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Recent studies reveal that American cryptocurrency holders may have lost up to $5 billion in potential airdrop income due to stringent geoblocking measures.
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This geoblocking has led to IP restrictions, impacting tens of thousands of potential participants while leaving economic consequences for both individuals and the US government.
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A CoinGecko assessment highlighted that firms’ efforts to circumvent SEC penalties have inadvertently caused losses exceeding $3 billion in US tax revenue.
This article examines the substantial losses Americans face due to geoblocking in crypto airdrops, estimating impacts on tax revenue and participation rates.
Americans Face Restrictions in Participating in Cryptocurrency Airdrop
Dragonfly’s research findings are based on 12 cryptocurrency airdrops, including Uniswap and 1inch. Of these, 11 airdrops imposed restrictions on US IP addresses. Dragonfly discovered that the number of Americans affected by this IP blocking ranged from 920,000 to 5.2 million active users. This accounts for 5–10% of the 18.4 to 52.3 million cryptocurrency holders in the US impacted by geoblocking policies in 2024.
Sample Group Airdrop Claim Data (As of January 28, 2025). Source: Dragonfly
Approximately 22–24% of all active cryptocurrency addresses worldwide are US residents. The total value of the airdrops in Dragonfly’s sample amounted to around $7.16 billion. Approximately 1.9 million people globally claimed airdrops, with an average value of about $4,600 per eligible wallet address.
Estimated Percentage of US Active Addresses of the World in 2024. Source: Dragonfly
Based on these figures, Dragonfly estimates that Americans lost between $1.84 billion and $2.64 billion from 2020 to 2024 due to the 11 airdrops that blocked US users. Notably, CoinGecko conducted a similar analysis but with a larger sample size. Evaluating 21 airdrops that excluded Americans, CoinGecko estimates the losses could range from $3.49 billion to $5.02 billion.
The exclusion of US IP addresses from participating in crypto airdrops is a measure to avoid penalties from regulatory bodies like the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
US Government Loses Nearly $3 Billion Due to Stringent Policies
The lost federal personal income tax revenue from geoblocked airdrops, based on CoinGecko’s sample from 2020 to 2024, is estimated to range from $418 million to $1.1 billion. The estimated lost state tax revenue ranges from $107 million to $284 million. This represents an estimated tax revenue loss of $525 million to $1.38 billion.
The relocation of cryptocurrency operations overseas has also significantly reduced US tax revenue. The report cites Tether as an example. Companies like Tether establishing headquarters in El Salvador may have cost the US approximately $1.3 billion in federal corporate taxes and $316 million in state taxes.
Crypto projects show caution amid potential legal challenges ahead of the new acting SEC Chair under President Trump’s administration. Blocking and losing a portion of US users is considered a safer option than facing costly litigation as is the case with Ripple, Kraken, or Coinbase.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the stringent geoblocking measures in the cryptocurrency sector have led to significant economic implications for both investors and the government. With potential losses up to $5 billion in airdrops and a near $3 billion tax revenue shortfall, the urgency for legislative clarity in the crypto space becomes even more apparent. The situation emphasizes the need for both innovation in finance and regulatory oversight that fosters growth without alienating domestic participants.
