cemsid75

When Side Protocol launched its first incentivized testnet (Phase 1 / S2 Testnet) in early 2024, the project pitched itself as a next-generation "extension layer" for the Bitcoin ecosystem. Early participants were given a clear deal: complete the tasks, collect keys and boxes, accumulate SIDE Points — and those points would earn you a share of the future genesis token distribution.
I joined at the very start, from Phase 1 onward. I completed every task, connected my wallet, and followed every step the project asked of us. The premise was simple: early supporters would be rewarded for real.
In November 2024, the project officially announced the Genesis Airdrop: 100 million SIDE tokens to be distributed, with eligible groups explicitly including "testnet points users" — people exactly like us. Eligibility could be checked through the project's own portal.
But for me — and very likely for many others who put in the work from Phase 1 onward — that promise never materialized. The token allocation that was promised never arrived.
As time went on, the project rebranded as #Bitway. Under the new name, it ran Pre-TGE campaigns on Binance Wallet, a $50,000 airdrop event on MEXC, a separate airdrop on WEEX, and announced a significant seed funding round. In other words, the project kept running generous incentive campaigns for new users after the rebrand — which only sharpens the question of what happened to the earliest community, the people who contributed during the riskiest, most uncertain phase, when there was no token and no exchange listing yet.
A project rebranding, raising funds, and growing is normal. But what happens to the promise made to the community that helped get it there in the first place is just as important a question.
I'm sharing this to give a voice to other Phase 1 participants who may have had the same experience, and to encourage the project to address this directly. If you also joined Side Protocol's earliest testnet and never received anything from the Genesis Airdrop — or afterward — I'd genuinely like to hear about your experience too.
(Note: This post reflects the author's personal experience and is not a blanket accusation against the project. Not financial advice.)