Web3 startup aPriori said Friday that unusual activity linked to its recent Monad Mainnet airdrop was not connected to the team, amid concerns that a single entity claimed a disproportionate share of the tokens.
According to blockchain analytics platform Bubblemaps, about 60% of the aPriori (APR) airdrop was claimed across 14,000 interconnected wallets. The pattern resembles a Sybil-style farming operation, in which one actor uses multiple wallets to maximize rewards.
While aPriori reduced eligibility requirements to reward “genuine users, it stated Friday that it found “no evidence that anyone on the contributing team or from the foundation has claimed the airdrop.
Founded in 2023 and based in San Francisco, aPriori raised $20 million in August to expand its trading infrastructure platform, with funding from Pantera Capital, HashKey Capital, and Primitive Ventures, bringing total funding to $30 million.
Monad airdrop allocation increased, unlock schedule updated
aPriori updated the parameters for its airdrop, stating that rewards will be primarily based on “social contribution.” The company also increased the initial unlock from 12% to 15%, allowing users to claim an extra 3% of their allocation when the Monad mainnet launches on Nov. 24.
The remaining 85% of the airdrop will be claimable six months after the mainnet launch, according to aPriori’s updated technical documentation.
Crypto community reacts with mixed sentiment
Investor reactions to aPriori’s announcement were divided. Some expressed skepticism about the internal investigation’s lack of detail.
Second phase of rug is coming. They’re literally paying botters to hype them up rn, said crypto investor IbrahimXBT in a Friday X post.
Others defended the aPriori team, attributing the airdrop claims to professional airdrop farmers rather than the company itself.
This is 100% false, the FUD is orchestrated by a competing entity, said crypto investor FastLife, adding that “it’s airdrop farmers’ fault.
Professional airdrop farmers, also called squatters, interact with new protocols solely to collect rewards, often using multiple wallets to amplify gains. In March 2023, airdrop farmers consolidated $3.3 million worth of tokens from Arbitrum’s ARB airdrop across 1,496 wallets into just two wallets they controlled.