CoinInsight360.com logo CoinInsight360.com logo
America's Social Casino
Crypto Potato 2025-03-15 16:18:10

Geoblocking Has Denied US Investors $2.6 Billion in Airdrops Since 2020: Report

Airdrops have become a crucial tool for blockchain projects to enable user engagement and decentralized value distribution. However, Dragonfly’s latest report highlighted the unintended consequences of geoblocking policies, particularly in the United States, where restrictive regulations have led to missed financial opportunities, reduced participation, as well as significant economic implications for both users and governments. Geoblocking Airdrops Cost US Billions Venture capital firm Dragonfly’s study examined 12 airdrops conducted between 2019 and 2023, with a specific focus on the effects of geoblocking on US users. The findings revealed that between 920,000 and 5.2 million US cryptocurrency users were unable to participate due to these restrictions, which represented an estimated 5-10% of all local investors. Despite the US maintaining a significant share of global crypto activity and accounting for 22-24% of all active blockchain addresses, these policies excluded a substantial portion of the potential user base from accessing newly distributed tokens. The report quantified the financial impact of this exclusion. The analyzed 11 geo-blocked airdrops collectively generated approximately $7.16 billion in total value, as 1.9 million worldwide claimers received an average median value of $4,600 per eligible address. For US users, however, the estimated lost revenue ranged between $1.84 billion and $2.64 billion from 2020 to 2024. When applying this percentage of lost participation to a broader dataset from CoinGecko, the estimated revenue forfeited by US persons rises significantly, reaching a range of $3.49 billion to $5.02 billion over the same period. Tether’s Offshore Status Costs US Beyond individual financial losses, the report also highlighted significant implications for tax revenue. The inability of US users to access these airdrops was observed to have resulted in an estimated loss of $418 million to $1.1 billion in federal tax revenue and $107 million to $284 million in state tax revenue. In total, missed tax collections from geo-blocked airdrops range from $525 million to $1.38 billion, a figure that does not include additional taxes that could have been levied on capital gains upon the eventual sale of the tokens. Additionally, the report noted that corporate tax revenue losses are exacerbated by the offshore migration of crypto businesses. As an example, Dragonfly pointed to stablecoin issuer Tether, which reported $6.2 billion in profits in 2024 while being incorporated offshore. If fully taxed under US jurisdiction, Tether alone could have contributed an estimated $1.3 billion in federal corporate taxes and $316 million in state taxes. The post Geoblocking Has Denied US Investors $2.6 Billion in Airdrops Since 2020: Report appeared first on CryptoPotato .

Read the Disclaimer : All content provided herein our website, hyperlinked sites, associated applications, forums, blogs, social media accounts and other platforms (“Site”) is for your general information only, procured from third party sources. We make no warranties of any kind in relation to our content, including but not limited to accuracy and updatedness. No part of the content that we provide constitutes financial advice, legal advice or any other form of advice meant for your specific reliance for any purpose. Any use or reliance on our content is solely at your own risk and discretion. You should conduct your own research, review, analyse and verify our content before relying on them. Trading is a highly risky activity that can lead to major losses, please therefore consult your financial advisor before making any decision. No content on our Site is meant to be a solicitation or offer.