A snapshot is a record of blockchain activity at a specific block height, and it is how most modern airdrops decide who qualifies. Instead of asking users to fill out a form, a project picks a moment in time, looks back at what every wallet had done before that moment, and distributes tokens based on those rules.

Snapshots solve a fairness problem. Without them, anyone could rush to meet criteria after an airdrop is announced, which would reward opportunists rather than genuine early users.

Common snapshot criteria include holding a particular token at the snapshot block, using a specific application before a date, providing liquidity, staking, voting in governance, or completing a set of on-chain actions. Some projects use several snapshots over months to reward sustained activity.

A snapshot records on-chain activity only. It cannot see your intentions, your off-chain contributions, or activity on a different chain unless the project explicitly includes it, and it cannot be appealed.

You cannot game a snapshot you do not know about, and that is the point. Use products you genuinely find useful, keep activity spread naturally over time, and maintain a simple log of wallets and protocols.

Fake snapshot announcements are common. Checking eligibility needs only a public address, claiming never requires payment, and no support agent will ever legitimately ask for your seed phrase.

Some projects use more than one snapshot, taking records at several points over months to reward sustained activity rather than a single moment. Others weight allocations: longer holdings, larger positions, or repeated interactions may earn more than a single qualifying action. A few projects combine on-chain snapshots with off-chain criteria, such as governance participation or community contributions, though on-chain activity remains the core input for most distributions.

Understanding this variation matters because it changes strategy. If a project is known to use multiple snapshots, consistent activity over time beats a single burst. If allocations are weighted, depth of engagement matters more than breadth. And if a project has never announced its snapshot method, the only honest strategy is genuine use: participate because the product is useful, keep records, and treat any eventual distribution as a bonus rather than an expectation.

Snapshots reward the past, not the future, which is why they favor users who were already there. You cannot buy your way into a snapshot that already happened, and you cannot rush activity into one that has not been announced without looking like a farm. The honest strategy remains the same: use products you value, keep good records, and treat any distribution as a welcome surprise rather than a plan.