An airdrop is a customer acquisition strategy utilized by blockchain startups. In this strategy, the startup distributes tokens to spread awareness and encourage participation in the startup’s ecosystem. Uniswap and Ethereum Name Service (ENS) both utilized retroactive airdrops to reward early users for their contributions to their respective startups’ adoption and success. The tokens are now governance tokens, allowing holders to have a say in the protocols’ operations.
https://www.coinbase.com/learn/crypto-basics/what-is-a-crypto-airdrop
https://www.fidelity.com/learning-center/trading-investing/crypto-airdrop
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/airdrop-cryptocurrency.asp