Kernel

Not necessarily. There are a lot of new altcoins coming out on different platforms with different features that set them apart from top 10 coins.

As long as they continue to market it and grow it, it will develop its own identity. I'm sure they can run different campaigns such as contests etc. in the future.

I personally have not used their exchange, it does look nice. However the free coin thing seems just like a small marketing gimmick with little value.

I would highly suggest Energi (NRG). Check out their roadmap at energi.world/roadmap. They have a countless number of innovative features, and upcoming events on their agenda it is unreal. They are pushing for mass adoption as well. Definitely focused hard on the long run.

KYC for airdrops filters out a lot of bad actors submitting multiple entries.