WEEX's $50k Airdrop: Strategic Push to Capture Crypto Derivatives Market Share

WEEX, a prominent cryptocurrency exchange, has launched a $50,000 USDT airdrop campaign targeting new users trading its newly introduced tokens, Money Sharks (SHARKS) and SUOLALA. The initiative, announced on October 21–22, 2025, aims to incentivize participation in spot and futures trading while rewarding referrals. The event spans two overlapping periods: October 21–28 for SUOLALA and October 22–29 for SHARKS, both under UTC+8 time, as detailed in Lookonchain's SUOLALA post and Lookonchain's SHARKS post.

Under the SHARKS airdrop, new users depositing at least 100 USDT and executing their first spot trade receive 10 USDT. Those with contract trading volumes of 500 USDT or more are eligible for 5–20 USDT in cash and 5–10 USDT in trial funds. The largest share—20,000 USDT—is distributed proportionally to users with contract trading volumes exceeding 20,000 USDT, according to the Lookonchain SHARKS post. A referral component allows users to earn up to 1,000 USDT per person by inviting friends to complete specific tasks, the Lookonchain article adds.

The SUOLALA airdrop mirrors SHARKS' structure but with a slightly earlier timeline. New users depositing 100 USDT and trading SUOLALA receive 10 USDT, while contract trading volumes of 500 USDT or more unlock similar cash and trial fund rewards. The 20,000 USDT prize pool for high-volume traders and the referral program remain consistent with SHARKS' terms, as noted in the Lookonchain SUOLALA post.

WEEX's announcement underscores its strategy to attract traders amid heightened competition in the crypto derivatives market. The airdrop aligns with broader trends of exchanges using token-based incentives to drive liquidity and user growth. Blockbeats, in a separate report, highlighted the promotion as part of WEEX's efforts to expand its market share, though it noted the risks inherent in crypto trading, as covered by KuCoin's report.