insights: Historical Reenactment and the Path to Decentralization
The current cycle of high scorers 'retreating' and the downward trend of scores is not the first occurrence. Similar scenarios played out twice earlier this year, in May to June and at the end of August. At that time, the platform dynamically adjusted the market by introducing rules such as 'points consumption mechanism' and 'phased collection', ultimately stabilizing the market.
This rule adjustment led by a centralized platform, while temporarily balancing, also highlights the situation where participants passively accept conditions. This reliance on the rules of a single platform is contrary to the core spirit of cryptocurrency decentralization. In contrast, projects like USDD (Decentralized USD) attempt to build a stable value system that does not rely on centralized control, using algorithms and over-collateralization mechanisms for greater transparency and autonomy. When the hype of airdrops fades, what truly constitutes a sustainable value accumulation method is a question every player needs to contemplate.
05 Survival Guide: Rational Strategies in Chaos
In such an uncertain period, taking risks often means losses. Here are strategic references prepared for different types of participants:
For those with abundant points (above 220 points): Be patient and wait for the right moment. Your high points are still a scarce resource; prioritize potential high-value airdrops in the first phase. Avoid blindly participating in low-yield competitions that deplete your capital.
For those with medium points (180-220 points): This week may be your 'window period'. Keep a close eye on announcements, focusing on projects with dynamically lowering score lines (such as a decrease of 5 points every 5 minutes), and seize opportunities after score reductions.
For beginners or those with low scores: Strongly advise staying away from high-risk trading competitions. You can try to complete simple daily tasks to accumulate basic points, but be wary of complex tasks like 'invitation transfers'. Making learning and understanding infrastructure projects like USDD your primary task may be a more long-term choice.
Remember, in the crypto world, sometimes the biggest profits come from avoiding losses. When the market falls into irrational competition, preserving cash and a clear mind, waiting for genuinely high-quality opportunities, is far wiser than fighting in the meat grinder.
