What To Know:
- aPriori said an internal review found no evidence of insider involvement in the disputed $APR airdrop, countering claims raised by onchain investigators.
- Bubblemaps flagged that around 60% of the airdrop went to a single entity using roughly 14,000 linked wallets, prompting concerns about large-scale Sybil activity.
- To support legitimate users, aPriori will issue an additional $APR airdrop on Monad mainnet Day 1.
aPriori, the trading infrastructure startup, has officially denied allegations that team members or its foundation improperly claimed tokens from the recent $APR airdrop, saying an internal review found no evidence of insider claims. The company also announced measures intended to reward genuine community participation ahead of the Monad mainnet launch.
aProri On Accusations: No Evidence Found
aPriori is aware of reports regarding possible Sybil activity targeting the $APR launch. We found no evidence that anyone on the contributing team or from the foundation has claimed the airdrop.
We are excited to announce that more $APR will be airdropped to the Monad community…
— aPriori ⌘ (@aPriori) November 21, 2025
The dispute erupted after onchain analysts flagged an unusually concentrated pattern of claims from the October 23 airdrop. Blockchain analytics firm Bubblemaps said roughly 60% of the airdrop was consolidated by what it described as a single entity controlling some 14,000 linked wallets. Bubblemaps added that the wallets had been topped up with small amounts of BNB from Binance and then used to claim tokens, which were subsequently moved to fresh addresses.
In its statement, aPriori acknowledged reports of potential Sybil activity targeting the distribution but said no evidence linked the contributing team or the foundation to the concentrated claims. “We are aware of reports regarding possible Sybil activity targeting the $APR launch. We found no evidence that anyone on the contributing team or from the foundation has claimed the airdrop,” the company said.
To bolster participation by legitimate users, aPriori said it will add an additional $APR airdrop on Monad mainnet Day 1. The bonus distribution will be based on social contributions and will carry no cliffs or lockups. Existing token holders will be able to bridge $APR to the Monad mainnet on launch day, the project said, and it lowered the eligibility threshold for the community allocation, a move the team described as intended to benefit long-term followers.
The company’s response marks a tactical pivot from an initial stretch of limited public comment. After the Oct. 23 claim window opened, aPriori’s official X account remained largely inactive until recently, prompting criticism from observers and onchain sleuths. “Still no reply from the co-founder, the way they have given zero transparency makes them look no different from scammers,” wrote investigator ZachXBT, which highlights community frustration over limited communication.
The concentrated claim pattern, however, does not prove insider misuse, analysts say. Instead, it could reflect the work of professional airdrop hunters who deploy many wallets to maximize rewards. The crypto industry has seen similar episodes; in March 2023, consolidation after Arbitrum’s ARB distribution revealed that a small set of actors had captured millions from early claims.
Founded in 2023 by former quant traders and engineers, aPriori raised $20 million in August to expand its trading infrastructure, with Pantera Capital, HashKey Capital and Primitive Ventures among investors. The company’s total funding now stands at $30 million, and the token launch coincided with a market surge: APR surpassed $300 million in market capitalization soon after the airdrop began. The project allocated roughly 12% of the total token supply to the airdrop.
The announcement of an extra Day 1 distribution and eased claim conditions could address user concerns by widening access and rewarding visible social engagement. Yet critics say the adjustments do not eliminate the underlying problem of concentrated onchain holdings and call for clearer transparency measures, including public audits of claim histories and the funding flows that seeded the suspected farming wallets.
For now, aPriori has framed the changes as user-first measures that will make it easier for genuine participants who waited to access tokens on Monad. The company’s next material milestone will be the Monad mainnet launch, when additional airdrop and bridging functionality are scheduled to take effect. Observers will watch whether the Day 1 allocations alter the distribution profile or quiet skepticism.
Also Read: Justin Sun Addresses USDJ Shutdown as the TRON Stablecoin Retires
