Bybit’s extremely anticipated PAWS airdrop took a chaotic flip proper when the Solana-based meme coin was on the cusp of its official launch on April 16, 2025.
Initially meant to reward early neighborhood engagement from customers of the viral Telegram mini-app, the airdrop has as a substitute stirred confusion throughout crypto boards and social platforms, with customers reporting wildly inconsistent allocations.
Bybit’s Controversial PAWS Airdrop: All the things You Want To Know
On Tuesday, April 15, studies surfaced that some Bybit customers had acquired PAWS tokens of their Unified Buying and selling Account (UTA) or Spot Account forward of the itemizing. Nevertheless, many famous important irregularities.
A number of customers claimed to have acquired two to 5 occasions their anticipated allocation. In the meantime, others discovered no tokens of their accounts regardless of assembly all eligibility standards.
At present, Wednesday, April 16, Bybit responded. The change introduced the reversal of all PAWS airdrop allocations as a result of errors within the distribution course of.
“All earlier $PAWS token distributions performed on April 15 shall be reversed in accordance with the up to date listing,” Bybit stated in a weblog.
The change assured customers that the tokens had not been misplaced however had been being reallocated by way of a revised, fairer course of.
“A brand new spherical of airdrops is presently carried out primarily based on the ultimate eligibility knowledge offered by the PAWS staff,” the change added.
This reversal, nonetheless, meant that many customers quickly noticed their balances disappear, prompting recent issues.
“This PAWS airdrop is now wanting humorous. I heard they eliminated some Bybit’s customers allocation from their wallets in a single day, in the meantime I’ve nonetheless not acquired my very own allocation in Bitget and Bybit. Let’s see the way it goes at the moment,” one consumer remarked.
A part of the confusion seems tied to eligibility restrictions imposed by European laws. Bybit reiterated that European Financial Space (EEA) customers had been excluded from the airdrop. The change cited compliance with the regulation of MiCA, the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Belongings.
“Customers primarily based within the European Financial Space (EEA) stay ineligible for this marketing campaign as a result of MiCA regulatory necessities…We advocate checking straight with the $PAWS neighborhood for any airdrop options,” Bybit articulated on X (Twitter).
This will likely have contributed to the inconsistencies, as tokens despatched to restricted jurisdictions had been reportedly recalled.
“Should you received your PAWS airdrop on Bybit earlier at the moment, it’s presently getting auto deducted (eliminated) in order to redistribute it once more to everybody pretty. I feel there was a difficulty whereby some received x2 to x5 of their preliminary allocation,” one other consumer commented.
However, the Bybit change requested customers to stay calm and promised to revive the right allocations earlier than the PAWS/USDT buying and selling pair went reside.
PAWS Airdrop Mechanics and Allocation
The PAWS airdrop was one of the crucial intensive neighborhood distributions to this point. About 62.5 billion tokens, constituting 62.5% of the full provide, had been reserved for customers.
Eligibility included early adopters of the Telegram mini-app. Holders of common Solana belongings like Mad Lads NFTs and meme cash comparable to BONK and WIF had been additionally featured. Individuals in campaigns involving referrals and social duties had been additionally eligible.
To say tokens, customers needed to submit their Bybit UID and Solana pockets deal with through the official PAWS declare website. Extra importantly, they needed to full KYC by mid-March.
Deposits through the Solana community started on March 13. Nevertheless, many customers reported seeing no token worth of their wallets till after the official itemizing.
Frustrations mounted as customers took to X (previously Twitter) to air grievances. Some joked concerning the scenario turning right into a meme itself. In the meantime, others accused Bybit of mishandling the drop.
“That is so amateurish, even the worst telegram airdrops didn’t screw up like this,” lamented one consumer.
The undertaking’s reputation has additionally made it a chief goal for scammers, prompting safety warnings from each Bybit and the PAWS staff.
Amid this uncertainty, Bybit reminded customers to confirm their standing by way of official channels and warned towards phishing makes an attempt.
In a current growth, PAWS Labs introduced that claims on centralized exchanges are actually correct, directing customers to examine their spot balances.
“All is on monitor for the upcoming PAWS itemizing, due to the CEXs that ensured a clean airdrop distribution and supported the itemizing course of,” PAWS Labs introduced.
Customers now anticipate the token’s itemizing and the related implications for the PAWS value.
