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Optimism Quietly Rolls Out Third Community Airdrop

A further 570 million OP tokens have been allocated to future airdrops.

Sep 19, 2023, 12:41 p.m.
Optimism issues third community airdrop (Pexel/Pixabay)
Optimism issues third community airdrop (Pexel/Pixabay)

Layer 2 blockchain Optimism has issued its third community airdrop, with users receiving a total of 19,411,313 OP tokens worth $27 million.

Over 31,000 unique addresses received the airdrop. Eligibility was determined by whether holders delegated their OP holdings to participate in governance votes.

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A further 570 million OP tokens have been allocated to future airdrops.

Having launched in 2021, the Optimism blockchain has accumulated $658 million in total value locked (TVL) to make it the sixth largest blockchain, according to DefiLlama.

Optimism surprised holders with a second airdrop earlier this year, spurring an 11% slump in the price of OP as circulating supply increased.

OP has remained relatively unperturbed this time around – down by 1.4% over the past 24 hours with trading volume experiencing a 17% uptick to $76 million.

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KuCoin Hits Record Market Share as 2025 Volumes Outpace Crypto Market

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KuCoin captured a record share of centralised exchange volume in 2025, with more than $1.25tn traded as its volumes grew faster than the wider crypto market.

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  • KuCoin recorded over $1.25 trillion in total trading volume in 2025, equivalent to an average of roughly $114 billion per month, marking its strongest year on record.
  • This performance translated into an all-time high share of centralised exchange volume, as KuCoin’s activity expanded faster than aggregate CEX volumes, which slowed during periods of lower market volatility.
  • Spot and derivatives volumes were evenly split, each exceeding $500 billion for the year, signalling broad-based usage rather than reliance on a single product line.
  • Altcoins accounted for the majority of trading activity, reinforcing KuCoin’s role as a primary liquidity venue beyond BTC and ETH at a time when majors saw more muted turnover.
  • Even as overall crypto volumes softened mid-year, KuCoin maintained elevated baseline activity, indicating structurally higher user engagement rather than short-lived volume spikes.

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Here’s why bitcoin’s is failing its role as a 'safe haven' versus gold

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What to know:

  • During recent geopolitical tensions, Bitcoin lost 6.6% of its value, while gold rose 8.6%, demonstrating bitcoin's vulnerability in times of market stress.
  • Bitcoin behaves more like an "ATM" during uncertain times, with investors quickly selling it to raise cash, contrary to its reputation as a stable digital asset.
  • Gold remains the preferred hedge for short-term risks, while bitcoin is better suited for long-term monetary and geopolitical uncertainties that unfold over years.