Setting up your #BitcoinAirdrop
By: Dean Masley
Tags: Airdrop, Bitcoin, Blockchain Current Events, Blockchain, University

If you have never used bitcoin before, simply downloading a wallet and getting some bits illuminates so many subtle concepts. From this reference point, conversations that dive deeper down the blockchain rabbit hole are much more tangible.

That’s why this September, we’re organizing with you, our student blockchain clubs, to give away bitcoin to students who come out to your first meeting. By doing this simultaneously with universities, local campuses participate in something larger than themselves and together create an aggregate massive impact.

Our goal is to lock-in the excitement of students interested in this technology by helping them install their first wallet and get their first bits.

This is a competition. I repeat. This Airdrop is a competition of our clubs to giveaway a reserve pot of bitcoin, enough for a total of 500 students who attend their blockchain club meetings. The numbers behind that is 5000 bits per new member, with another 5000 bits for downloading the BTC.com wallet. Thus, once our 500 limit is hit (unless another sponsor steps in), the Airdrop is over.

With that said, let the games begin.

The 3-step plan to host your #BitcoinAirdrop 🎉

Step 0: Prepare for Greatness 💪

Let’s build up excitement for your first club meeting. The intention is to get students who are interested in learning more about bitcoin to discover your club and come out to your first meeting.

To help your marketing, we’ve designed an Airdrop Flyer for you to print out and spread across your campus. Place them in dormitories, libraries, bulletin boards, hand them out to people on the street, and create the impression that blockchain on your campus is everywhere.

You can download the PDF from the Airdrop website and add the time of your next meeting in the blank space before printing.

Be sure to take pictures and upload to your Airdrop Facebook Event! Publicize your efforts to draw attention to your next club meeting and club activity.

Step 1: They came to your meeting 👉 Help install their wallets 👛

Now you have some eager freshman and other students coming to your first meeting of the semester. Let’s maintain their excitement to come out to future events and take part in your future initiatives.

During your meeting, set aside some time to do a group wallet install and walk everyone through the process. There are some educational nuggets you can squeeze in during this process which make more sense with experience than lecture.

HEADS UP: The title sponsor of the Bitcoin Airdrop event, BTC.com, is awarding an additional 5000 bits for new users that download their wallet.

During this installation process, you’ll be illuminating the ease and simplicity compared to the process of starting a new bank account. You can simply go on the app store and choose an option, no need to visit a branch or give a bunch of sensitive information.

Step 2: Public addresses are like paypal, not credit cards 💳

Imagine the chaos that would ensue if you posted your credit card information in a public online forum? Yet bitcoin’s public/private key system is more like paypal than credit cards. You can share your paypal email address with anyone and they can send you money. Same for bitcoin, you can share this strange combination of numbers and letters to get paid.

Ask the new users at your meeting to post their public address to your event facebook.

Your club staff will check the facebook event and 👍 (like) the addresses posted by people who attended the event (preventing any case of fraud from internet strangers hopping in the event).

Step 3: Public Proof of Payment 🔍

During this step, your Region Head will initiate transactions to those on the facebook event with a 👍 (like) from their club staff.

This moment allows for explanation of bitcoin’s public proof of payment. Bring up an address posted on the facebook event and pop it into an explorer.

Initiate the transaction in real time with the address on the screen to show the time from send to a 0-conf transaction. Use this moment to further elaborate how confirmations work and how this system prevents fraud.

For example: If your club tried to scam new members by not giving bitcoin, the student can simply point at their address posted and show a 0-balance. Alternatively, if the recipient tries to say you didn’t pay them, you can simply point the address with bits sent to it. You can extrapolate this concept further how this allows for online trust to be established without qualms.

Take pictures and videos!

We’re hosting a side competition for the campuses to compete against each other. Check out the Airdrop Scavenger Hunt which has points for various accomplishments achieved during the event.

The school with the most points wins 500,000 bits to fund a club sushi night, gear on newegg to build your a club node/miner, or whatever your heart desires.

Upload your pictures to your event Facebook for the world to see and you’ll have until judging which takes place September 25th.

For more information: BlockchainEdu.org/Airdrop

For 24/7 support setting up your airdrop, join the #airdrop BEN slack channel

Wish to host an Airdrop on your campus? dean@blockchainedu.org