Cipher CPR 2021 Airdrop Details - How the Old CIPHER Token Was Distributed

If you’ve ever wondered what happened to the Cipher CPR airdrop back in 2021, you’re not alone. Many crypto enthusiasts still hear the name “Cipher [Old]” on tracking sites and wonder if they missed out or how the distribution actually worked. This article pulls together everything the project publicly shared, breaks down the technical backdrop, and shows you how to verify whether you ever qualified.

What is Cipher (CPR)?

Cipher (CPR) is a utility token launched on April 9, 2018 that originally ran on the Ethereum blockchain before moving to Polygon PoS. The team, spread across India, the United Kingdom and NewZealand, designed CPR to act like a share in the company - holding CPR gives you a slice of any future revenue streams.

The token’s total supply is fixed at 1.08billion CPR, with a self‑reported circulating supply of about 186.28million as of early 2025. Its contract on Polygon is 0xaa404804ba583c025fa64c9a276a6127ceb355c6, a address that replaced the older Ethereum contract after the migration.

The 2021 Airdrop Campaign

In mid‑2021 Cipher ran an official airdrop titled “CIPHER (CPR) ASSET AIRDROP 2021 CONDUCTED ON CMC”. The distribution used CoinMarketCap’s (CMC) promotional platform, which at the time was a go‑to channel for projects wanting instant exposure.

Key points from the roadmap:

• Goal: boost token circulation and community engagement without a traditional ICO.
• Method: reward users who had interacted with Cipher’s services or held a minimum amount of CPR on supported wallets.
• Timing: aligned with the migration to Polygon to ensure recipients would receive the new, low‑fee version of the token.

The airdrop was part of a broader push that also saw exchange upgrades on Cifinex and the launch of the Polygon contract.

Eligibility and Distribution Mechanics

While Cipher never released a detailed whitelist, the publicly shared criteria hinted at three main eligibility buckets:

1. Service Users: anyone who had used Cipher’s business‑application platform before September2021.
2. Token Holders: wallets holding at least 100CPR on the Ethereum contract before the migration deadline.
3. CMC Participants: users who completed the simple KYC‑free claim form on CoinMarketCap’s airdrop page.

After verification, Cipher sent the new Polygon‑based CPR directly to the qualifying wallet addresses. Because the migration required users to switch contracts, many participants reported a brief period of confusion-some thought they needed to claim a second time, while others missed the airdrop entirely.

Technical Context - Migration to Polygon

The move from Ethereum to Polygon PoS (Proof‑of‑Stake) was billed as a “Powerful ERC‑20 version on Polygon”. The advantages were clear:

• Transaction fees dropped from an average of $2‑$5 on Ethereum to under $0.01 on Polygon.
• Block times fell from ~15seconds to <1second, making token transfers feel instant.
• Compatibility with existing Ethereum tools (MetaMask, MyEtherWallet) remained intact, so users didn’t need new software.

That technical upgrade was tightly coupled with the airdrop-by rewarding users with the Polygon version, Cipher hoped to accelerate adoption of the cheaper network.

Token Economics and Market Performance

Following the airdrop, CPR’s market cap nudged upward, but the token has been highly volatile. Highlights:

Even with the airdrop’s short‑term boost, CPR’s price has settled near the lower end of its 2025 range. The token’s utility-providing access to Cipher’s business‑application suite-has not seen major new releases since 2023, which likely dampens demand.

Lessons Learned and Current Status

The 2021 airdrop illustrates a common pattern among 2018‑2021 crypto projects:

• Marketing Spike vs. Sustainable Growth: Airdrops can create a temporary surge in holders, but without ongoing product development the community fizzles.
• Migration Confusion: Switching networks during a distribution requires crystal‑clear communication. Cipher’s “Old” label on CoinMarketCap still confuses new users.
• Transparency Gaps: The lack of publicly disclosed distribution amounts makes it hard to assess the airdrop’s real impact.

As of October2025, Cipher’s official channels show limited activity. The project is still listed under “Cipher [Old]” on major trackers, indicating that a newer version (or a completely different initiative) may have replaced it. For anyone still holding CPR, the token remains tradeable on a handful of small exchanges, but liquidity is thin.

How to Verify Past Airdrop Claims

If you think you might have qualified for the 2021 airdrop, here’s a quick checklist:

1. Locate your wallet address that held CPR on Ethereum before the migration (look at old Etherscan transaction history).
2. Check the Polygon contract’s token balance for that address using a Polygon explorer (e.g., polygonscan.com).
3. Cross‑reference the balance with the airdrop claim date (around July‑August2021) - any sudden increase likely came from the airdrop.
4. If you see a balance but never received the tokens on an exchange, you may need to bridge them manually via a reputable bridge service.

Remember, the airdrop did not require KYC, so any wallet that meets the criteria should have received the allocation automatically.