How to Farm the Base Airdrop

What is Base? 

Base is a Layer 2 built on top of Ethereum and developed by Coinbase. It offers the typical benefits of a Layer 2, such as lower transaction fees and faster processing compared to Ethereum mainnet.

There’s a thriving memecoin culture on Base, which attracts a different crowd than the Solana trenches. As a result, runners tend to hit $50 to $100 million more consistently than Solana memes.

Zora, Coinbase's social-fi app, is also built on Base.

What is known about the Airdrop? 

Jesse Pollak, the creator of Base, said at Base’s yearly event that they are looking into launching a Base coin. There’s no word yet on timing, tokenomics, or whether it will include governance, but we can make some inferences on when. Most crypto companies are scrambling to launch by the end of the year while the market is still hot.

When Base launches its token, a large chunk of it will be distributed via airdrop. Base hasn’t specified who will qualify yet, but certain Coinbase-backed projects will likely have a higher chance than others.

Closest Comparison

The Arbitrum airdrop distribution is likely the best comparison to how the Base airdrop will be divided. Eligibility was based on a point system, where wallets needed at least three points to qualify and could earn up to 15 points max. Actions that earned points included bridging funds into Arbitrum, trading consistently over several months, interacting with many different smart contracts, and hitting certain transaction volume thresholds. The biggest point earners were wallets that bridged early, made high-value transactions, and were active before the Nitro upgrade in August 2022. Pre-Nitro activity counted double, making early users some of the biggest winners. Arbitrum's model rewarded active and early participants, a playbook Base will likely follow closely for its own airdrop.

Using previous airdrop trends, here are five groups who will likely get the largest allocations and how you can join them to farm. 

1- Base Traders

People who hold large amounts of top Base coins such as Brett, Toshi, and Degen should see an allocation. Actively trading Base coins and generating significant volume will also work in your favor.

If you want to farm, start by buying and holding the top coins on Base. Beyond that, consider converting some of your current holdings to wrapped Base coins for an extra boost. Finally, trade in the Base trenches and push your volume as high as possible.

2- Base App Users. 

The Base App is Coinbase’s all-in-one crypto wallet where you can buy, sell, swap, and store tokens, as well as chat and use other crypto apps. Coinbase is positioning it as a central hub for all crypto activity.

With the Base App, you store your own keys, meaning Coinbase doesn’t have custody of your assets.

To farm using the Base App, move as many funds as you’re comfortable with into the wallet. Make sure to log in daily and use the chat feature, and complete any swaps directly within the app.

3- Coinbase Users 

Active Coinbase accounts will likely be rewarded with a solid airdrop. To boost your chances, use Coinbase as your main centralized exchange. Consider getting Coinbase One to take advantage of lower trading fees.

It’s also worth opening a Coinbase Card and spending on it whenever possible. Any interaction with the Coinbase platform will work in your favor.

4- Farcaster 

Farcaster is a decentralized crypto social media platform backed by Coinbase Ventures. It’s being heavily integrated into the Base App as a way to connect the crypto community.

To farm using the Farcaster app, create an account and stay as active as possible. Try to log in every day(consecutive days of activity are a metric many airdrops consider) and post regularly. The more you post and actively participate, the better your chances.

5- Zora 

Zora is a social finance app built on Base. When you create an account, it automatically launches a token, and every post is also minted as a token.

To farm using Zora, create an account and post regularly. You should also buy and trade popular Zora coins to increase your activity and engagement.

Final Thoughts 

Coinbase is flush with cash. If their coffers are any indication of the size of the Base airdrop, top wallets could receive six-figure allocations(similar to what happened with Hyperliquid).

If you want to farm it, the methods outlined above should be effective.