On August 2nd, 2024, something unusual happened in the DeFi world. A new protocol called Archimedes Protocol launched its token, ACMD, with a $20,000 airdrop tied to CoinMarketCap (CMC). It wasn’t just another giveaway. It was a carefully planned move to kickstart adoption in a crowded market. But here’s the twist - weeks after the airdrop ended, the token’s price showed up as $0 on CoinMarketCap, yet $309.60 on Crypto.com. Which one’s real? And more importantly - did anyone actually profit?
What Was the ACMD X CMC Airdrop?
The ACMD X CMC airdrop was a joint effort between Archimedes Protocol and CoinMarketCap to distribute 10 billion ACMD tokens (though some sources say 1 billion) to early supporters. The goal? Get people to try Archimedes’ cross-chain leverage platform before it went live. Archimedes isn’t just another lending protocol. It combines loan mining, leveraged lending, and liquidity mining across multiple blockchains - a complex setup meant to boost yields for users who know how to navigate it. The airdrop pool was worth $20,000 in ACMD tokens. That’s not huge by today’s standards, but for a new project, it was enough to draw attention. The twist? You didn’t just sign up. You had to earn your spot.How to Qualify for the Airdrop
Getting ACMD tokens wasn’t automatic. You had to complete three steps:- Follow @ArchiProtocol on Twitter, retweet their airdrop post, and tag three friends.
- Join the official Archimedes Global Telegram channel: t.me/ArchimedesGlobal.
- Fill out a Google Form with your wallet address: forms.gle/EcLjf3qjicvqPtZC8.
Why This Airdrop Was Different
Most airdrops feel like spam. You sign up for ten, forget about them, and never hear back. This one stood out because of CoinMarketCap’s involvement. CMC isn’t just a price tracker - it’s a trusted name. When CMC partners with a project, it signals legitimacy. That pushed the airdrop beyond the usual crypto hunters and into the hands of people who actually care about DeFi tools. Archimedes also didn’t just throw tokens at users and disappear. They built a real ecosystem. ACMD isn’t just a governance token. It’s the fuel for their platform. You need it to access leveraged lending pools, earn mining rewards, and participate in cross-chain vaults. That means if the platform works, the token has real utility - not just speculation.
Tokenomics: How ACMD Was Supposed to Last
The tokenomics behind ACMD were designed for long-term growth, not quick flips:- 65% of tokens went to mining rewards - released slowly over three years and one month, with output halving every year after the first month.
- 15% went to the team - locked and released alongside mining schedules.
- 10% to early investors who funded development.
- 5% for market making to keep liquidity stable.
- 5% for marketing and community growth.
The Price Problem: $0 or $309.60?
Here’s where things get messy. CoinMarketCap listed ACMD at $0 with zero trading volume. That usually means no one’s trading it - or the data feed is broken. But Crypto.com showed ACMD at $309.60. That’s not a typo. That’s a 30,000% difference. Why? Two likely reasons:- There are two ACMD tokens - one real, one fake. Scammers often copy contract addresses and create fake tokens on decentralized exchanges. If you bought ACMD on a small DEX, you might’ve gotten the fake one.
- Crypto.com’s price might be based on a private over-the-counter (OTC) trade, not public market data. That’s not a real price - it’s a guess.
0x2f8e...1b2a57. If you’re holding ACMD, check that. If your wallet shows a different address, you’re not holding the real token.
What Happened After the Airdrop?
The winners got their tokens. We don’t know how many people won. We don’t know how much each got. The team never published the results. That’s a red flag. Transparency matters. As of October 2025, Archimedes Protocol’s website (acmd.finance) still loads. The Twitter account posts updates occasionally. The Telegram group has around 12,000 members - active, but not booming. There’s no major news about new features, partnerships, or upgrades. The lack of trading volume and conflicting price data suggest the project is stuck in limbo. It’s not dead - but it’s not alive either. No major exchanges listed ACMD. No liquidity pools grew. No DeFi analytics sites like DeFiLlama picked it up.
Should You Still Try ACMD?
If you missed the airdrop, don’t chase it. The token isn’t trading on any major exchange. The platform’s activity is low. The price is unclear. Buying ACMD now means gambling on a project with no clear path forward. But if you’re curious about Archimedes’ tech - the cross-chain leverage system - it’s still worth watching. The idea of combining multiple DeFi strategies into one platform is smart. If they relaunch with better liquidity, clearer pricing, and exchange listings, ACMD could come back. For now? Treat it like a ghost town. The buildings are still there. But no one’s home.What You Can Learn From This Airdrop
This isn’t just a story about one token. It’s a case study in how DeFi projects launch - and how they fail.- Airdrops work - if they’re tied to real utility, not just hype.
- Partnerships matter - CoinMarketCap gave Archimedes instant credibility.
- Transparency kills doubt - not publishing winner lists or token distribution data hurt trust.
- Price ≠ value - a $309 price on one platform means nothing if no one’s trading it.
- Check the contract - always verify the address before sending funds.
- Is there a real team with public profiles?
- Is the contract verified on Etherscan or a similar explorer?
- Are there active social channels with real engagement (not bots)?
- Is the token listed on CoinMarketCap or CoinGecko with live data?
- Does the project have a clear use case - or is it just “DeFi 2.0” buzzwords?
Where to Find Archimedes Now
If you still want to track the project:- Twitter: @ArchiProtocol
- Telegram: t.me/ArchimedesGlobal
- Website: acmd.finance
- Medium: medium.com/@ArchiProtocol
Was the ACMD X CMC airdrop legitimate?
Yes, the airdrop itself was legitimate. It was run by Archimedes Protocol in partnership with CoinMarketCap, and winners received real ACMD tokens to verified wallet addresses. However, the project’s long-term legitimacy is unclear due to lack of trading activity, conflicting price data, and minimal updates since 2024.
Can I still claim ACMD tokens from the airdrop?
No. The airdrop ended in August 2024. The Google Form is no longer accepting submissions, and the token distribution window has closed. Any website claiming you can still claim ACMD is likely a scam.
Why is ACMD priced at $0 on CoinMarketCap but $309 on Crypto.com?
The $0 price means there’s no active trading on exchanges that CoinMarketCap tracks. The $309 price on Crypto.com likely comes from a private trade or a fake token. Always verify the contract address: 0x2f8e...1b2a57. If your token doesn’t match that, it’s not real ACMD.
Is Archimedes Protocol still active?
It’s unclear. The website and social channels are still up, but there haven’t been major updates since late 2024. No new features, no exchange listings, no liquidity growth. The project appears stalled, though not officially shut down.
Should I invest in ACMD now?
No. There’s no reliable trading data, no clear roadmap, and no liquidity. Investing now is speculative at best and a scam risk at worst. Only consider it if you’re tracking the project for potential future revival - not for profit.
How many ACMD tokens were distributed in the airdrop?
The total airdrop pool was worth $20,000 in ACMD tokens, but the exact number of tokens and winners was never publicly disclosed. Distribution was random, and no official list of winners was released.
What’s the difference between ACMD and other DeFi tokens like AAVE or COMP?
AAVE and COMP are established tokens with years of trading history, deep liquidity, and active governance. ACMD is a new token with no real trading volume, unclear utility, and minimal adoption. Archimedes’ cross-chain leverage model is technically interesting, but it hasn’t proven itself yet.
2 Comments
ISAH Isah
November 1, 2025 AT 02:26 AMThe airdrop was a meticulously engineered social experiment disguised as decentralization
Archimedes didn't distribute tokens
They distributed attention
The real asset was not ACMD but the illusion of legitimacy conferred by CoinMarketCap's branding
Most participants mistook visibility for value
This is the new paradigm
Projects no longer need utility
They need algorithmic endorsement
The $0 price is not a failure
It is the natural equilibrium of a system designed to extract engagement without delivering substance
The $309 on Crypto.com is the ghost of what could have been
A phantom liquidity
A mirage for the desperate
Transparency was never the goal
It was always about creating enough noise to disappear quietly
Chris Strife
November 2, 2025 AT 07:26 AMUS crypto is dying
Every time some foreign startup uses CMC to scam people we lose credibility
Why do we let this happen
Someone needs to shut this down