Web3 startup aPriori stated on Friday that suspicious activity linked to its recent airdrop was not connected to its team, addressing investor concerns that a single entity secured an disproportionately large share of the token distribution.
An unidentified entity claimed approximately 60% of the recent aPriori (APR) token airdrop across 14,000 interconnected cryptocurrency wallets, according to blockchain analytics platform Bubblemaps. This pattern is indicative of a Sybil-style farming operation, where a single actor utilizes multiple wallets to maximize their rewards.
aPriori had previously reduced eligibility requirements for its Monad Mainnet airdrop with the intention of rewarding "genuine users." However, on Friday, the company announced it found "no evidence that anyone on the contributing team or from the foundation has claimed the airdrop."
Cointelegraph was unable to independently verify the controller of the wallet cluster and sought further details from aPriori.
Bubblemaps CEO Nick Vaiman commented that the project's initial response seemed "dismissive." Vaiman added that aPriori suggested a potential leak might have facilitated someone farming the airdrop, stating, "They're saying there was a leak and someone used that info."
aPriori, a San Francisco-based company established in 2023, announced in August that it had raised $20 million to enhance its trading infrastructure platform. The funding round saw participation from investors such as Pantera Capital, HashKey Capital, and Primitive Ventures, bringing the company's total funding to $30 million.
aPriori Adjusts Monad Airdrop Allocation Amidst Investor Division
aPriori has revised the parameters for its upcoming airdrop allocation, which will now primarily be determined by "social contribution," according to the announcement.
The startup has also increased the unlock percentage for its airdrop allocation from 12% to 15%. This means users will be able to claim an additional 3% of their airdrop allocation once the Monad mainnet launches.
The remaining 85% of the airdrop will be claimable six months after the mainnet launch, as detailed in aPriori’s updated technical documentation.
To unlock their full airdrop allocation, users are required to deposit assets equivalent to 10 times their airdrop value for a period of 14 days. This action will make them eligible to claim the remaining 85% of their allocated tokens.
Crypto Investors Divided as Industry Seeks Clarity
The crypto investment community expressed mixed reactions following aPriori’s announcement, with some voicing skepticism regarding the limited details provided about the internal investigation.
Crypto investor IbrahimXBT commented in an X post on Friday, "Second phase of rug is coming. They’re literally paying botters to hype them up rn."
Conversely, other users showed support for the aPriori team, attributing the airdrop claim situation to professional airdrop farmers.
Crypto investor FastLife stated in a Nov. 11 X post, "This is 100% false, the FUD is orchestrated by a competing entity," adding that "it’s airdrop farmers’ fault."
In the cryptocurrency space, a professional airdrop farmer, sometimes referred to as a squatter, is an entity that engages with emerging protocols primarily to obtain airdrop rewards. These actors often employ multiple wallets to amplify their earnings.
A notable instance involved airdrop farmers consolidating $3.3 million worth of tokens from Arbitrum’s ARB airdrop in March 2023. These tokens were aggregated from 1,496 wallets into just two wallets controlled by the farmers.