Lagos, Nigeria – The highly anticipated airdrop from the crypto-mining app Hamster Kombat has turned into a source of frustration for thousands of Nigerian users, sparking widespread outrage on social media.
After five months of tapping to earn rewards, many users were expecting substantial payouts promised by the app’s promoters. Dreams of newfound wealth quickly faded when the coin finally launched on Thursday, revealing payouts that fell far short of expectations, with most users receiving between $1 and $4. Reports of the highest payouts ranged from $7 to $17.
As users received as little as ₦2.75 for their efforts, social media platforms erupted with expressions of disappointment and anger. Many accused Hamster Coin of misleading them with promises of life-changing financial rewards.
The community, once filled with optimism, now reflects a somber mood. “Tears and wailings” characterized the reactions of many who had hoped to become billionaires or CEOs through their engagement with the app.
Launched in March 2024, Hamster Kombat announced the coin’s official launch on its social media account, #hamster_kombat, stating, “THE MOMENT IS HERE. $HMSTR trading has officially begun! Congratulations, and to the moon, CEOs.” The announcement generated nearly one million views and over 13,000 comments within hours.
Shortly after, the account promoted trading on Binance, urging users to “trade smart and follow your own risk policy” as futures trading for $HMSTR became available.
According to a report by PUNCH Online, the crypto asset was listed on CoinMarketCap as HMSTR, trading at approximately $0.0083, with a market cap of $535.3 million and a trading volume of $448.7 million within the first 24 hours.
Reactions on social media ranged from humor to bitterness. User Geoffrey Nwankpa expressed his frustration, tweeting, “You gave me dust after 4 months. I’m hunting hamsters, rats, rabbits—anything that looks like a hamster.” Other users echoed similar sentiments, with one remarking, “I spent 5 good solid months farming Hamster Kombat only to be rewarded with this?”
The dissatisfaction has also spread to other tap-to-earn platforms, with Tapswap postponing token allocations, further dampening users’ hopes for lucrative returns.
As the dust settles on this disappointing launch, many users are left questioning the viability of such crypto ventures and the promises made by their promoters.
