What Is the Sonic Airdrop?

Source: https://blog.soniclabs.com/sonic-airdrop-season-2-everything-you-need-to-know/

The S token airdrop program from Sonic Labs is designed to reward users who actively participate in and contribute to its EVM Layer-1 network. The airdrop is distributed in multiple seasons (Season 1, Season 2, etc.), with a cumulative total of 190.5 million S tokens allocated to the community.

What Has Changed in Season 2?

Season 2 officially launches on June 18, 2025, and removes the “passive points” system used in Season 1. Now, only genuine on-chain activities—such as providing liquidity or engaging in DeFi lending—qualify for rewards. A loyalty multiplier is introduced: your Season 1 points establish your starting multiplier for Season 2 (between 1.0x and 2.0x), and ongoing participation can increase your multiplier up to a maximum of 3.0x.

Detailed Claiming Mechanism and Distribution Method

In Season 1, users could immediately claim 25% of their allocation, while the remaining 75% was vested linearly over 270 days via NFT, with early claims subject to a burn penalty. For Season 2, the exact distribution structure will be determined three months after mainnet launch, with adjustments likely to address user concerns identified in Season 1.

Current SONIC Token Price and Market Performance

Source: https://www.gate.com/trade/S_USDT

As of now, Sonic (S) trades at approximately $0.335–$0.34 per token. Daily trading volume is close to $96 million, with a market cap around $970 million, ranking the token 82nd overall.

In the past week, the price of S has risen about 15%. The recent announcement that the Sonic Labs team will burn 100% of their airdrop allocation (roughly 1.86 million S, valued at $750,000) on July 21, 2025, has significantly boosted community engagement and pushed total value locked (TVL) up to about $598 million. Some analysts now forecast a short-term price target of $0.60, which would represent more than 50% upside potential.

Review of Season 1 User Controversies

Roughly 80 million S tokens were distributed in Season 1, but user feedback was highly negative. Many participants complained about not receiving any tokens despite holding whitelist assets, completing assigned tasks, or taking part in Arcades and Shard NFT programs. Some reported getting “zero points” or “no returns,” leading to widespread community skepticism. This negativity caused project TVL to drop by over 15% (about $85 million) after July 18.

How New Users Can Participate and Minimize Risk

• Use an EOA wallet to actively participate in compliant DeFi activities (such as liquidity provision and lending) to accumulate activity points.
• Maintain consistent engagement to boost your loyalty multiplier.
• Stay updated on any changes to Season 2’s distribution rules, especially the breakdown between liquid and vested allocations.
• Evaluate the risk of burn penalties before making early claims.
• Monitor official project channels for qualification review timelines, and make sure to claim promptly after verification.

Summary and Outlook

The Sonic Airdrop has shifted focus from “onboarding incentives” in Season 1 to “active loyalty rewards” in Season 2, now emphasizing on-chain activity and robust ecosystem growth. SONIC’s price remains strong, and the team’s decision to burn their allocation underscores long-term commitment. For newcomers, it’s essential to understand the rules, participate actively, and set realistic expectations. Continued ecosystem growth, further whitelisting of assets, and the launch of sub-projects like Spark could drive higher demand and price appreciation for S tokens.