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Hoping someone could give me a brief definition and comparison of ICO and Airdrop

ICO stands for Initial Coin Offering, which means you buy tokens before project is alive. You pay for the coins in ICO's
Airdrop is the term for free tokens for completing the tasks required to earn it.

You dont pay for airdrops, but you invest in ICO's.

ICO is a project,  airdrop is only one of the aspect.  All the social media campaign is also included in ICO and signature campaign.

The main difference is that in order to join an ICO you need to invest, while airdrops mean you can get the coin or token just filling a form. But this means nothing about the seriousness of the project, both way the project can be good or bad...

If tokens are offered for completing some tasks, technically it is not airdrop, but bounty or signature campaign or something similar. Airdrops are completely free, one does not earn the coins or tokens, but simply receives them. Sometimes a subscription to developers' Twitter or Telegram is required, but that's all.

ICO - you invest money in it.
Airdrop - you get free tokens
Bounty - you get free tokens in exchange for your

Most projects undergo these Initial Coin Offering (ICO) and Airdrops. The difference between the two is that;

Airdrops are free tokens/coins given to community members. Airdrops are mostly given after the token sale so you really must have to wait for you to receive the tokens/coins.

While

Initial Coin Offering (ICO) is the stage of the project where the coins/tokens are being offered to the community at a lower price. You only have to invest in it and do not need to do some more tasks. Usually you get a bonus percentage when you reached the requirement.

Airdrops are not completely free. The definitoin of an Airdrop is commonly confused.

An Airdrop only occurs as the result of a hard fork attempt.

So to participate in an Airdrop you actually need to own tokens in the cryptocurrency that is target for the hard fork attempt, so technically it's not free. E.g., to have participated in the Bitcoin Cash airdrop you needed to own Bitcoin.

Does this help clarify?

So ICOs and Airdrops are very similar in the sense that that they relate to the creation of a new token. It's the path by which the developers wish to introduce the new cryptocurrency that makes the difference.

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Below is a prime example of the misunderstanding many people have about Airdrops. The explanation below is not an Airdrop. The explanation below is describing compensation for work conducted for the new cryptocurrency. It's not an Airdrop.

I have already deleted it thanks for the clarification

ICO = initial coin offering On this stage you buy tokens in exchange of your other assets (ETH, BTC, NEO)
Bounty = get free tokens for doing some tasks. On this stage you get tokens for sharing/following/joining telegram groups/helping the community
Airdrop = you get tokens for doing nothing

I thought a airdrop didn't necesarely should have to be a fork.

because I see a lot of websites advertising with a airdrop for a ico

it will depends on you airdrop or ico.. in ICO you can buy a token or a coin in lowest price
in airdrop you have to wait to be airdrop the free token by filling up a FORM

An ICO (Initial Coin Offering) is a method of fundraising, operating via the issuance of digital assets exchangeable against cryptocurrencies during the start-up phase of a project
An Airdrop is a free distribution of crypto-currencies (or tokens) to a number of members ranging from a select few to anyone making the request. This distribution is often done by the creative company of the token or currency in question.

I will give preference for airdrops

That's right. It's not necessary that Hard Fork is required for Airdrop. Many upcoming projects are offering the Airdrop during their ICO.

When Hard Fork occurs the coin holders receive the same amount (or sometimes more/less) of new tokens as Airdrop but HF is surely not the only condition for that.

Airdrop is a part of a marketing strategy of some certain ICO, and most of ICOs use token created on the Ethereum blockchain, so it is not a fork usually, but a token.

Of course, some airdrops are held because Hard Forks take place, but it is a special case.

The key difference between two of them is in the way you want to support the project. If you do it with your money buying their tokens, then you take part in ICO. But if you just join them on social media and like/repost their news, you can also get their tokens free as an airdrop participant.

Airdrops
Airdrops may be defined as the process where a blockchain-based company distributes cryptocurrency token to the wallets of some users for free.
It is usually practiced by the startups to bootstrap their cryptocurrency projects.

ICO
Initial Coin Offering is an unregulated mean by which funds are raised for a new cryptocurrency venture.
It is usually practiced by blockchain-based startups to bypass the cumbersome and regulated capital-raising process required by banks or venture capitalists.
In an ICO campaign, a percentage of the cryptocurrency token is sold to early investors of the project in exchange for legal tender or other cryptocurrencies.

Airdrop
Coins are distributed freely to some people. Zero risk.

ICO
Initial Coin Offering, similar to an IPO. Companies want to capitalize in Ethereum (mostly) or bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. So they share coins (similar to shares) of their company for a price. This price is likely to go higher (if company goes well) or lower, if company goes bad....
High risk, and possible high reward (300%, 500% even 5000% in few months).

ICO, a definition is Initial Coin Offering, Most of the cryptocurrency project have ICO stage for contribution for a project from the community.
Airdrop give free coin or tokens to their community, The purpose are marketing, publicity.

it's in ICO is where you can get an airdrop.

ico is initial coin offering where a crypto project rolled out and introduce to people. you can buy the altcoins before it goes to any exchanges. the risk is high but if you find a good project then the return of your investment is high too. It's usually during ICO there will be an airdrop where early supported able to get coins for free.

I think airdrop is easier ico. You do not need capital to get their token. You just need to register and follow their requirements. That is too easy.

ICO (Initial Coin Offering), ICO is done to gain budget/investment. For What? To have funds of the project and used to enter to exchanges.

AirDrop are usually TOKENS but other COINS do airdrop also. This is automatically free and get from filling forms, donating and verifying wallet address.

Some Coins/Tokens do Airdrop as well as ICO.

Other Thing is called Bounty, Bounty is also part of the project. Most of projects have AirDrop, Bounty and ICO these will help them to gain network and build community to help the project grow.

Hope this simple answer help you.

Good Luck to us and GOD Bless us all

Airdrop is just filling up forms and waiting for a certain time where in your token will be delivered to your wallet, and ICO is all about getting coin or token from the people connected to it by donating some ETH in exchange. Simple, my brain starts bleeding while reading some people's answer....too deep to understand..

Can someone explain me, what is the different between ICO & Airdrop? I still don't understand

Hello,

I will try to give a simple explanation.

Airdrop is the same as free money.
You put your address in the token website, and they give you a few coins (most times worth less than 1 USD).
Or a new token decides to give few tokens for a coin holder. For example, they give 10 TOkens for each Ether you hold... for free, to give a new token a good distribution

ICO is a initial coin offering.
A new token born, and you can invest (with USD, Ethereum or Bitcoin usually) and you will receive tokens for your investment.
I made a post about ICOs here: https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=2985611.0;topicseen

ICO and airdrop are not related. Sometimes a new Token opens an ICO and airdrop some coins for good distribution....

Not all airdrops are basically free money, lots of them are kinda bounty program shrunk in size.
Instead of taking part in long bounties you can earn some supersmall amount of tokens for one tweet or repost and that's all.

go for bounty program and not for airdrop, they pay better and you are actually doing something for money, usually they are more likely to tudn into reality than the ones with airdrop

What are faucets?

I know something that pays better. An ICO thats worth grabbing for.
MARINECOIN FREE ICO offers global usable and stable crytocurrency and it ranked the best ICO.

If you follow the steps and succeeded here https://marineco.in/, you can earn 450.000 MTC.
Easy steps and easy earnings.. Why don't give a shot???

HAPOY EARNINGS!!!!  :) :) :)

They offer some coins for free or, actually, for watching some ads, afaik

The airdrop is a free form of donation, and the project is more popular. I think , this is also the way they advertise their coin

Both. You can get into Airdrop for free. So it is pretty easy. Airdrop simply means giveaway so you will get some coins/tokens for absolutely free.

ICO on the other hand is kind of a sale of tokens at cheap price. If you have money then you can invest some in good ICO projects.