PAWS Airdrop Turns into a Mess: Bybit to Redistribute Tokens After Backlash

If you were excited about the PAWS airdrop on Bybit, you're not alone—but things didn’t go as planned. In fact, it turned into a bit of a disaster.

On April 15, Bybit launched an airdrop of PAWS tokens, but many users were either left out entirely or received more tokens than they were supposed to. The result? Widespread confusion, frustration, and some very angry posts on social media.

Now, Bybit is reversing and reissuing all PAWS token distributions, aiming to fix the situation with a more accurate list of eligible users.

What Went Wrong with the PAWS Airdrop?

According to a recent blog post from Bybit, the initial airdrop missed several eligible participants and mistakenly rewarded some with too many tokens. The PAWS project team has since provided a revised eligibility list, which will be used to redistribute the tokens fairly.

However, Bybit made it clear that users in the European Economic Area (EEA) are still not eligible for the airdrop due to MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) regulations.

Community Reactions: Not Happy

As expected, the crypto community didn’t take the news lightly. Many users took to X (formerly Twitter) to express their frustration. One user even called out the exchange by saying, “Bybit not getting things right lately. Time to restrategise.”

While Bybit has apologised for the mess, they haven’t confirmed if affected users will receive any compensation for the inconvenience. So far, they've only committed to completing the redistribution before the token officially lists for spot trading.

What Is PAWS Token Anyway?

For those not familiar, PAWS is a Solana-based memecoin that originally started as a Telegram mini-app, rewarding users with "PAWS points" for engaging with Telegram groups, following channels, and inviting friends.

However, things shifted when Telegram introduced new rules favoring the TON blockchain. That move pushed PAWS developers to pivot and migrate the project to the Solana ecosystem, seeking a more open and developer-friendly environment.

Key Takeaways:

• Bybit PAWS airdrop issues have forced a complete token redistribution.
• Affected users may still be left in the dark as compensation details remain unclear.
• The PAWS token is now part of the Solana memecoin scene after leaving Telegram’s ecosystem.