Zora Airdrop Aftermath: Can This Project Continue Building Long Term?

The launch of the Zora airdrop was supposed to mark a major milestone for the onchain creator economy. Instead, it triggered frustration across the Web3 community. 

Zora, a platform once praised for helping artists and creators monetize digital content on the blockchain, now faces criticism after its token launch left many early users disappointed. 

The token’s unexpected release, steep price drop, and unclear utility raised questions about whether the platform can maintain trust and build for the long haul. 

But while the recent Zora airdrop stumbled out of the gate, some builders and creators remain hopeful that the project still has potential to shape the future of digital content.

ZORA Token Launch and Airdrop Flopped

Zora officially launched its native token, ZORA, on April 23. But confusion began almost immediately. Without any formal announcement at launch, users discovered the token was already trading. Within two hours, its price fell over 50 percent—from $0.037 to $0.017. 

At the time of writing, the price has dropped even further to around $0.013. The poor communication left users feeling misled and unsure about the purpose of the token.

What followed was growing scrutiny over the token’s distribution model. Only 10 percent of the supply was reserved for the user airdrop, while 45 percent went to the team and investors, and 25 percent to the treasury. 

The remaining 20 percent was set aside for incentives. Critics claimed this was an unfair allocation, arguing that Zora was keeping too large a share for itself. Some also pointed out that the token had no clear use, as Zora originally stated it was “for fun only” and carried no governance rights or ownership stake.

In response to criticism, Zora has since indicated that the token may gain more utility within the network. But the initial launch damaged trust with a significant portion of its community.

Read also: Does the Echo Airdrop Still Exist? Looking at the 2023 Airdrop That is Trending Again

A Controversy: NFTs to Content Coins

Zora’s struggles with its token are not happening in isolation. The entire Web3 creator economy is undergoing a shift. 

NFTs, once seen as a revolutionary way for artists to earn income directly from their fans, have seen a major drop in demand. Many creators have stopped producing them entirely, while others are exploring new models.

Zora itself has moved from NFTs to what it calls “content coins.” Instead of minting posts as NFTs, every post now becomes an instantly tradeable memecoin, with the creator receiving 1 percent of the supply and 50 percent of trading and liquidity provider fees. 

While innovative, this move has sparked debate. Some argue it reflects a broader trend in Web3 where speculation is prioritized over sustainable value.

Adam Levy, founder of Blueprint and host of the Mint podcast, noted that platforms like Pump.fun helped popularize this content-coin model. He sees it as suited to a younger, internet-native generation that thrives on viral and remixable content. 

Zora appears to be capitalizing on that trend, but it may come at the cost of alienating earlier supporters who valued NFTs and creator ownership.

Read also: Enzo Airdrop Claim Guide: How to Get Your Allocation

Can Zora Continue Building Long Term?

Despite the backlash, some creators and builders remain cautiously optimistic about Zora’s future. Vérité, a music artist and early Web3 adopter, said she appreciated being rewarded for participating early and believes the team is trying to build something meaningful. She described Zora’s culture as a welcome change from the typical crypto scene.

However, others are more skeptical. Latashá, a music artist and former head of community at Zora, believes the community got too caught up in speculation and jargon. 

She argued that true progress will only come when artists build platforms that serve their own needs, not when they depend on centralized platforms that mimic Web2 behavior.

Still, Zora’s core idea—using blockchain to support creative work—remains compelling. Several experts have compared the current stage of Web3 to the early days of the internet. 

The infrastructure is still evolving, and the most successful applications may be the ones that quietly use blockchain in the background, focusing instead on user experience and creative freedom.

Platforms like Vault, created by the team behind Sound.xyz, are taking this approach. Even major artists like Run The Jewels have launched fan experiences powered by tokens, while avoiding overt crypto branding.

If Zora can learn from its mistakes and focus on solving real problems for creators, it may still play a key role in this transformation.

FAQ

What is Zora?

Zora is an onchain social platform that allows creators to monetize content using blockchain technology. It originally focused on NFTs and now uses content coins.

How to do Zora airdrop?

How To Participate In the ZORA Airdrop. Visit the ZORA website. Connect your wallet and complete the profile onboarding. Link your social media accounts and personalise your profile.

What is Zora in crypto?

Zora is a social media platform similar to Instagram, but the key difference is that it enables creators to tokenize their content and earn directly from the trading activity of users interacting with their work. This approach and the expertise of the team behind it attracted a lot of interest from VC funds.

How to earn on Zora?

Zora allows creators to earn money whenever their posts are traded. When someone buys a coin tied to a creator's post, the creator earns a portion of the trade. This system makes trading and monetizing content as easy as posting it.

Does Zora have a token?

Built on Ethereum and wrapped in memetic mechanics, Zora is where creators mint, earn, and meme their way into the NFT market. But what began as a NFT marketplace has now evolved into a fully fledged creator ecosystem powered by coins. And just recently, Zora launched the airdrop of its token: $ZORA.