With the market in a slump, here are 10 low-cost "coupon-hunting" opportunities.

Author: BitpushNews

As 2025 draws to a close, while the crypto market remains chilly, several projects with decent activity are releasing airdrop/TGE signals. These opportunities generally don't require large investments and have relatively low barriers to entry, providing a low-risk entry window for investors who want to maintain their position during a bear market but are afraid of being "educated" by the market. This article will outline some of the most promising projects to help you seize future possibilities with less "growing pain" in a depressed market.

1. Lighter (LITER)

Lighter is a high-frequency perpetual contract DEX based on Starknet L2, featuring zero transaction fees, ZK proof matching, and instant execution. Designed for professional traders, it's similar to an on-chain version of Citadel. The mainnet launch is scheduled for October 2025, and it's currently in the second season of its points farming event. TGE (Trading GE) is expected to launch at the end of December or in Q1 2026, and with a 98% probability of being included in Polymarket, it's considered the largest airdrop of 2025.

Financing situation

The company raised approximately $25 million in total, with investors including YZi Labs (lead investor), BinanceCZ family office, a16z Crypto, Paradigm, and other Tier-1 VCs. The funds will primarily be used for mainnet development and a points reward pool. Founder Vladimir Novakovski has a background in the Citadel trading team.

Core data

• Mainnet TVL: $1.1 billion (up 150% in the last 30 days)
• Daily active users: 56,000+
• Daily trading volume: Peak of $18.9 billion (often surpassing Hyperliquid)
• Total points: 250,000 points distributed weekly (Season 2 to December 31)
• Estimated FDV: Approximately $500 million to $1 billion (total supply not disclosed, 50% allocated to the community).
• OTC price of points: $5-11 per point (potential ROI 25-100x)

How to participate

• Trade perpetual contracts on the mainnet (ETH/USDC, etc., leverage up to 50x, earn points).
• Provide LLP liquidity (share transaction fees + points bonus)
• Invite a sub-account to farm (the main account receives a 25% rebate, requires a 100-point unlock code).
• Bridged funding + high-frequency trading (but be aware of the risk of the "death zone," official snapshot before December 31st).

As a dark horse in the Perps DEX, Lighter has high technical barriers with zero fees and ZK. With 50% community allocation, its airdrop potential is huge. However, the sustainability of trading volume after TGE is key. It is suitable for traders with thick wallets to rush for quarter-end points.

2. Aster (ASTER)

Aster is a next-generation multi-chain decentralized exchange (DEX) focusing on perpetual contracts and spot trading. It supports BNB Chain, Ethereum, Solana, and Arbitrum chains, offering MEV resistance, one-click execution, hidden orders, and high leverage (up to 1001x). Innovatively, it allows the use of asBNB (liquidity staking token) or USDF (yield stablecoin) as collateral for greater capital efficiency. The project originated from the merger of Astherus and APX Finance at the end of 2024, and completed its TGE on September 17, 2025. After its mainnet launch, its trading volume quickly surpassed Hyperliquid, making it a dark horse in the Perp DEX field.

Financing situation

The company has raised approximately $25 million in total funding. Major investors include YZi Labs (Binance founder's family office, lead investor), Binance Labs (incubator support), a16z Crypto, Paradigm, and others. CZ has personally invested over $2.5 million and serves as an advisor to promote the development of privacy trading infrastructure.

Core data

• Mainnet TVL: Approximately $1.5 billion (up 120% in the last 30 days)
• Daily active users: 80,000+
• Daily trading volume: peaked at over $2 billion
• Token price: Approximately $1.16 (24-hour range: $1.04-$1.08)
• Circulating market capitalization: approximately US$2.07 billion (circulating supply of 1.65 billion tokens)
• FDV: Approximately US$8.2 billion (total supply of 8 billion units)
• Major trading platforms: CEXs such as Bybit, Bitget, and Binance have listed spot trading.

Participation path

• Stage 4 Farming (Earn Rh points by trading perps, providing liquidity, and holding asBNB/USDF positions, until December 21st)
• Check S3 airdrop eligibility (the checker opened on December 1st, the claim window is from December 15th to January 15th, 2026, 200M ASTER reward).
• Rocket Launch Event (Trading volume rewards ASTER+ project tokens, no lock-up period)
• Invite sub-accounts to inflate traffic (beware of anti-Sybil filtering).

With its CZ backing, multi-chain aggregation, and a token economy where the community distributes over 53% of the tokens, Aster stands out in the Perp DEX sector. The launch of the Aster Chain L1 mainnet in Q1 2026 will further amplify its potential, but investors should be wary of unlocking pressure and market volatility.

3. MEXC

As a non-leading centralized exchange with 40 million users, it is currently conducting a small airdrop campaign, offering trading rewards and task incentives.

Path to obtain qualification:

• Complete fiat currency top-up and participate in the lucky wheel event.
• Execute specified trading pair operations and asset deposits, etc.

Key

• Estimated earnings: $1 – $5,000 in trading rewards
• Reward pool size: $44,137,574
• Airdrop status: In progress
• Distribution method: Distributed through the MEXC platform's internal system.

As an ideal platform for beginners, its large user base is both an advantage and a challenge – competition for the prize pool will be more intense. It's important to note that the eligible trading pairs are mostly emerging cryptocurrencies, making the tasks more suitable for those with a medium-to-high risk tolerance and familiarity with market volatility.

4. Cysic Network (CYSIC)

Cysic Network is a Layer-1 computing network focused on hardware acceleration of zero-knowledge proofs (ZK). Through its self-developed ASIC chips and GPU clusters, it increases ZK proof generation speed by 10-100 times and reduces costs by 91%, primarily targeting real-time ZK applications and ComputeFi models. The project launched its mainnet on September 24, 2025, and is currently in the early production stage.

Financing situation

The company has raised a total of US$21.85 million, with major investors including Polychain Capital, HashKey Capital, OKX Ventures, Binance Labs, Multicoin Capital, and 13 other institutions.

The valuation path is clear, and the sales phase has ended.

Core data

• Mainnet TVL: $80 million (up 60% in the past 30 days)
• Active users: 1.35 million
• Online nodes: 260,000+ (Prover + Verifier)
• Token price: $0.04
• Market capitalization: Approximately US$40 million
• FDV: Approximately $400-500 million (total supply not fully disclosed)
• Spot trading pairs are available on major trading platforms such as OKX, Binance, and Gate.io.

Current participation path

• Run a Prover/Verifier node (a consumer-grade RTX 4090 is sufficient to participate)
• Staking $CYS earns governance credits $CGT
• Participate in the official 4-week Onboarding Campaign throughout December (daily check-in + simple tasks, still eligible for later rewards)

Overall, Cysic is one of the ZK infrastructure projects with the most clearly defined mainnet launch, hardware rollout progress, and strong institutional backing. It combines a low circulating market capitalization with high technological barriers, offering significant upside potential during the year-end fund rotation window. However, investors should still be aware of the risks associated with hardware project iterations and market volatility.

5. Layer Zero Season 2

This cross-chain interoperability protocol has connected over 130 blockchains, partnered with institutions such as Tether and PayPal, and reserved 15.3% of the total token supply for community distribution.

Path to obtain qualification:

• Cross-chain asset transfer via Stargate/Jumper
• Using decentralized applications within the LayerZero ecosystem
• Hold and stake ZRO tokens
• Participate in governance voting

Key

• Estimated earnings: $2,000 – $15,000 (based on Q1 standards)
• Reward pool size: 1 billion ZRO, 15.3% of the total supply.
• Airdrop window: Expected in the fourth quarter of 2025 (subject to uncertainty)
• Participation difficulty is moderate (requires cross-chain operations and multi-chain participation).
• Distribution method: Snapshots are expected to be distributed through the official interface.

This protocol addresses a key pain point in blockchain interoperability, and its technological prospects are worth watching. However, the team's previous promises regarding the airdrop timeline have been delayed, making participation more speculative and more suitable for users with long-term confidence in its technological roadmap.

6. Abstract Chain

As a Layer 2 solution that expands upon the Pudgy Penguins NFT project, which focuses on driving mainstream adoption through a minimalist user experience and has partnered with platforms such as Gate.io.

Path to obtain qualification:

• Collect platform badges
• Cross-chain assets to the Abstract Network
• Trading on the Vertex platform
• Experience on-chain games such as Multiplier and Duper.

Key

• Estimated earnings: $1,000 – $8,000 (including PENGU holder bonus)
• Reward pool size: To be determined (using a participation points system)
• Airdrop status: Not yet confirmed
• Distribution method: Through points conversion and badge verification system

The project generated a strong response in the community due to the marketing featuring the chubby penguin, but it's worth noting that the initial market hype stemmed partly from expectations of a PENGU airdrop. Since the official airdrop plan has not yet been confirmed, it's currently better suited as an observation target or a low-barrier-to-entry experience for game enthusiasts.

7. Stable (STABLE)

Stable is a next-generation Layer-1 chain incubated by Bitfinex, dedicated to stablecoins, focusing on instant payments, low-cost transfers, and global distribution within the USDT ecosystem. Simply put, it's a public chain that integrates an "on-chain PayPal + USDT high-speed channel." The testnet has been running for several months, and the mainnet is planned for launch in Q4 2025 (as early as the end of December).

Financing situation

It raised a total of $28 million, with an impressive investor lineup: Bitfinex and Hack VC co-led the round, and Franklin Templeton, Susquehanna, Castle Island Ventures, Nascent, eGirl Capital, and many other top traditional and crypto institutions were on the list. It's a typical "institutional investment" project.

Core data

• Testnet TVL: Approximately $120 million (up 40% in the last 30 days)
• Daily active addresses: 50,000+
• Testnet daily transaction volume: approximately $5 million
• Current token pre-sale price: approximately $0.15
• Estimated FDV: around $1.5 billion (total supply of 100 billion tokens, with 53% allocated to the community).
• TGE will then be directly listed on leading spot exchanges such as Binance and OKX.

How to participate

• The testnet is used for bridging, money transfer, and payment scenarios (the most direct source of points).
• Participate in the official Pre-deposit event (ConcreteXYZ partner channel; deposits earn points).
• Daily trading volume + position farming (highly likely to be captured in a December snapshot)
• Link your wallet to the official website beforehand and complete KYC pre-registration (you can get extra character bonuses).

Stable is currently one of the most backed and clearly defined projects in the stablecoin sector, leveraging the combined influence of Tether and Bitfinex. It's highly likely to experience a strong upward trend from the end of this year to early next year. It's suitable for those looking to capitalize on relatively certain airdrops or early-stage gains, but the mainnet launch date still requires close monitoring of official announcements.

8. Zama (ZAMA)

Zama is an open-source cryptography company focused on fully homomorphic encryption (FHE) technology. They have built the Zama Protocol—a confidential blockchain protocol that allows public blockchains (such as Ethereum) to process encrypted data without decryption, supporting DeFi, RWA, and stablecoin privacy applications. The testnet is already live, and the mainnet is planned for Q4 2025, coinciding with the TGE (Token Generation Event). On December 1st, Zama announced its first $ZAMA token auction: 10% of the supply will be sold on Ethereum through a sealed-bid Dutch auction, using FHE to ensure bid confidentiality and prevent bot bidding and gas wars.

Financing situation

It raised a total of $73 million, with a top-tier investment lineup:

• Series B (June 2025): $57 million, led by Pantera Capital and Blockchange, valuing the company at over $1 billion (becoming the first unicorn in the FHE field).
• Previous funding rounds: approximately $16 million in seed and Series A funding, with investors including Multicoin Capital.
• The funds will be primarily used for FHE hardware optimization and mainnet development.

Core data

• Testnet TVL: Approximately $50 million (up 25% in the last 30 days)
• Daily active addresses: 20,000+
• Testnet daily transaction volume: approximately $3 million
• Current token status: Not listed (end of TGE)
• Estimated FDV: Approximately US$1 billion (total supply not disclosed, 10% of supply to be auctioned)
• Auction details: The auction will take place from January 12-15, 2026, with claims starting on January 20; the platform is the Ethereum mainnet, and bidding will be encrypted using the Zama Protocol FHE.

How to participate

• Testnet FHE computation task (encryption/decryption simulation, accumulating points)
• Join the Creator Program Season 5 (starts in September, monthly rewards + referral fees, and a share of $ZAMA sales after mainnet access).
• Community engagement (active Discord/Guild users, potential AirDrop eligibility)
• Public auction preparation (details to be announced in early January; ETH wallet + KYC pre-registration required)

Zama is a leading project in FHE privacy computing, backed by unicorn valuation and Ethereum mainnet launch. Its January auction will feature fair distribution and true price discovery, and it has great potential under the privacy narrative at the end of the year.

9. MetaMask

As the world's most widely used Web3 wallet, its parent company Consensys has repeatedly hinted at token distribution and is currently conducting the first quarter of the LINEA Rewards campaign.

Path to obtain qualification:

• Download and use the mobile app
• Holding LINEA rewards earned through the event (affects future eligibility)
• Perform on-chain operations such as token swaps and cross-chain transactions.
• Connect to historical wallets to trace accumulated points

Key

• Current Rewards: LINEA worth $50–$10,000 (based on transaction volume)
• Reward pool size: 30 million LINEA (MASK allocation not disclosed)
• Event Period: LINEA Season 1 to the end of February
• Difficulty level: Medium
• Distribution method: Apply through the official application page.

The market has been eagerly anticipating the airdrop, but some design aspects of the previous LINEA airdrop sparked discontent within the community, casting some uncertainty over the final distribution of the MASK. Users are advised to participate naturally through regular use and avoid unnecessary transactions in pursuit of the airdrop.

10. Polymarket

The decentralized prediction market platform has reached a monthly trading volume of $3 billion and, after receiving a $2 billion investment from ICE Group, has confirmed that it will distribute tokens.

Path to obtain qualification:

• Download the official application
• Participate in the "Daily Rewards" task system
• Trading volume may become a key metric (specific rules to be announced later).

The prediction market sector continues to gain momentum, and Polymarket's successful acquisition of crucial regulatory approval to re-enter the US market has undoubtedly ignited market attention. Its gameplay is ingeniously designed: users don't need to actually wager; they can earn potential rewards by completing tasks, lowering the barrier to entry. However, it's important to note that the core of this model remains the prediction market mechanism, and participants involved in providing liquidity still need a full understanding of the market risks and game theory involved.