Auroracoin begins its Icelandic airdrop

Historical retrospective compiled on 24 October 2026. Dated to the airdrop’s 25 March 2014 opening; cited reporting followed on 26 March.

Evidence: Contemporary reporting and project history.

Auroracoin opened its distribution to Icelandic residents on 25 March 2014, offering an initial 31.8 AUR to each eligible claimant. The experiment sought to give a national community direct access to a cryptocurrency without first requiring residents to buy coins on an exchange. Reporting the following day quoted the organizers as saying that roughly 2,600 people had claimed coins during the first twelve hours. Those early figures measured claims, not sustained use as money. Nevertheless, the distribution became one of the most visible early attempts to introduce an alternative cryptocurrency to an entire country.

Sources: Reykjavík Grapevine report; Project airdrop history.