Users Still Disgruntled After Starknet Airdrop Fix Targets Mostly Validators

Starknet, the team behind Ethereum scaling solution StarkWare, announced today immediate changes for some users that were tagged as ineligible for tomorrow’s airdrop.

Changes resulted in more than 15 million STRK now available for claim, although these will be distributed according to each situation. Starknet plans to airdrop 700 million STRK tokens tomorrow, or 10% of total token supply.

The move impacts one of the most highly anticipated token launches as Starknet has been developing Ethereum scaling solutions since 2021, becoming one of the top Layer 2 platforms. STRK token is trading pre-market for $1.83, on HyperliquidX and Aevo, with pundits expecting a minimum listing price of $0.80–translating to a $580 million market cap upon launch.

Airdrop Fixes

The immediate changes to token recipient eligibility include a fix for 900 ETH home validator after multiple validators that had been erroneously counted as a single validator. Also, the team at rated.network updated their staker classification methods which results in over 6.9 million STRK distributed to 1,000+ solo stakers who were previously mislabeled.

The Starknet team also made a correction to GitHub handles that were squatted on following the airdrop announcement. That change resulted in over 1 million STRK saved for potential future community allocation.

Finally, there was a discrepancy in claims for users at a custodial company on StarkEx.

Severe Backlash

The changes come amid severe backlash from the crypto community as many users criticized Starknet’s eligibility requirements, the team’s token unlocks, and Starknet’s labeling of their users as “e-beggars.”

Starknet tweeted that they hear the “feedback that some dedicated community members and network users have been left out due to certain Provisions criteria.” Still, the team said it’s researching a meaningful response.

“A meaningful resolution for these users requires time to research, design and test. It is in process and among our top priorities post-Provisions,” Starknet said on X.

Still Fuming

However, some in the crypto community continue to fume, with enraged airdrop hunters claiming the fixes don’t help “real users.”

That’s because today’s announced changes only address concerns from specific staking validators–which mostly belong to larger teams–leaving smaller Starknet community members seemingly sidelined, again.

Scheduled for Feb. 20 at 07:00 EST, the $STRK airdrop will distribute more than 700 million tokens to 1.3 million eligible addresses. An additional 1.3 billion STRK tokens allocated to the Starkware team and investors will unlock on April 15, less than two months after the token begins trading.