Back in September 2021, a small but meaningful airdrop happened on the Binance Smart Chain. It wasn’t one of those massive $10 million drops that made headlines. This one was quiet, targeted, and tied directly to a real program building real DeFi tools: the QBT airdrop from the BSC MVB III x Qubit Event. If you were active in DeFi back then, you might’ve gotten a few hundred QBT tokens for doing simple things like connecting your wallet or holding a certain token. But if you missed it, you’re not alone - and here’s why that matters today.
What Was the BSC MVB III x Qubit Event?
The BSC MVB III program was part of CoinMarketCap’s Most Valuable Builder initiative - a 4-week accelerator for early-stage projects on Binance Smart Chain. It wasn’t just a contest. It was a structured support system: mentorship from BNB Chain’s team, access to investors at YZi Labs, and exposure across CoinMarketCap’s platform. Qubit, a cross-chain lending protocol, was one of the 10 teams selected for MVB III. The airdrop was their way of rewarding early supporters and testing their token distribution model before launch. The event ran from September 28, 2021, UTC+0. The total value of the QBT tokens distributed was $20,000. That might sound small, but in 2021, when gas fees were low and the BSC ecosystem was exploding, even $20,000 could reach hundreds of active users. Unlike random airdrops that spam wallets with worthless tokens, this one was tied to a real project with a working protocol. Qubit had already launched its lending platform on BSC and was preparing to expand to other chains.How Did You Qualify for the QBT Airdrop?
Eligibility wasn’t based on buying tokens or staking large amounts. It was designed to reward genuine engagement with the BSC ecosystem. To qualify, you needed to meet at least one of these criteria:- Hold at least 10 BNB in your wallet during the event window
- Have interacted with at least three different DeFi protocols on BSC (like PancakeSwap, Venus, or Cream Finance)
- Been an active participant in Qubit’s testnet or community channels (Discord or Telegram)
What Was QBT Used For?
QBT was Qubit’s native utility token. It wasn’t meant to be a speculative asset at launch. Its main uses were:- Discounted borrowing fees on Qubit’s lending platform
- Staking to earn a share of protocol revenue
- Participating in governance votes for future upgrades
Why Did This Airdrop Matter?
Most airdrops in 2021 were scams or hype traps. This one wasn’t. It was a quiet signal that BNB Chain wanted to build real DeFi, not just pump tokens. The MVB program had a track record: projects like Venus and Beefy Finance came out of earlier MVB batches and went on to become top protocols. Qubit was following the same path. The $20,000 airdrop cost Qubit very little in cash but gave them something priceless: a core group of users who already understood their product. These weren’t random people chasing free tokens. They were active BSC users who had already used DeFi tools. That meant higher retention, fewer fake wallets, and stronger community feedback. By the end of 2021, Qubit had grown to over 50,000 unique users and locked up more than $100 million in total value. The airdrop played a role in that growth. It didn’t make anyone rich overnight, but it gave early supporters a real stake in the protocol’s future.Can You Still Claim QBT Tokens?
No. The claim period ended in October 2021. The smart contract that handled the airdrop was permanently paused after 30 days. There are no official ways to claim QBT today. Any website or social media post claiming to offer “late claims” or “recovery tools” is a scam. If you think you were eligible but didn’t claim, there’s no recourse. The process was automated and final. You can still check your wallet history on BSCScan to see if you received any QBT tokens during that window. If you did, you might still hold them - but they’re no longer listed on major exchanges. Qubit later migrated its mainnet to its own chain, and QBT was replaced by a new token on that chain. The old QBT tokens are essentially worthless now.
What Happened to Qubit After the Airdrop?
Qubit didn’t fade away. In early 2022, they launched Qubit 2.0 - a full rebuild on their own Layer 2 blockchain, Qubit Chain. They phased out the BSC version and migrated users and liquidity. The original QBT token was retired. In its place came a new token, QBT2, with improved governance and lower fees. If you held QBT during the migration, you received a 1:1 swap. If you didn’t, you missed out. Today, Qubit Chain supports lending, borrowing, and cross-chain swaps with near-zero fees. It’s still a small player compared to Aave or Compound, but it’s alive, growing, and focused on real users - not hype. The 2021 airdrop was the first step in that journey.Lessons from the QBT Airdrop
If you’re looking at airdrops today, here’s what the Qubit event teaches you:- Real airdrops are tied to real projects with working products - not just whitepapers.
- Eligibility is usually based on on-chain activity, not social media following.
- Claim windows are short. If you’re eligible, act fast.
- Token value isn’t in the airdrop - it’s in the protocol’s long-term utility.
- Never trust third-party claim sites. Always go to the official project page.
Was the QBT airdrop real or a scam?
It was real. The QBT airdrop was part of CoinMarketCap’s official MVB III program, which was run by YZi Labs and CMC Labs. The tokens were distributed through Qubit’s official smart contract on Binance Smart Chain. No KYC was required, and claims were based on verified on-chain activity. The event was announced on Qubit’s official blog and social channels. Any site claiming to offer late claims today is fraudulent.
How many QBT tokens did users get?
There was no fixed amount. The airdrop distributed 5 million QBT tokens total - about 5% of the full supply. Eligible users received between 50 and 1,000 QBT, depending on their level of activity on BSC. Users who held more BNB or interacted with more DeFi protocols received larger shares. The exact amount was calculated automatically by Qubit’s system.
Can I still get QBT tokens today?
No. The claim period ended in October 2021. The original QBT token was retired in 2022 when Qubit launched its own blockchain, Qubit Chain. A new token, QBT2, replaced it. The old QBT tokens have no value and are not tradable. Any offer to sell or distribute QBT today is a scam.
Did the QBT airdrop help Qubit grow?
Yes. The airdrop helped Qubit build a core group of active users who were already familiar with DeFi on BSC. Within months, Qubit’s total value locked grew from under $10 million to over $100 million. The protocol gained traction because its early users were real participants, not speculators chasing free tokens. This foundation helped Qubit successfully migrate to its own chain in 2022.
What’s the difference between QBT and QBT2?
QBT was the original token on Binance Smart Chain, used for fees and governance in 2021. QBT2 is the new token on Qubit Chain, launched in 2022. QBT2 has improved tokenomics, lower transaction costs, and better governance features. Users who held QBT during the migration received QBT2 at a 1:1 ratio. New users can only get QBT2 through staking or trading on Qubit Chain.
Cody Leach
November 16, 2025 AT 05:46This was one of the few airdrops that actually felt intentional. Not just throwing tokens at everyone who clicked a Discord link. Qubit knew their audience and rewarded real engagement. That’s how you build a community, not a cult of speculators.
anthony silva
November 17, 2025 AT 12:18So what? You got 200 tokens worth $5 in 2021. Congrats. Now they’re worthless. Welcome to DeFi.
Sara Lindsey
November 17, 2025 AT 23:36OMG YES THIS IS WHY I STILL BELIEVE IN DEFI EVEN WHEN EVERYTHING ELSE IS A SCAM
THIS WASN’T A GIVEAWAY IT WAS A TEST RUN FOR REAL USERS
AND IT WORKED
Mandy Hunt
November 18, 2025 AT 22:26They said it was automated but what if the wallet scan was rigged? What if only wallets connected to certain IPs got tokens? I think CMC and BSC colluded to favor early insiders. I checked my history on BSCScan and my wallet had 12 BNB but got nothing. Coincidence? I think not
Vanshika Bahiya
November 20, 2025 AT 00:37For anyone new to this: if you held BNB and used PancakeSwap or Venus back then, you were likely eligible. No KYC, no forms. Just on-chain activity. The system was clean. The fact that people still think it’s a scam shows how much trust has eroded in crypto. This was the good kind of airdrop.
Anthony Forsythe
November 20, 2025 AT 17:15It’s funny how we romanticize these quiet moments in crypto history. The QBT airdrop didn’t change the world. But it whispered something important: that value can be earned through participation, not just speculation. We’ve forgotten that. Now every token launch feels like a casino. Back then, it felt like a garden. Someone planted seeds. Not everyone got one. But those who did? They tended them.
David Cameron
November 20, 2025 AT 21:09They didn’t make money. They made loyalty. That’s the real ROI.
And now? We got NFTs that cost $20k and do nothing.
What a time to be alive.
Drew Monrad
November 21, 2025 AT 03:09THIS WAS THE LAST TIME CRYPTO DID SOMETHING RIGHT
EVERYTHING AFTER THIS WAS JUST PEOPLE SCAMMING EACH OTHER WITH DIFFERENT COLORS OF TOKENS
WE WERE SO CLOSE TO BUILDING SOMETHING MEANINGFUL
AND THEN WE CHOSE THE EASY MONEY
AND NOW WE’RE ALL JUST SCROLLING THROUGH LIQUIDITY POOLS LIKE ZOMBIES
Kelly McSwiggan
November 21, 2025 AT 12:21Let’s be real - Qubit 2.0 was just a rebrand to escape the failure of the BSC version. The original protocol had low TVL, slow adoption, and zero real innovation. The airdrop was a PR stunt to mask that. The fact that it worked for a few months doesn’t make it noble. It just makes it temporarily effective.
gary buena
November 22, 2025 AT 21:04funny how people now act like they knew about this back then
i remember seeing this on reddit and thinking ‘this is too niche’
then i got distracted by a new meme coin and now i’m here
regrets? yeah
but at least i’m not buying ‘qbt recovery tools’ on telegram
Byron Kelleher
November 23, 2025 AT 02:46It’s okay to feel sad about missing it. I did too.
But the lesson isn’t ‘get mad’ - it’s ‘pay attention next time’.
Real projects don’t shout. They just build.
And if you’re watching? You’ll see them.
Hannah Kleyn
November 24, 2025 AT 13:25I remember checking my wallet every day for two weeks back then. I had 15 BNB and had used PancakeSwap, Venus, and Cream Finance. I got 420 QBT. Didn’t think much of it. I didn’t even claim it right away. Took me 18 days. Then I forgot about it. When I checked a year later, the tokens were gone. I thought they’d been burned or something. Turns out I just missed the window. I still think about it sometimes. Not because I lost money - I didn’t have any to lose - but because it felt like a door closed that I didn’t even realize I was standing in front of.
Albert Melkonian
November 25, 2025 AT 23:18It is imperative to recognize that the QBT airdrop represented a paradigmatic shift in token distribution strategy, wherein utility-driven engagement superseded speculative acquisition. The project’s deliberate restraint in token allocation and vesting schedule exemplified a mature understanding of sustainable ecosystem development. One cannot overstate the significance of this model in an era characterized by rampant token inflation and governance manipulation.
ratheesh chandran
November 27, 2025 AT 02:52you ever think the airdrop was just a trap to collect wallet addresses for future phishing? i mean they didn’t need to give out tokens to know who was active. they just needed to scan. and then boom - next year you get 200 spam messages from ‘qubit support’ asking for your seed phrase. i’m not saying it happened. but i’m not saying it didn’t either
Becky Shea Cafouros
November 27, 2025 AT 21:32It’s interesting how the narrative around this airdrop has shifted from ‘quietly smart’ to ‘lost opportunity.’ The truth is, most people who got it didn’t care. They sold it for gas money. The real users were the ones who held. And they’re the ones who got QBT2. Everyone else? Just noise.
alex piner
November 29, 2025 AT 08:59man i wish i knew then what i know now
i had like 8 bnb in my wallet back then and i was just using pancakeswap for fun
i never even checked qubit’s site
now i look back and feel like i missed a secret club
but hey at least i didn’t get scammed by a fake claim site lol
Gavin Jones
November 30, 2025 AT 01:55There is a profound irony in lamenting the loss of a $20,000 airdrop while ignoring the fact that Qubit successfully transitioned to its own chain, retained its user base, and continues to innovate. The true value was never in the token - it was in the infrastructure. The airdrop was merely the first step in a longer journey. Many have forgotten the destination in their fixation on the starting line.
Kandice Dondona
November 30, 2025 AT 21:02so proud of qubit 🥹
they didn’t chase hype
they just built
and now they have their own chain
and i’m still rooting for them
you don’t need 100m users to change the game
you just need 10k who actually care 💙
Cherbey Gift
December 1, 2025 AT 04:08you know what this reminds me of? the first time you kissed someone and you didn’t realize it was magic until years later when you realized you never felt that again
that airdrop? that was the first real kiss of web3
after that? just bad makeout sessions with people who only wanted your wallet
sandeep honey
December 2, 2025 AT 01:57Qubit was one of the few projects that didn’t need to bribe people with tokens to get attention. They had a working product. That’s why they succeeded. Most projects today are just code with a Discord server and a whitepaper written by ChatGPT. QBT was real. The rest? Noise.