LayerZero Labs cracks down on unfair practices! In a move to combat “airdrop farming,” the project has identified a staggering 800,000 addresses suspected of being fake accounts. These “sybil addresses” aimed to gain an unfair advantage in LayerZero’s upcoming token allocation.
Initially, LayerZero flagged over two million addresses, but later refined their criteria to minimize false positives. The team emphasizes transparency, publishing a list of these potential sybil addresses, including those self-reported and identified through investigations.
Airdrop Farming Creating Fake Accounts for Free Tokens
Sybil farming exploits airdrops, a common practice where crypto projects reward early users with new tokens. By creating multiple fake accounts, individuals (or bots) attempt to claim airdrops multiple times, gaining an unfair advantage over genuine users.
LayerZero offered a chance for honesty. During a two-week self-reporting period, users with sybil addresses could come forward and receive 15% of their expected token allocation. However, those who remained silent will face stricter consequences.
A bounty program launched on May 18th allows the community to identify sybils. Participants who report at least 20 suspicious addresses with a clear methodology can earn 10% of the identified address’s intended token allocation. This incentivizes the community to help weed out cheaters.
Also Read: Cryptocurrency’s Achilles’ Heel: Understanding and Mitigating Address Poisoning Attacks
A Growing Problem: Sybil Farming on the Rise
LayerZero isn’t alone in this fight. Sybil farming has become a prevalent issue in the crypto space. Previous instances include Optimism disqualifying over 17,000 suspected sybil wallets from its airdrop and ZkSync Era uncovering over 21,000 wallets engaged in similar activities.
Fairness First: LayerZero Prioritizes Authentic Users
By taking proactive measures against sybil addresses, LayerZero aims to ensure a fair distribution of its tokens. This approach rewards genuine users who contribute to the project’s growth and discourages manipulative practices that threaten the integrity of the ecosystem.
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