Affiliate marketing has been around even before the Internet was a thing. Paying independent parties commission for promoting your business and referring new customers to your products was used on the regular by companies who wanted to expand their market reach. As Internet became a thing and e-commerce grew into the behemoth it is today (U.S. Department of Commerceestimates e-commerce consumers spent $513.61 billion in 2018), this form of revenue sharing became one of the most popular ways to earn money online.
The potential of affiliate marketing to improve one company’s market standing have been recognized across the board, and cryptocurrency projects haven’t lagged behind with this recognition. Most of these programs are Bitcoin-or-crypto-based, meaning that payments to individuals are made in cryptocurrency. Ideal target users of these affiliate programs are individuals who own high traffic online crypto-focused content creating platforms like websites, blogs, YouTube channels.
The big audiences these individuals command are excellent places to promote blockchain-based platforms and services, which is exactly what the programs we’re about to list are looking for. This article will cover some of the industry’s most legitimate cryptocurrency affiliate programs and teach you how to use them to start earning money yourself.
These cryptocurrency affiliate network will usually operate in the following manner:
- First you’ll need to sign up for a service’s affiliate program
- You’ll then be given a unique referral URL that points to the service’s website
- This URL should then be posted far and wide on platforms like your own website, social media, YouTube channel etc.
- Members of your audience/social media followers will click on this referral link and then perform tasks required by the affiliate program (register for the service, purchase a product, trade etc.)
- Each time these people fulfill the required task through your referral, you are given a small kickback/paid a commission
One thing to consider is that these platforms keep a tight ship with referral programs as they’ll stay on top of any attempts to “game” the system and boost your referrals with fake users. It goes without saying that you should avoid engaging in such foul play, otherwise you risk your account and your funds. The following platforms are just some you’ll find offering best bitcoin affiliate programs:
What you'll learn 👉
Binance
Popular crypto exchange rose to prominence during the past couple of years from the mind/creative genius of Changpeng Zhao. Binance’s popularity comes mostly thanks to its large assortment of altcoins, “funds are safu” moniker, and generally clean and professional operation of their business (*ahem* if we disregard the occasional wash trading/pay-for-listing accusations and the fact that the exchange did finally suffer its first ever hack which saw it lose 7000 BTC). Their affiliate program offers commissions in more than just BTC; you seem to be able to get your commission in whatever coin your referred user pays his fees in.
- Commission per trade: 20% (users holding more than 500 BNB get 40%)
- How long commissions are earned: Not set
- Payout frequency: Real time
- Minimum earnings for payout: None
- Payment method: Funds are sent to your Binance Account
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Not Specified
Coinbase
Coinbase is a USA-based company currently operating two brands under its wings: Coinbase, focused on fiat to crypto transfers of value and Coinbase Pro, focused on crypto for crypto exchange. It’s a popular exchange that had big money VC’s like Union Square Ventures, Ribbit Capital and the famous Andressen Horowitz investing into it at some point. Coinbase users are given an ability of using fiat to purchase one of many cryptocurrencies on offer.
- Commission per trade: If your friend visits coinbase.com/trade and initiates a buy or sell of $100 USD or more (or 100 USD equivalent of your domestic currency) within 180 days of opening his or her account, you both will receive a 10 USD (or 10 USD equivalent of your domestic currency) referral bonus.
- How long commissions are earned: Once per customer
- Payout frequency: Daily
- Minimum earnings for payout: None
- Payment method: Funds are accumulated in your Coinbase Account
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Available
Read more about the program here.
CEX.IO
The platform was established in 2013 and originally operated as cloud mining provider. Recently CEX.IO evolved into a multi-functional cryptocurrency exchange, trusted by over a million users. CEX.IO offers cross-platform trading via website, mobile app, WebSocket and REST API, providing access to high liquidity order book for top currency pairs. Instant Bitcoin buying and selling is available via simplified bundle interface.
- Commission per sale: If your friend visits coinbase.com/trade and initiates a buy or sell of $100 USD or more (or 100 USD equivalent of your domestic currency) within 180 days of opening his or her account, you both will receive a 10 USD (or 10 USD equivalent of your domestic currency) referral bonus.
- Commission per trade: 30% of the fee on exchange transactions
- How Long Commissions Are Earned: lifetime of each referral
- Payout Frequency: Daily, starting 30 days from the date that your referral incentive is credited to your account
- Minimum Earnings for Payout: None
- Payment Method: Not specified
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Available
Read more about the program here.
eToro
This brokerage platform is a social network-based, digital, global trading market for currencies, cryptocurrencies, commodities, indexes, and stocks. In operation since 2008, eToro aims to offer fluid web-based, mobile platform, enabling users to trade almost anything in one portfolio. With over 10 million users worldwide, they want to make trading accessible to anyone, anywhere, and reduce dependency on traditional financial institutions. A part of this intention is their “eToro Partners” affiliate program which lets users earn money by referring people to the platform. The program has so far allegedly paid out a total of almost $90 million to its affiliates. eToro Partners provides you with the best and latest marketing tools to help you to generate quality traffic and increase your conversion rates.
- Commission per sale: Customizable
- How long are commissions earned: Customizable
- Payout frequency: Customizable
- Minimum earnings for payout: $100 for e-wallets, $500 for wire transfer
- Payment method: USD
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Yes
You can find more details about the program here.
LocalBitcoins
LocalBitcoins is an online marketplace where Bitcoin buyers and sellers get to connect and trade with eachother based on their geographical location. The website matches buyers and sellers who live in the same country (or in a country nearby) and allows them to trade in a peer-to-peer manner, with the added security enabled by LocalBitcoins escrow/account verification services. The platform also has an affiliate program which lets you earn money from referring new visitors/users to the LocalBitcoins website. If those visitors start trading on the platform, you will be paid a commission equal to a percentage of their trading fees.
- Commission per trade: 20%
- How Long Commissions Are Earned: Commissions will be paid for one year from each new user’s registration
- Payout Frequency: Daily
- Minimum Earnings for Payout: Not set
- Payment Method: Your LocalBitcoins Bitcoin wallet
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Not Specified
Paxful
Another peer-to-peer marketplace which lets users sign up and trade Bitcoin directly with other people. All users are required to perform KYC/AML verifications and the platform employs security features like escrows and 2FA, which makes your funds safer. Just like LocalBitcoins, the platform’s business model is a bit more user friendly as it lets sellers send Bitcoin to outside addresses whose leys are controlled directly by the buyer. Paxful’s affiliate program lets you not just earn money through people who are referred to the platform through your link (Tier 1 affiliates); you can also earn a small kickback for each person that signs up through your affiliate’s affiliate link (Tier 2 affiliates).
- Commission per sale: You get paid anytime one of your Tier 1 or Tier 2 affiliates successfully completes a trade on Paxful and they collect an escrow fee. The escrow fee is calculated as 1% (standard escrow fee) in all affiliate payouts. Tier 1: You receive 50% of the standard escrow fee for successfully completed trades by this user. Tier 2: You receive 10% of the standard escrow fee for successfully completed trades by this user. If two of your Tier 1 affiliates are trading with one another then you receive 25% commission on the trade instead of 50%
- How Long Commissions Are Earned: Up to 1 year
- Payout Frequency: Instantly upon the affiliate’s trade is completed
- Minimum Earnings for Payout: No minimums
- Payment Method: Earnings get credited to your affiliate wallet
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: You can view your earnings on your affiliate dashboard and even create unique trackable affiliate links
Learn more about the program here.
Changelly
This Malta-based exchange has been established in 2013 in the Czech Republic by members of the MinerGate Bitcoin mining pool. The platform has gone through some restructuring and has evolved into a fully independent entity in 2016. Changelly is an instant cryptocurrency exchange that allows you to exchange crypto fast and buy it with a bank card. The service provides the best crypto-to-crypto rates and supports over 140 cryptocurrencies available for exchange. All traders on this platform are KYC verified. The platform’s affiliate program provides a unique opportunity to earn 50% of commission on each transaction your affiliates make. The link is permanent and the reward is given in Bitcoin equivalent.
- Commission per sale: 50% of commission on your affiliate’s transaction
- How long commissions are earned: For life
- Payout frequency: Within a day of the transaction
- Minimum earnings for payout: Not specified
- Payment method: To your platform’s Bitcoin wallet
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Yes
KuCoin
Around since 2017, KuCoin is a result of a development team that was formed in 2011 and saw strong angel investment support for their exchange idea. Popular due to its solid selection of tradable cryptocurrencies and due to its solid incentive program centered around KuCoin Shares, the platform’s native cryptocurrency. Token’s holders receive a 1% discount on trading fees for every 1,000 KCS they hold, up to a maximum of 30%.
- Commission per sale: 20% of the transaction fee each time a referred user completes an order. 12% and 8% fees apply for tier 2 and 3 referrals.
- How long are commissions earned: One year
- Payout frequency: Every 2 hours
- Minimum earnings for payout: Not specified
- Payment method: Not specified
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Not specified
BitMEX
Founded by the popular Arthur Hayes and some friends back in 2014, BitMEX has grown into a reputable and at the same time controversial peer-to-peer trading platform during the years. No matter what you thought of its frequent maintenances or other shady things that people connect to Arthur’s smile, BitMEX remains a very traffic-heavy exchange, often times topping daily trade volume charts on data aggregating websites. BitMEX only handles Bitcoin. All profit and loss is calculated in Bitcoin, even if you’re buying and selling altcoin contracts. BitMEX offers a complete affiliate program which allows you (the affiliate) to receive a percentage of commissions paid by your referrals and at the same time gives your referrals a limited discount on their fees.
- Commission per sale: Up to 20%
- How long are commissions earned: Lifetime
- Payout frequency: Daily at 12:01 UTC
- Minimum earnings for payout: Not specified
- Payment method: Bitcoin to your BitMEX wallet
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Not specified
Read more about the program here.
ShapeShift
ShapeShift is a Swiss company that offers global trading of a variety of digital assets via web and mobile platforms. Founded and currently CEO’d by crypto fan favorite Erik Voorhees, the platform provides instant Bitcoin and altcoin conversion with strong levels of consumer protection and efficiency. The ShapeShift affiliate program is offered to those websites that integrate with their API.
- Commission per sale: The platform sends you .25% per month based on the total amount of volume in Bitcoin your integration provides
- How long are commissions earned: As long as you are a part of the program
- Payout frequency: Monthly payouts
- Minimum earnings for payout: Not specified
- Payment method: Bitcoin
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Not specified
Coinigy
Coinigy was created by “a group of dedicated developers, traders, analysts and evangelists that believe in the upcoming paradigm shift that cryptography and the blockchain are bringing to the global financial industry.” The platform aims to simplify the process of tracking and trading a wide selection of coins that can be found on multiple exchanges. It combines features, tools, and coins you’ll find on the biggest exchange platforms on the market, providing charting, price alerts, API integration and trading in a single Coinigy interface. Coinigy offers an excellent referral program where you can get $15 per paid user who signs up.
- Commission per sale: $15
- How long are commissions earned: As long as users keep registering through your referral
- Payout frequency: Onetime payment, the moment the referred user purchases a Coinigy subscription
- Minimum earnings for payout: $15
- Payment method: $USD to your Coinigy account
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Not specified
Gate.io
Gate.io became fully operational in 2017 and is currently owned by Gate Technology Inc. which is based in Virginia, United States. The exchange has grown steadily and currently serves over 1 million customers. Their platform is a crypto to crypto exchange offering its users easy access to a number of hard to find coins and up and coming projects. The platform has a referral program which helps out both the referred and the one who referred; when they sign up using your referral code, new users get 10% off on all their trading fees for 12 months.
- Commission per sale: 30% of your referred user’s trading fees
- How long are commissions earned: 12 months
- Payout frequency: Not specified
- Minimum earnings for payout: Not specified
- Payment method: Not specified
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Not specified
Read more about the program here.
Cobinhood
Cobinhood markets itself as a next-generation cryptocurrency platform. The exchange’s team has done a pretty good job as they’ve created a platform that has attracted more than five million active users and earned its angel investors a 20x return within a year of its existence. The platform has a built-in referral system, as well as a lootbox/lottery-like “candy machine” which gives users a chance to win cryptocurrency by taking a spin on the machine. One spin requires one candy machine ticket.
- Commission per sale: 10 candy machine tickets for both you and the user you referred after he completes his account registration. 100 candy machine tickets for both after the user passes on platform level 2 verification. 50 COB (platform’s native token) after the referent completes his first order
- How long are commissions earned: One time per condition completed
- Payout frequency: Immediately after condition completion
- Minimum earnings for payout: 10 candy machine tickets
- Payment method: Candy machine tickets or COB
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Not specified
Read more about the program here.
Bitpanda
Bitpanda GmbH is based out of Vienna, Austria. This Fintech company specializes in buying and selling cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. With over 900,000 reported users, the platform is currently a popular retail broker for Litecoin, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other market cryptocurrencies. They also have an affiliate program which you can join and offer a neat affiliate training course which can help you learn the ropes quicker.
- Commission per sale: You receive up to 20% revenue share for every referred customer. The percentage depends on the total amount of net revenue all your referrals generate per month.
- How long are commissions earned: Not specified
- Payout frequency: Seems to be on a monthly basis
- Minimum earnings for payout: Not specified
- Payment method: To your Bitpanda wallet
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Cookies track your affiliates
Coinsquare
Having QuadrigaCX go under due to some pretty incredible circumstances left a vacuum in the market of Canadian crypto exchanges. Coinsquare will be one platform that will attempt to fill this void. The exchange offers its customers trading of a variety of cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Dash, and Ethereum. Purposefully built and geared towards Canadian cryptocurrency investors, the platform can nonetheless be used by users worldwide.
- Commission per sale: 45% of your referrals transaction fees
- How long are commissions earned: Not specified
- Payout frequency: Not specified
- Minimum earnings for payout: Not specified
- Payment method: Not specified
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Not specified
Learn more about the program here.
Let’s move on to the next, hugely important and popular vertical in the crypto industry: wallets. More precisely, hardware wallets. They all have affiliate programs with solid payouts.
Trezor
Trezor is probably the most popular Bitcoin and altcoin hardware wallet maker on the market. Having released several products already which the market generally considers safe and unhackable, the company has a pretty solid reputation. They also have an affiliate program which offers up to 15% commission in BTC for every wallet they sell to a customer that found the website through your referral link.
- Commission per sale: 12-15%
- How long are commissions earned: Per each sale
- Payout frequency: Immediately
- Minimum earnings for payout: No
- Payment method: To a Bitcoin address you provide
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Not specified
Check out more details about the program here.
Ledger
Another popular hardware wallet maker hailing from France. Made its name by releasing strong products like the Nano S and Nano X. Their wallets are certified by a French cybersecurity agency ANSSI and sport custom security chips and operating systems. Nano S and X currently support storage of over 1100 cryptocurrencies.
- Commission per sale: 10% on each sale
- How long are commissions earned: Per sale
- Payout frequency: Per sale
- Minimum earnings for payout: No
- Payment method: To a Bitcoin address you provide
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Not specified
Check Ledger’s program out here.
KeepKey
KeepKey is a secure Bitcoin hardware wallet that was launched in 2015. Like the TREZOR and Ledger Nano S, it is easy to setup and also has some more advanced features, making it a great choice for new and experienced Bitcoin users alike. The wallet offers you a chance to earn commission for each sale you generate through a personal affiliate link.
- Commission per sale: 25% commission rate per each wallet sold through your referral
- How long are commissions earned: Once per customer
- Payout frequency: Once per sale
- Minimum earnings for payout: Not specified
- Payment method: Personal Bitcoin address you provide
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Not specified
Read more about the program here.
Archos
Archos is a French company whose main focus so far has been on production of tablets, phones, Android devices and portable data storage devices. However they recently made their move onto the cryptocurrency hardware wallet market with their Archos Safe-T mini devices. They offer a special ambassador program for its users which lets people earn commission for referring new customers to Archos wallets.
- Commission per sale: 10%
- How long are commissions earned: Each time a sale is made
- Payout frequency: Noted above
- Minimum earnings for payout: Not specified
- Payment method: Cash
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Not specified
Plus500
Plus500 is an international financial brokerage firm which provides online trading services in contracts for difference (CFDs) across more than 2,000 securities and multiple asset classes including commodities, options, ETFs, forex, shares, and cryptocurrency. Plus500 currently remains a multi-asset trading platform that provides coverage to UK, US, European and Asian markets. It has received awards and recognition from industry watchers for its excellent service. Their affiliate program lets you earn up to $800 CPA for a trader.
- Commission per sale: Up to $800 CPA per trader
- How long are commissions earned: Not specified
- Payout frequency: Not specified
- Minimum earnings for payout: Not specified
- Payment method: Not specified
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Not specified
Read more about the program here.
Libertex
Libertex broker has been operating since 1997. This international brand has acquired over 20 years of experience. Libertex customers come from 110 countries worldwide. During its operations, Libertex has won 30 international awards from financial magazines and institutions for its customer support quality and innovative tech solutions and has onboarded popular footballer James Rodriguez as their brand ambassador.
- Commission per sale: 5% of each referrals earning
- How long are commissions earned: Lifetime
- Payout frequency: Not specified
- Minimum earnings for payout: Not specified
- Payment method: Not specified
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Not specified
Fortrade
Fortrade is focused on achieving a global reach and developing a strong trader base. They place significant emphasis on their affiliate program, claiming that their partners are regularly handed out competitive rewards for their efforts and are given all the advertising tools they need for promoting the platform. Fortrade offers a comprehensive suite of advanced technologies for online trading, as well as a unique product mix that enables their partners to render additional services and make even more profits.
- Commission per sale: Up to $700
- How long are commissions earned: Not specified
- Payout frequency: Not specified
- Minimum earnings for payout: No
- Payment method: USD
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Not specified
Read more about the program here.
AvaTrade
AvaTrade is a platform that has provided brokerage services since 2006, amassing a respectably-sized user base of more than 200 thousand individuals with its straightforward, fair business values and practices. This fully regulated broker is located in Dublin, Ireland and has a presence in Europe, South Africa, the Middle East, British Virgin Islands, Australia and Japan. The platform mostly deals with forex and CFDs on stocks, commodities, indexes, forex, and cryptocurrencies. AvaTrade records monthly trade volumes of cca. 2 million trades, through which traders exchange around 60 billion pounds during that same timeframe. They offer an affiliate program called “AvaPartner” which has apparently paid over $250 million to the platform’s partners so far.
- Commission per sale: Revenue share or CPA ($250 per customer)
- How long are commissions earned: Not specified
- Payout frequency: Monthly
- Minimum earnings for payout: $400
- Payment method: Not specified
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Yes
Read more about the program here.
BitStarz
BitStarz comes from a growing industry of cryptocurrency-focused casinos. BitStarz games include slots, jackpots, table games, and BTC games. The platform is the first casino where you can play with EUR and Bitcoins. BitStarz also offers a live casino that’s complete with live dealers and real-time gameplay. BitStarz states that with the provably fair features, users can easily verify inputs of the game to see if things are actually legit and randomly generated.
- Commission per sale: Up to 40% a month
- How long are commissions earned: 3 months
- Payout frequency: Your commission will be paid directly into your affiliate account on the 5th of each month
- Minimum earnings for payout: 0.02 BTC or €100
- Payment method: Bitcoin
- Monitoring of your affiliate statistics: Tracked through cookies
Read more about the program here.
Conclusion
Other than these that we listed above, there are ever more crypto affiliate programs spawning by day; be it any of the popular crypto bots, crypto tax calculators or bitcoin lending platforms – monetization options for affiliates in crypto are abundant.
