Hamster Kombat Payouts Spark Nigerian Outrage After Disappointing Launch

Thousands of Nigerian users of the popular crypto-mining app Hamster Kombat are expressing outrage after the long-awaited payout from the platform’s airdrop fell far short of expectations.

For months, Hamster Kombat had been building excitement, with users diligently participating in “tap-to-earn” mining activities, lured by the promise of potentially life-changing rewards. Many had hoped to see significant returns, with some even dreaming of millionaire status. However, when the coin launched on Thursday, the reality was a stark contrast. Most users reported payouts ranging from just $1 to $4, with unverified reports of the highest earner receiving between $7 and $17. Some frustrated participants even shared that their efforts netted them as little as ₦2.75.

The app, which launched in March 2024, had promised to transform the financial futures of everyday Nigerians, sparking hopes of creating “billionaires and CEOs.” Instead, it has left a trail of disappointment, with social media platforms flooded by angry users accusing Hamster Kombat of misleading them.

The official X account of Hamster Kombat (@hamster_kombat) announced the launch of its $HMSTR token on Thursday afternoon with the message:

“THE MOMENT IS HERE

$HMSTR trading has officially begun! Congratulations, and to the moon, CEOs. On-chain direct claim and balance withdrawal options are now open.”

The post, within hours, amassed close to a million views and over 13,000 comments, the majority of which were from disgruntled users sharing their frustrations.

Another post from the same account encouraged users to trade the token on Binance with up to 75x leverage, warning participants to trade responsibly. At the time of launch, the coin was priced at $0.008315 and ranked 114th on CoinMarketCap, with a market cap of $535.3 million and a trading volume of $448.7 million in the first 24 hours.

Social Media Backlash

Nigerian users quickly took to social media to voice their dissatisfaction. One user, Geoffrey Nwankpa, humorously threatened, “You gave me dust after 4 months… I’m killing hamsters, rats, rabbits, or anything that looks like a hamster. It’s hunting season.”

Another user, Ediboi, sarcastically remarked, “I’m the CEO of dust. We’re all CEOs, yes or no?” while others described the project as the “worst ever.”

The disappointment in the Hamster Kombat launch has drawn parallels with another popular “tap-to-earn” app, Tapswap, powered by the TON Blockchain, which has similarly delayed its token distribution, further dampening user hopes.