Been farming airdrops for a while now, and I keep getting the same questions from people jumping into this space. So let me break down what airdrop farming actually is and what you really need to know before diving in.

First, let's clarify the testnet vs mainnet thing because everyone's confused about this. Testnet projects have low or zero costs, mainnet usually hits you with gas fees and sometimes requires buying NFTs or staking. But here's the thing—there's no guarantee mainnet airdrops are bigger or better. I've seen testnet projects drop serious rewards. What matters is the project's actual vision and execution, not which network they're on.

Now, airdrop farming is basically interacting with protocols to qualify for token distributions. Each swap, bridge, mint, or liquidity provision counts as an interaction—we call these TXS. The project team takes snapshots of wallets at certain points to determine who gets what. Simple as that.

Before you start, you need the basics. A non-custodial wallet is essential—something that works across multiple chains and devices so you can farm while doing other stuff. You'll also want social accounts ready (Twitter, Discord, email), and honestly, a VPN helps if you're managing multiple accounts since same-IP logins can get flagged as witch behavior. Keep a spreadsheet tracking your interactions too; it saves you from repeating work.

Budget-wise, it depends on what you're farming. If you're going deep into one ecosystem, expect to spend at least several hundred USDT over months for gas fees, cross-chain bridges, swaps, NFT mints, and interactions. The costs add up, but that's the game.

Here's what I always tell newcomers: don't overthink multiple accounts at first. Master one account, understand how one protocol works, then scale up. Start with one project, learn the mechanics, and once you get it, managing multiple accounts becomes obvious. The whole point of airdrop farming is that you're not just farming one protocol—you're participating in an entire ecosystem. Farm ZKSync, but also interact with all the dApps built on it. One action, multiple potential airdrops.

Picking projects is where strategy comes in. Look at funding rounds, team credibility, stated airdrop plans, and development progress. Not every small interaction will pay off, but if you're farming 100 small rewards to find one major one, that's the art of it. The key is consistency and learning.

Witches are what everyone worries about. That's basically people using obvious farming tactics—uniform fund distribution, batch activities in short timeframes, too few interactions, or multiple accounts transferring to each other in patterns. Projects flag these and exclude them from airdrops. So keep your behavior natural and spread activities over time.

Bottom line: airdrop farming is still one of the easiest ways for regular people to build wealth in crypto if you actually put in the work. But it requires learning, patience, and continuous participation. Those who succeed are the ones who keep showing up and adapting. That's it.