Airdrop farming checklist: safer quests, bridges, and approvals

Airdrop farming can be fun and profitable, but it’s also one of the fastest ways to get phished or drained because it pushes people into:

• signing many transactions quickly
• clicking unfamiliar links
• bridging across new chains
• approving tokens for unknown contracts

Use this checklist to reduce risk while farming quests and points.

1) Wallet hygiene (do this first)

• Use a fresh hot wallet for farming (not your long-term vault wallet).
• Keep a separate vault wallet for storage, never used for approvals.
• Consider a separate wallet per strategy (e.g., per chain or per “risk tier”).
• Bookmark official domains and avoid searching them every time.

2) Link safety (the #1 drain vector)

Before clicking any farming link:

• Prefer official sources (docs, verified social accounts, official Discord announcements).
• Verify the URL character-by-character (lookalike domains are common).
• If a site forces an urgent action (“limited time”, “airdrop ending”), slow down.

DeFi Farmer uses tracked redirects to reduce accidental mis-clicks. Start with sourced protocol pages:

• Protocols
• Networks
• Categories
• Points directory

3) Approvals (the silent risk)

Most drains aren’t “hacks”; they’re approvals.

Checklist:

• Avoid unlimited approvals when possible.
• Revoke approvals you no longer need.
• Don’t sign “permit” messages you don’t understand.

4) Bridges (risk + fees)

Bridging is often required for quests, but it adds two issues:

• bridge risk
• bridge fees

Before bridging:

• Compare routes and costs (fees vary wildly by chain and time).
• Move the minimum amount needed to complete the quest.

Use the tool: bridge fee comparison

5) LPs and looping (don’t ignore the math)

Many quests push users into LPs, perps, or leverage loops.

Before providing liquidity, sanity-check the downside:

• impermanent loss calculator

6) A simple “safer” workflow

1. Pick a protocol from Protocols and open its page.
2. Read the sources and skim the risk notes.
3. Decide a minimal position size you can unwind quickly.
4. Execute, then immediately record:
   • what you did
   • what you approved
   • how to exit
5. Re-check your exposure weekly; quests and rules change.

Quick reminders

• Nothing here is financial advice.
• Assume every new contract can fail.
• If you can’t explain how you exit, you don’t have a strategy yet.