A major discussion has reignited in the crypto community: should investors hold onto tokens after receiving an airdrop or is it wiser to sell them immediately?
A popular trader in the crypto industry has published data indicating that most tokens distributed through airdrops lose a significant portion of their value after listing. The result raises the question of whether it is more profitable to sell coins immediately after receiving them. We discuss which approach is potentially more profitable.
Weak dynamics of tokens after launch
Crypto trader under the nickname Didi shared statistics on airdrops he received over the past year on X. Almost all tokens lost value immediately after launch. Thus, M3M3 dropped by 99.64%, Elixir — by 99.50%, and USUAL decreased by 97.67%.
The tokens of major projects have significantly collapsed. Magic Eden fell by 96.6%, Jupiter decreased by 75.9% from the placement price, and Monad dropped by 39.13%. Only one token ended up in profit after launch — Avantis. It increased by 30.4%.
«Of the 30 airdrops I received since December 2024, only one token is currently trading slightly above its starting price. However, selling tokens immediately after listing is somehow considered a betrayal. Let's call things by their names: we are all here to make money. Those who say otherwise are deceiving themselves first and foremost,» wrote the trader.
He added that history shows: long-term holding of altcoins rarely brings profit and often ends in losses.
«It is necessary to objectively assess the market conditions and primarily focus on capital preservation. Profit becomes real only after fixation,» noted Didi.
General market research confirms these findings. A review by Memento Research studied 118 cases of token placements in 2025: 84.7% of them are currently trading below their starting valuation.
About 65% of tokens have lost approximately half of their initial value. More than half went down by 70% or more.
The report authors also noted: the hardest-hit projects were those that entered the market with a high fully diluted valuation (FDV) right away. Out of 28 launches with an initial FDV of $1 billion, none currently shows growth.
«If we divide projects by fully diluted valuation (FDV) at the moment of launch, it becomes clear: only the cheapest and undervalued tokens showed significant survivability — 40% went into profit, and the median price drop was only about –26%. In all other cases, losses reached –70% to –83%, and positive dynamics were hardly expected,» the report states.
Analysts noted that today many crypto projects aim to achieve a valuation in billions even before developing a product or proving its utility. As a result, tokens begin trading at a price far from their real value. Once market mechanisms come into play, rapid price reallocation occurs.
«Those who do not fix at least a large part immediately after the genesis release (TGE) either do not understand how asset valuation works or simply do not want to figure it out,» believes one of the members of the crypto community.
Crypto enthusiasts are tired of airdrops
Investor interest in airdrops continues to decline. Market participants increasingly say that the token distribution model has become too complex, closed, and vulnerable to manipulation.
Crypto reviewer Maran explained how the principles of distributions have changed. Earlier, minimal actions were enough to receive tokens — for example, just connecting a wallet, but the rewards were larger.
In 2025, more and more projects are introducing strict participation conditions: requiring long-term interaction, undergoing technical checks, setting limited registration deadlines, or using schemes with phased token unlocks.
«Getting $1,000 used to be easy. Now such amounts are almost a ceiling,» he added on social media.
Another analyst believes that airdrops in 2025 have finally stopped working as intended. Zamza Salim emphasized that Sybil attacks have undermined trust in several major token distributions even with measures against farming in place.
«Airdrops in 2025 are completely exhausted. There is no point in hunting for pennies for months while farmers take 20% for themselves,» commented Salim on X.
Recent data confirms: most tokens released in the format of airdrops lose value immediately after entering the market. Meanwhile, structural complexities accumulate in the distribution model — both in valuation and allocation. Although some tokens manage to remain in profit or even grow, in practice, a high starting price, market revaluation, and constant innovations in distribution mechanics make the final results increasingly unpredictable.
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