What are crypto points programs?
A points program is a scoreboard a protocol runs before it has a token. You use the product, points accumulate against your wallet, and the shared expectation is that a token generation event eventually converts points to an allocation. Jito proved the model on Solana: 100 million JTO went to wallets with at least 100 points from staking activity, and within months points programs became the default pre-token playbook.
How the mechanics work
Protocols publish earning rules so users can see the score they're building: points per dollar deposited per day, per unit of trading volume, or per referral. Kamino's Season 1 points decided its April 2024 genesis allocation. Parcl gated its drop on a points threshold. The transparency is deliberate; an open scoreboard keeps deposits and volume coming while the token stays unlaunched.
What points are worth
Nothing, until they are. Points are database entries with no guaranteed conversion rate, no transferability in most cases, and no legal claim on a token. Their value depends entirely on the eventual allocation formula, which teams only reveal at launch. Points programs have also run for years without a token: Backpack is on Season 4 with its launch delayed indefinitely, and Axiom accrues points with no token announced at all.
Reading a program before you commit
Three questions sort serious programs from stalling ones. Has the team said anything concrete about a token and a community allocation? Are the earning rules specific and stable, or do they change whenever deposits slow? And is the underlying product one you'd use at all without points? A program that fails all three is renting your liquidity for free.
Where to track live programs
Our points programs directory lists the Solana programs we track, each with its published earning rules and current token status, reviewed against public announcements. When a program converts to a token, the airdrop moves into the main directory where you can check your allocation by address.
