Author: Bale Source: X, @AirdropCatCom
Currently, criticizing Zk seems to be the politically correct thing to do, as nine out of ten people did not receive the airdrop. Criticizing him represents political correctness, garnering traffic, support, applause, and momentary satisfaction.
However, very few people have actually taken the time to dissect the airdrop rules of Zksync. Some choose not to understand, some genuinely do not understand, and some are half-understanding and half-confused. This is mainly because Zksync’s airdrop rules are overly complex and there hasn’t been a clear explanation of the rules in Chinese on Twitter.
So, what exactly is this exceptionally complex airdrop rule? Why are so many people criticizing him? Why did this rule eliminate 90% of the participants?
I. Initial Exploration, A Messy Situation
Initially, our group of 50 individuals, all well-known professionals in the DeFi community, discussed for a long time. The conclusion was surprising: while most of the LP combinations existed, some did not. This ambiguity in the rules has caused confusion.
In the following days, many Twitter threads were analyzed, with @sunlc_crypto providing the most comprehensive analysis. His conclusion, based on ten case studies, showed a significant correlation between airdrops and average daily holdings. This analysis shed light on most cases, indicating a close approximation to the truth. However, most of the high-value accounts did not receive the airdrop, with the blame placed on the project team for intentionally withholding it and creating confusion around the airdrop rules.
Additionally, @Naive_BNB provided a more precise breakdown of the rules, summarizing four key rules. While his analysis was insightful, it lacked a clear explanation of the logical relationships between the four rules.
Thus, a mysterious fog envelops the Chinese Twitter community, with no one able to fully clarify Zk’s rules. Either the rules are too vague, or they are overly complex, leaving many confused. No one understands, resulting in a messy situation. @zksync @TheZKNation, if you’re not receiving criticism, who is?
So, what are the real airdrop rules? Here are a few reliable sources of information:
1. Official blog:
Overview version: https://blog.zknation.io/zk-token/
Detailed version: https://docs.zknation.io/zk-token/zk-airdrop?ref=blog.zknation.io#usage-based-airdrop
2. Official responses to 9 questions and Panewslab’s Chinese translation report:
https://docs.zknation.io/zk-token/zk-token-faq
Chinese version of the official responses: https://docs.zknation.io/zk-token/zk-token-faq/zk-dai-bi-chang-jian-wen-ti-jie-da
Panewslab’s Chinese report: https://www.panewslab.com/zh/articledetails/4jvhw9wd.html
If you go through these sources, you will notice a significant information gap between the English and Chinese versions of the airdrop rules.
II. Airdrop Rules Formula:
(0-7) ✖️ (0-N) ✖️ (nX) = Airdrop Amount
To cut to the chase, the actual airdrop rules (specifically focusing on ZKsync user airdrop allocation, which accounts for 89% of the total airdrop, excluding other contributors such as attendees and GitHub) can be summarized by the following formula:
Zk officially states that the airdrop rules consist of four steps, including the basic conditions, daily asset holdings, and multiplier. It is important to note that these three elements are multiplicative, not additive. If any one element scores 0, the final airdrop amount will be 0. The fourth element is the “witch rule,” which filters out 95% of cases based on the first three elements, making it relatively simple compared to the rest.
The widely circulated Chinese translation of the formula breakdown is as follows:
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Breaking down the three factors of the formula:
1. The first factor (0-7): This includes 7 basic threshold conditions, where meeting one adds 1 point, with a minimum of 0 points and a maximum of 7 points.
Analyzing the 7 basic conditions one by one:
1. Interact with 10 era contracts – Demonstrating interaction with at least 10 dApps, testing the depth of ecosystem engagement.
2. Use paymaster 5 times – A challenging task requiring multiple interactions with paymasters.
3. Trade 10 ERC20 tokens – Trading with 10 different tokens, a difficult criterion to fulfill.
4. Add LP and borrow concurrently – Emphasizing the necessity to simultaneously engage in both LP addition and borrowing activities.
5. Hold a Genesis NFT – Involves trading Genesis NFTs, a criterion that was challenging for many.
6. Be active on Lite Network for 3 months before era launch – Testing loyalty and activity levels on the Lite Network.
7. Donate to Gitcoin projects using Lite Network – Demonstrating support for Gitcoin projects via the Lite Network.
II. The second factor {0-N}: Average daily holdings, a range from 0 to N, with a daily average of around 100u being necessary to qualify for the airdrop. Failure to meet this multiplier threshold would result in a total score below 450 points, leading to disqualification by the official team.
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The concept of daily average holdings has three core elements:
1. Balance = Wallet balance + DEFI asset balance – Calculating the total balance, which is more comprehensive than StarkNet’s approach.
2. DEFI assets are doubled – Encouraging active participation by doubling the balance of assets involved in DEFI activities.
3. Usage of Lite Network for Gitcoin donation – Contributing to Gitcoin projects via the Lite Network.
In conclusion, my personal accounts should have scored at least 4 points in the basic threshold requirements. For example, one of my accounts:
[Image]
By understanding and meeting these criteria, participants can navigate the complex airdrop rules and increase their chances of receiving the airdrop. Understanding the intricacies of the rules and following the guidelines meticulously is crucial for a successful outcome.The app’s interaction, spanning from the first anniversary of its launch in era, from March 24, 2023, to March 24, 2024, requires a daily account balance of around 100u or more.
The official example of calculating the daily average balance is as follows:
Essentially, Bob sent 1000u to the account before the snapshot date, with 500u added to LP. Therefore, his daily average amount is calculated as (500*25+500*25)/366 days = 102.46u.
Now, how was the balance threshold of 100u for airdrop eligibility derived? The official response to 9 questions includes a table example:
https://docs.zknation.io/zk-token/zk-token-faq/zk-dai-bi-chang-jian-wen-ti-jie-da
From this example, it is evident that only 340 points were awarded for 30 USD, which was below the threshold and therefore ineligible for airdrop. On the other hand, 1040 points were awarded for 50 USD, which met the criteria. However, all three addresses had a common prerequisite: a baseline score of 3 points. Typically, regular users may only meet 1-2 points of the baseline score. Thus, it can be deduced that to qualify for the airdrop (exceeding 450), an average balance of at least 100u is required.
Additionally, other cases listed by @sunlc_crypto also confirm the 100u balance threshold and conditions:
https://x.com/sunlc_crypto/status/1801542409068953859
From this case, it can be inferred that a 50u LP is essentially equivalent to a 100u balance.
Regarding balance issues, an extreme case is highlighted in the official response to another question:
This is primarily due to era’s zero chain assets resulting in a daily average asset balance of 0, hence the final formula equates to 0.
As illustrated in a case presented by @sunlc_crypto:
https://x.com/sunlc_crypto/status/1801542409068953859
The lite activity in September-October last year was rendered useless since lite’s March monthly activity had to occur before era 2023’s launch, leading to all efforts being in vain.
The third factor, nX: multiplier weighting, consists of 5 weighted items, with n representing the number of weighted items and X indicating the weighted score.
The design of the n weighted items is highly data-driven and detailed. Let’s analyze each item individually:
1. Owning one of 7 original NFTs: Dudiez, Hue, Moody Mights, Webears, ZKPENGZ, zkSkulls, or zkVeggies. Personally unfamiliar with these, hence none owned.
2. Holding over 50u of native ERC20 meme coins: AAI, HOLD, KOI, MEOW, MUTE, RF, ZF, ZORRO. Except for MUTE, which I’ve encountered, the rest are unfamiliar, indicating ownership of none.
3. AA Wallet, creating a smart contract abstract wallet on era. Although recommended by a KOL, I refrained from downloading it at the time due to perceived complexity.
4. Holding 50% of ARB/OP/ENS airdrops for over 90 days. Personally, I’ve held onto ARB without selling to this day, indicating compliance with this requirement.
Continuing with the remaining items in the list, it is evident that the intricate rules of the app have effectively filtered out many studios. Despite the complexity of the rules, they have proven to be effective in achieving their intended purpose.
