Lighter's TGE airdrop reached $675 million. What is hidden behind this huge sum? It seems zero fee, but invisible costs like spreads and slippage are actually quite painful.



I observe that participants roughly fall into three groups:

**First Group — Early Believers**
They genuinely use the product. They entered early, deeply participate in technical discussions and community building, and are confident in the project's roadmap. These people usually choose to hold long-term and are optimistic about future development.

**Second Group — Systematic Arbitrageurs**
These folks play smart. Cover costs with trading systems, and carefully study the invitation and referral mechanisms — in other words, "using airdrops to fund airdrops." They understand the rules well and know how to maximize the value of each airdrop.

**Third Group — Frugal Strategists**
Their goal is clear: calculate costs and benefits precisely, and cash out once they achieve a 2 to 3 times ROI. This is a typical opportunistic approach, not pursuing long-term holding.

Regarding future opportunities, the bonus from the Perp DEX track is almost exhausted. The current options are basically two: either find new tracks that haven't been explored yet, or strictly select projects with obvious differentiated advantages and excellent user experience — like EdgeX, Variational, Extended, etc.

To sum up the core tips: **Early participation is fundamental, understanding the rules is key, prioritizing user experience is a long-term competitive advantage, risk control is essential, and finally, leveraging information and community advantages to stay ahead.** This logic can also be applied to mainstream tokens like BTC and ETH.
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FrontRunFightervip
· 15h ago
honestly the spread/slippage math here is exactly how they get you... zero fees is just the bait in the dark forest. watched the second wave of "optimize airdrop stacking" people extract ridiculous value while the true believers held bags. that's the real frontrunning happening on-chain, no MEV needed.
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RektRecordervip
· 15h ago
Spreads and slippage are the real killers; zero fee gimmicks are just a distraction. Well said, the second group really has mastered the game rules. Early believers can't smile now; it seems that the Perp DEX dividends have been completely drained. I think people who run away with 2-3x gains are more clear-headed—don't be greedy. This logic also holds up for BTC; information asymmetry is always the biggest advantage. Why does it feel like projects like EdgeX are not as stable as imagined? Good projects with great experience are really hard to find; most still have a gambling mentality. With 675 million invested, who ultimately gets the money? Still those smart people. Behind the zero-fee model, these hidden costs are just ways to keep cutting the leeks.
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MEVHunter_9000vip
· 15h ago
6.75 billion airdrops sound great, but the actual spread kills you without mercy. This is the true portrayal of Web3. That second group of people is indeed ruthless. I have to admit, rule-based players always win. Perp DEX dividends are gone. Chasing this track now is indeed a bit of late realization. Early participation + understanding the rules + risk control, easy to say but hard to do. Information advantage is the eternal alpha.
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MerkleDreamervip
· 15h ago
6.75 billion? That's indeed a huge scale, but is anyone really mentioning slippage... I respect the "use airdrops to fund airdrops" approach from the second faction; some people are really getting creative. Participating early is always the simplest path, but is there still a chance now? Perp DEX is indeed out of fashion this wave; it seems I need to change my approach. Honestly, the spread is the most cunning fee method, much worse than transaction fees. The third faction aims for two to three times profit and has good risk awareness—that's what smart people do. The advantage of information asymmetry is shrinking, and the community side has instead become real gold. Are long-term holders all going crazy? Or am I just not understanding something? Has anyone deeply studied and experienced projects like EdgeX? Rules are always set by the big players; retail investors, no matter how clever, can't really come up with new tricks.
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HashRateHustlervip
· 15h ago
Haha, the spread in this area is really a hidden trap, zero fees are just a facade. The early believers were indeed fierce; I only know a few veterans from the technical discussion groups, and now their coin holding ratios are astonishing. But to be honest, the second wave of arbitrageurs are the real winners. They have mastered the rebate chain, and every penny can be multiplied. The Perp DEX line is indeed nearing saturation. I'm also pondering where the new track might be... How about EdgeX? Has any big brother been deeply involved?
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AirdropHunter9000vip
· 15h ago
6.75 billion sounds impressive, but it's just the spread and slippage eating away half the profit. --- The second wave of players really hit the jackpot. Using airdrops to fund airdrops is indeed a brilliant strategy. --- Honestly, the window for Perp DEX is indeed closed now. Entering now just makes you the bag holder. --- It's easy to say to get involved early, but the key is how to identify which projects will explode. --- The savvy traders who take 2-3x profits and run, they really need to learn about risk awareness. --- I've been watching projects like EdgeX for a long time, but I really can't clearly say what the differentiation is. --- Information and community advantages? Everyone's competing at this level now. Is there any secret? --- Hidden costs really need to be calculated clearly, or else airdrops turn into a way to harvest retail investors. --- The first wave of believers who are still holding tokens are probably crying now. --- Where is the new track, everyone? After Perp DEX, are there any other opportunities?
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