aPriori Rejects Claims of Insider Airdrop Activity Amidst Controversy
aPriori addresses investor concerns regarding a suspicious airdrop claim by a single entity, while updates on allocation and internal investigations emerge.
Web3 startup aPriori announced on Friday that accusations of insider involvement in its recent airdrop are unfounded. Investors are eager for more information regarding a Sybil cluster that allegedly claimed 60% of the aPriori (APR) token distribution across 14,000 cryptocurrency wallets.
The suspicious behavior appears similar to a Sybil farming operation, where one individual employs multiple wallets for maximizing rewards.
Although aPriori has made adjustments to its Monad Mainnet airdrop to encourage “genuine users,” it asserts that no member of the team or foundation has claimed the airdrop.
Cointelegraph was unable to confirm the entity controlling the wallet cluster and has reached out to aPriori for more information.
aPriori Airdrop Claims
Source: aPriori
Nick Vaiman, CEO of Bubblemaps, remarked that aPriori’s initial response seemed “dismissive,” pointing out that the company suggested a leak could have facilitated the airdrop farming. Vaiman stated, “They’re saying there was a leak and someone used that info.”
Founded in 2023, aPriori is based in San Francisco. In August, the company raised $20 million, contributing to a total funding of $30 million, with backing from notable firms like Pantera Capital, HashKey Capital, and Primitive Ventures.
aPriori Adjusts Airdrop Parameters Amid Investor Concerns
aPriori has modified the criteria for the next airdrop round to focus largely on “social contributions.” Furthermore, the company increased the unlocking percentage of its airdrop from 12% to 15%, allowing users to claim an additional 3% when the Monad mainnet goes online on November 24.
The remaining 85% will be claimable six months post-launch of the mainnet, as per the technical documentation.
Users aiming to access their full allocation must deposit assets equal to 10x their airdrop value for 14 days, which would qualify them for unlocking the remaining 85%.
Diverging Opinions Among Crypto Investors
Following aPriori’s announcement, investor sentiments were mixed. Many expressed doubts regarding the details of the internal investigation.
“Second phase of rug is coming. They’re literally paying botters to hype them up rn,” said crypto investor IbrahimXBT in response on X.
Others supported the aPriori team, attributing the airdrop issue to professional airdrop farmers.
“This is 100% false; the FUD is orchestrated by a competing entity,” tweeted FastLife, blaming the situation on airdrop farmers.
Airdrop farming is typically the strategy employed by individuals leveraging numerous wallets to claim rewards from emerging protocols.
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