diff --git a/node/airdrop_v2.py b/node/airdrop_v2.py
index 83e4dae52..0419b489b 100644
--- a/node/airdrop_v2.py
+++ b/node/airdrop_v2.py
@@ -168,6 +168,20 @@ def to_dict(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
         ).isoformat()
         return result
 
+    def to_public_dict(self) -> Dict[str, Any]:
+        return {
+            "lock_id": self.lock_id,
+            "from_chain": self.from_chain,
+            "to_chain": self.to_chain,
+            "amount_uwrtc": self.amount_uwrtc,
+            "amount_wrtc": self.amount_uwrtc / 1_000_000,
+            "timestamp": self.timestamp,
+            "timestamp_iso": datetime.fromtimestamp(
+                self.timestamp, tz=timezone.utc
+            ).isoformat(),
+            "status": self.status,
+        }
+
 
 # ============================================================================
 # Database Schema
@@ -625,16 +639,20 @@ def _determine_tier(
             if user_resp.status_code != 200:
                 return None
 
-            # Get contributions (PRs merged)
-            # Use GitHub search API for contributions
+            # Get merged PRs authored by this user, scoped to the
+            # RustChain org only.  The old code hit /search/commits with
+            # a bare "author:X merged:true" query, which counts commits
+            # anywhere on GitHub — so any established account cleared the
+            # CORE (5+) tier without ever contributing here.
+            #
+            # /search/issues with is:pr is:merged is the correct endpoint
+            # for counting merged pull requests, and org:Scottcjn keeps the
+            # result bounded to this project's repos.
             contrib_resp = requests.get(
-                f"https://api.github.com/search/commits",
-                headers={
-                    **headers,
-                    "Accept": "application/vnd.github.cloak-preview",
-                },
+                "https://api.github.com/search/issues",
+                headers=headers,
                 params={
-                    "q": f"author:{github_username} merged:true",
+                    "q": f"author:{github_username} org:Scottcjn is:pr is:merged",
                     "per_page": 1,
                 },
                 timeout=10,
@@ -1281,6 +1299,17 @@ def require_admin_key():
             return jsonify({"ok": False, "error": "unauthorized"}), 401
         return None
 
+    def has_admin_key():
+        required = os.environ.get("RC_ADMIN_KEY", "").strip()
+        if not required:
+            return False
+        provided = (
+            request.headers.get("X-Admin-Key")
+            or request.headers.get("X-API-Key")
+            or ""
+        ).strip()
+        return bool(provided) and hmac.compare_digest(provided, required)
+
     def parse_json_object_body(require_body: bool = True):
         data = request.get_json(silent=True)
         if data is None:
@@ -1474,6 +1503,12 @@ def create_bridge_lock():
                 400,
             )
 
+        # ── Admin auth: gate bridge lock creation ─────────────────────────────
+        auth_error = require_admin_key()
+        if auth_error:
+            return auth_error
+        # ── Auth passed ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
         amount_uwrtc = int(round(amount_wrtc * 1_000_000))
 
         success, message, lock = airdrop.create_bridge_lock(
@@ -1538,7 +1573,9 @@ def get_bridge_lock(lock_id: str):
         """Get bridge lock status."""
         lock = airdrop.get_lock(lock_id)
         if lock:
-            return jsonify({"ok": True, "lock": lock.to_dict()})
+            if has_admin_key():
+                return jsonify({"ok": True, "lock": lock.to_dict()})
+            return jsonify({"ok": True, "lock": lock.to_public_dict()})
         return jsonify({"ok": False, "error": "lock_not_found"}), 404
 
 
diff --git a/tests/test_airdrop_tier_github_scope_8184.py b/tests/test_airdrop_tier_github_scope_8184.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..662a2e9c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_airdrop_tier_github_scope_8184.py
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+"""
+Tests for airdrop tier scoping fix (Issue #8184).
+
+_determine_tier() used to count GitHub commits *anywhere* on GitHub,
+so any established account qualified for the top tier (CORE = 200 wRTC)
+without ever contributing to RustChain.
+
+These tests verify the fix scopes the query to merged PRs within the
+Scottcjn org and uses the correct API endpoint.
+"""
+import ast
+import re
+import unittest
+import os
+import sys
+
+sys.path.insert(0, os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), '..'))
+
+
+def _strip_comments_and_strings(source: str) -> str:
+    """Strip comments and string literals so assertions target actual code."""
+    tree = ast.parse(source)
+    # Collect lines that are purely comments
+    lines = source.splitlines(keepends=True)
+    # Remove full-line comments and inline comments
+    cleaned = []
+    for line in lines:
+        stripped = line.lstrip()
+        if stripped.startswith("#"):
+            continue
+        # Remove inline comment (naive but sufficient for our check)
+        code_part = re.split(r'(?<!\\)#', line, maxsplit=1)[0]
+        cleaned.append(code_part)
+    return "".join(cleaned)
+
+
+class TestAirdropTierScope(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        self.module_path = os.path.join(
+            os.path.dirname(__file__), '..', 'node', 'airdrop_v2.py'
+        )
+        with open(self.module_path, 'r') as f:
+            self.raw_source = f.read()
+        self.source = _strip_comments_and_strings(self.raw_source)
+
+    def test_uses_search_issues_not_search_commits(self):
+        """Must query /search/issues (PRs), not /search/commits."""
+        self.assertIn("/search/issues", self.source,
+            "Tier check should use the issues search endpoint for PRs")
+
+    def test_does_not_use_search_commits(self):
+        """The old /search/commits endpoint must be gone from code."""
+        self.assertNotIn("api.github.com/search/commits", self.source,
+            "/search/commits counts commits, not merged PRs")
+
+    def test_query_is_scoped_to_org(self):
+        """The search query must be scoped to the RustChain org."""
+        self.assertIn("org:Scottcjn", self.source,
+            "Contribution count must be scoped to the Scottcjn org, "
+            "not all of GitHub")
+
+    def test_query_uses_pr_and_merged_qualifiers(self):
+        """The query must use is:pr is:merged qualifiers."""
+        self.assertIn("is:pr", self.source,
+            "Query must filter for pull requests")
+        self.assertIn("is:merged", self.source,
+            "Query must filter for merged PRs")
+
+    def test_no_bare_merged_true_qualifier(self):
+        """The old bare 'merged:true' qualifier must be gone from code."""
+        self.assertNotIn("merged:true", self.source,
+            "The old 'merged:true' qualifier is a PR-search qualifier "
+            "that was misused on the commits endpoint")
+
+    def test_no_cloak_preview_accept_header(self):
+        """The commits-search Accept header must be gone."""
+        self.assertNotIn("cloak-preview", self.source,
+            "The 'application/vnd.github.cloak-preview' header was "
+            "only needed for /search/commits")
+
+    def test_module_compiles(self):
+        """The module must be syntactically valid."""
+        ast.parse(self.raw_source)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()