ONUS x CoinMarketCap Airdrop: How It Worked and What Happened After

Back in March 2022, over 6.2 million people signed up for an airdrop that didn’t promise moonshots or magic tokens - just 75,000 ONUS tokens split among 5,000 lucky winners. That’s a 0.08% chance of winning. And yet, people showed up. Why? Because it wasn’t just another airdrop. It was a smart, well-structured campaign by ONUS and CoinMarketCap that actually moved the needle.

What Was the ONUS x CoinMarketCap Airdrop?

The ONUS x CoinMarketCap airdrop was a 20-day campaign launched in March 2022. Its goal? To introduce ONUS, a blockchain token built for DeFi and cross-chain use, to CoinMarketCap’s massive global audience. CoinMarketCap, at the time, was already the most trusted crypto price tracker in the world. Getting in front of their users meant instant visibility.

The prize pool? 75,000 ONUS tokens - worth about $50,000 USD back then. Not the biggest airdrop ever, but big enough to get attention. And with 6.2 million participants, it became one of the most crowded airdrops of its time.

Winners didn’t get cash. They got ONUS tokens - but only if they used RICE Wallet, ONUS’s own mobile app. That wasn’t an accident. This wasn’t just about giving away free tokens. It was about building a user base for a new wallet and ecosystem.

How to Enter the Airdrop

You didn’t need to buy anything. You didn’t need to send crypto. You just had to complete a few simple steps:

1. Add ONUS to your CoinMarketCap watchlist.
2. Verify your CoinMarketCap account.
3. Follow ONUS on social media (Twitter, Telegram, Instagram, etc.).
4. Submit your Binance Smart Chain wallet address through the RICE Wallet app.

That’s it. No KYC. No complicated forms. No locked funds. The process was designed to be frictionless - but only one of those steps could be done outside the app: adding ONUS to your watchlist. Everything else led back to RICE Wallet.

Why? Because ONUS wasn’t just trying to spread awareness. They were trying to convert casual crypto users into active participants in their ecosystem. The airdrop wasn’t the end goal. It was the onboarding tool.

Why RICE Wallet Was the Key

Most airdrops send tokens to any wallet you give them. ONUS didn’t do that. They required winners to claim their tokens through RICE Wallet - a mobile app built by the ONUS team. That meant if you won, you had to download the app, create an account, and link your BSC address.

This was genius. Instead of handing out tokens to people who’d sell them the second they landed, ONUS forced users into their ecosystem. Once you were in RICE Wallet, you could trade, earn from other airdrops, or even use the app’s “Make Money Online” features - like completing tasks for small rewards.

By the end of the campaign, tens of thousands of new users had downloaded RICE Wallet. Many of them stayed. The app didn’t disappear after the airdrop. It kept growing.

The Results: Numbers That Matter

Let’s break down what actually happened:

• 6,277,789 participants - more than 6 million people tried to win.
• 5,000 winners - only 0.08% made it.
• 75,000 ONUS tokens distributed - roughly 15 tokens per winner.
• Prizes sent within 7 working days after March 20, 2022.
• Deadline to claim: April 1, 2022 (UTC+7).

The campaign ran for exactly 20 days. That’s long enough to go viral, but short enough to create urgency. People didn’t have months to procrastinate. They had to act fast.

And it worked. ONUS didn’t just get exposure - they got legitimacy. CoinMarketCap’s stamp of approval gave them credibility. Suddenly, people weren’t just chasing free tokens. They were checking out what ONUS actually did.

What Happened to ONUS After the Airdrop?

The airdrop wasn’t a flash in the pan. It was the start of something bigger.

By July 17, 2025, ONUS completed its 2-year token vesting schedule. That meant all remaining tokens were released into circulation. Liquidity improved. Trading volume rose. And the price? As of September 2025, ONUS was trading at $0.6956 USD.

The platform didn’t stop evolving. In August 2025, ONUS slashed futures trading fees for VIP users. Makers paid as low as 0.01%, takers at 0.025%. VIP 3 status, which used to require holding 5,000 ONUS tokens, was cut in half - now only 2,500 ONUS needed.

Even more interesting: in September 2025, ONUS automatically converted users’ holdings of three delisted tokens - BakeryToken, Hifi Finance, and Self Chain - into ONUS if they held over 100 USDT worth. That’s not just a cleanup. That’s a forced buy signal. Every time a token gets delisted, ONUS gains more demand.

Why This Airdrop Was Different

Most airdrops fail. They give away tokens, get a spike in social media followers, then vanish. ONUS didn’t do that.

They used the airdrop to:

• Build trust with CoinMarketCap’s audience.
• Onboard users to their own wallet (RICE Wallet).
• Create long-term token utility through platform upgrades.
• Turn a one-time event into a growth engine.

CoinMarketCap later launched CMC Launchpad - a smarter airdrop system that filters out bots and fake accounts. It’s likely they learned from ONUS’s campaign. The ONUS airdrop proved that even with a modest prize pool, a well-designed campaign could attract millions.

Is There Still a Chance to Get ONUS Tokens for Free?

No. The ONUS x CoinMarketCap airdrop ended in March 2022. All tokens were distributed. There’s no active airdrop running now.

But if you’re looking for ONUS today, you can still buy it on exchanges that list it. Or you can earn it through RICE Wallet’s ongoing tasks - like referring friends, completing trades, or joining new promotions.

The real value of that 2022 airdrop wasn’t the free tokens. It was the foundation it built. ONUS went from a little-known token to a platform with real infrastructure - and it all started with a simple watchlist.

What You Can Learn From This Airdrop

If you’re thinking about launching an airdrop, or just trying to spot the good ones:

• Don’t just give away tokens - give away access. Tie rewards to your ecosystem.
• Use a trusted partner. CoinMarketCap’s name carried weight.
• Keep it simple. Three steps max. If it’s hard, people won’t do it.
• Set a deadline. Urgency drives action.
• Plan what happens after the airdrop. What’s your next move?

ONUS didn’t win because they gave away free money. They won because they turned free tokens into long-term users.

ONUS Today: Still Moving Forward

As of late 2025, ONUS is still active. The token isn’t a meme. It’s part of a working platform with real trading features, fee structures, and token utility. The airdrop was just the first chapter.

If you’re holding ONUS, you’re not just holding a token. You’re holding a piece of a system that’s still growing - one that learned how to turn a marketing campaign into a sustainable business.

No one knew in 2022 that ONUS would survive. But it did. And it didn’t just survive - it evolved.