Top 7 Underrated Projects Likely to Airdrop
Introduction: Everyone talks about the obvious upcoming airdrops (zkSync, LayerZero, etc.), but what about the hidden gems? These are projects flying under the radar that could very well surprise us with generous airdrops. They might be smaller communities now, but that means less competition and potentially higher rewards per user if you get in early. In this section, we’ll highlight 7 underrated projects – spanning L1s, DeFi, AI, and more – that don’t have a token yet but likely will, and thus could airdrop. Getting involved with these could position you for outsized gains if/when they launch tokens. Let’s shine a light on these under-appreciated opportunities. (Based on trends and speculation up to 2025)
1. Ambient Finance (on Ethereum L2)
What it is: A decentralized exchange focused on low-fee, high-speed trades (perhaps a rollup-specific DEX). It raised a modest sum and has a small but growing user base. Many similar DEXs have done tokens. Why likely: They have a points system for users and hinted points = future token. This screams airdrop. They are “ambient” (quiet) now but could blow up with a token incentive. What to do: Use the exchange on whichever L2 it’s on. Provide liquidity, make a few trades. Perhaps join their Discord to see if any “loyalty program” (points) you can maximize. Because it’s small, even light usage might put you in the top percentile of users = bigger airdrop share.
2. Meteora (Solana DeFi)
What: Solana’s Jupiter aggregator’s baby – a liquidity market maker with nearly $1B TVL but not much hype. Team confirmed a MET token is coming, so clearly underrated if you’re not in Solana circles. Why likely airdrop: They explicitly discussed rewarding users (points for fees generated). Solana airdrops haven’t been as massive as Ethereum’s, but this could be significant given their TVL. Action: Provide liquidity or use Meteora vaults on Solana. The more fees you generate, the more points (so even small memecoin pair swaps for fees could rack points). Many non-Sol users ignore Solana DeFi now; being among few who don’t could pay off.
3. Hyperliquid (L1 exchange)
What: A custom Layer1 chain for derivatives trading that’s surprisingly smooth. Because it’s its own chain, many overlook it (not Ethereum or Cosmos, it’s unique). However, they did a large airdrop Season1 and have more supply for future seasons. Why underrated: Outside pro trading circles, not many use it. But they have 38.88% tokens left for “future emissions” – likely meaning airdrop campaigns. So this is a second chance at a big drop. Strategy: If you trade any perps or futures, try doing it on Hyperliquid instead of centralized exchanges for a bit. Even a small account might qualify in Season2 or 3. Also stake some HL if you got from initial drop (if you were in it) to possibly get more.
4. Oro (Privacy AI Data)
What: We talked about Oro – a platform to share private data for AI. Very niche, currently only hardcore privay/AI folks involved. Why likely: They’re running a points campaign; few people outside that niche are doing it, making it underrated. When token comes, others will fomo, but early contributors (which are not many) will get lion’s share. How to engage: Download Oro’s app, connect some accounts (if you’re comfortable) to do quests. It’s something you can do once and then just accumulate points over time. For a busy investor, this is an underrated one-time setup that could yield a good drop mid-year.
5. Kaito AI (AI+Crypto research)
What: Kaito was highlighted in ZebPay’s list – they integrated AI in trading research. They did a big drop already, but their undervalued aspect is how few crypto folks have used it (people talk ChatGPT, not Kaito). Why more to come: They might do follow-up rewards to drive adoption (maybe smaller airdrops to new users or additional for those who keep using platform). And their token is already out, but undervalued adoption means an engaged user could get grants or community incentives fairly easily (like trading comps, etc, which is akin to an airdrop). Use-case: If you like trying AI tools, use Kaito for some analysis. Even if no second airdrop, you gain research edge. But I suspect they will reward “power users” possibly through some special NFT or bonus pool.
6. ChainGPT (Cronos AI platform)
Why underrated: It’s on Cronos (Crypto.com’s chain), not as popular with airdrop hunters. They had a campaign with $100k CRO prizes which not many paid attention to outside Cronos community. They could have their own token drop to Cronos users plus broader AI devs. Plan: If you haven’t, interacting with Cronos once is undervalued by many Eth-centric folk. Maybe deposit some funds on Cronos, use ChainGPT’s tools (they have AI trading bots etc.). If a token comes, you’ll be one of few outside Cronos who qualify, boosting your share.
7. Mitosis (Cross-chain infra)
What: A cross-chain interoperability project (like a smaller Polkadot bridging solution) with active testnet but low publicity. Why likely: The name popped up in Koinly’s “rumored airdrops” but not much chatter beyond. So it’s quietly building. They launched testnet quests for points. Very likely to do an airdrop to testers and early users once mainnet hits. What to do: If you can spare an hour, join their testnet (if open). Do bridging or deploy a test contract cross-chain. This is technical, but if you’re a dev or savvy, an underrated chance – you could be one of, say, only 500 testers. That means a large relative airdrop if they allocate to testers.
These 7 projects aren’t guaranteed to do airdrops, but signs point to a strong possibility and relatively few people are paying attention. By spending a bit of time on them now, you position yourself in small pools that could yield big fish. Conclusion: The crypto airdrop sphere has its celebrities, but the “underrated” projects often give the best ROI for time, since competition is low. The trick is identifying them (we’ve given some) and getting involved before everyone else realizes their potential. If you’re a busy investor with limited bandwidth, consider picking maybe 2 of these underrated ones that align with your interest (like if you love AI, do Oro and Kaito; if you’re DeFi, do Ambient and Hyperliquid). The effort is relatively small compared to chasing everything, but the payout could surprise you. Call to Action: Challenge yourself to pick one underrated project from this list and engage with it this week. It could be as simple as doing a couple trades on Ambient or signing up for Oro. You’ll be ahead of the pack and possibly thank yourself later. And stay tuned to our content – we often surface these under-the-radar opportunities so you don’t miss out. Happy hunting in the less trodden paths of airdrop land!
<p class="related"><a href="/blog/top-security-tips-for-safe-airdrop-participation">Related: Top Security Tips for Safe Airdrop Participation</a> • <a href="/blog/top-5-ai-and-defi-projects-offering-airdrops-in-2025">Related: Top 5 AI and DeFi Projects Offering Airdrops in 2025</a></p>
