In a surprising twist, the long-awaited airdrop from the crypto-mining app Hamster Kombat has sparked outrage among thousands of Nigerians. After five months of persistent tapping to earn rewards, users anticipated substantial payouts promised by the coin’s promoters, many even fantasizing about newfound wealth.
However, when the coin launched on Thursday, users faced a harsh reality: payouts have ranged from a paltry $1 to $4, with unverified reports of the highest earnings between $7 and $17. Frustrated users have taken to social media to voice their discontent, revealing that some received as little as ₦2.75 for their efforts.
The campaign, which had promised to transform ordinary Nigerians into millionaires, has instead led to widespread disappointment and anger. Users accused Hamster Coin of misleading them, as the once-optimistic community is now filled with regret and frustration over what was supposed to be a life-changing opportunity.
Launched in March 2024, Hamster Kombat announced its coin launch via its official X account, #hamster_kombat, stating, “THE MOMENT IS HERE. $HMSTR trading has officially begun! Congratulations, and to the moon, CEOs. On-chain is on. On-chain direct claim and balance withdrawal options are open. You can now transfer your tokens anywhere!”
The post quickly garnered nearly one million views and over 13,000 comments. An additional update noted that Binance had opened futures trading for $HMSTR, allowing trading with up to 75x leverage.
As of Thursday afternoon, CoinMarketCap listed the crypto asset, known as HMSTR, at $0.008315, with a market cap of $535.3 million and trading volume of $448.7 million in the first 24 hours.
Netizens reacted strongly to the disappointing payouts. Geoffrey Nwankpa tweeted, “You gave me dust after 4 months! I’m hunting hamsters, rats, rabbits—anything that looks like a hamster. It’s hunting season.” Another user, Ediboi, humorously declared himself “the CEO of dust.”
Realworldxpp expressed frustration, stating, “Bro, this is the worst project ever.” User Lord Nate lamented, “I keep refreshing to see $0.19.” Obj, another disappointed user, remarked, “I spent 5 solid months farming Hamster Kombat only to be rewarded with this? Really?”
Additionally, many users mourned the unfulfilled promises, with Ayaj Sunwaves calling for “a minute of silence for those who thought Hamster would reach $1.”
Compounding the disappointment, the popular tap-to-earn app Tapswap, powered by TON Blockchain, has also faced backlash for repeatedly postponing token allocations to users.
