Got tokens for free from an airdrop or community reward? That's exciting—but don't sleep on the risk side. Free doesn't mean risk-free, and plenty of people watch their windfall shrink fast.

Here's the thing: when you paid nothing, the psychological pressure to hold is real. No sunk cost, right? But that's exactly why you need a game plan.

First move—take profits early. Sell 30-50% once you see meaningful gains. You've already won since your entry was zero. Locking that in gives you actual cash, which changes the whole equation.

Second—diversify your exit strategy. Don't dump everything on one exchange at once. Smaller sells over time let you test liquidity and catch better price points without tanking the market yourself.

Third—set hard stop-losses on what remains. Just because it was free doesn't mean you should watch it go to zero. Treat the remainder like any other position.

The real unlock? Use free tokens to explore new chains, protocols, or strategies you wouldn't risk real money on. That's your edge—play with house money and learn, but do it smart.