Rongchai Wang
March 18, 2026 5:13 p.m
Binance data shows that 1 BNB held from January 2024 to the first quarter of 2025 generated a total return of $553 through price gains, launch pool and airdrops.
A single BNB token purchased on January 1, 2024 and held until the end of the first quarter of 2025 could have achieved a total return of 177% – about 11.8% monthly – when combining price increases with the rewards of the Binance ecosystem, according to new data from the exchange.
The breakdown: The price of BNB climbed from $313 to $640 during the period, up 104%. Additionally, participating in the Launchpool, MegaDrop, and HODLer Airdrop programs added approximately $226 in token rewards, bringing the total return to $553 per BNB held.
The yield stack
Binance held 21 Launchpool events in 2024, distributing a total of over $1.75 billion in token rewards to participants. Top performers per BNB staked included Saga (SAGA) at $13.07, Ethena (ENA) at $10.37, and PIXEL at $9.47.
The average APYs of all Launchpool events held between early 2024 and the first quarter of 2025 reached 84%, calculated using each token's first-day closing price rather than all-time highs – a more conservative method than some analysts use.
MegaDrop and HODLer airdrops contributed an additional 19.7% return for users who participated in all available drops. The HODLer program rewards users based on historical BNB balance snapshots, meaning passive holders without active participation qualify.
The mechanics
What sets the BNB yield model apart from typical DeFi staking is the risk profile. Launchpool participants never directly purchase new tokens – they farm them while retaining their original BNB position. If a new token fails after release, you have lost potential profits but not capital.
Active users can further increase their profits by converting earned tokens back into BNB, thereby increasing their base for future reward calculations. The more BNB held, the larger the allocation in subsequent launch pool and airdrop distributions.
Binance recently revamped its Launchpool interface on mobile devices and added the ability to subscribe to BNB Simple Earn directly from the Launchpool page. A redesigned BNB page now brings together trading fee discounts (up to 25% on spot and margin contracts, 10% on futures), VIP perks and real-time airdrop information in one place.
What this means for retailers
The 177% figure comes with caveats. It requires participation in every available program and uses first day token prices, which may not reflect actual sales prices. Users who missed events or sold tokens at different times would see different results.
Still, the data illustrates why some traders treat BNB differently than other exchange tokens. Beyond trading fee discounts and BNB Chain gas payments, the token acts as an access card to a recurring return program – provided you can easily store assets on a centralized exchange.
As Binance continues to roll out launch pool events and airdrop programs, the compounding opportunity remains active. The next question is whether award rates in 2025 can keep up with the launch pool average of 84% in 2024, or whether increased participation will dilute individual awards.
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