Last updated on October 14, 2020
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Over the past few years, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have surged in search engine queries and the public interest. A growing desire for all things blockchain and digital currency has produced many exchanges, applications, products, and services. The appetite to trade cryptocurrencies has increased as well. However, making money with bitcoin and cryptos aren’t limited to only buying and selling them.
Many crypto exchanges and SaaS companies utilize affiliate marketing programs to grow their users, trading volumes, and sales. An affiliate program compensates publishers (bloggers, YouTubers, and influencers) for sending traffic to a merchant’s site. The merchant specifies the action(s) and policies required to generate a commission; for example, the merchant will pay the affiliate a commission rate of 40 percent on the referral’s trading fees. That compensation plan is equivalent to a revenue share program.
A merchant may use one or multiple cost-per-action (CPA) models, which include cost per sale (CPS), cost per lead (CPL)/pay per lead (PPL), and cost per transaction (CPT)/pay per transaction (PPT). A transaction could be a trade, money transfer, or other activity involving money.
Merchants use in-house, private portal, or affiliate network tracking software. In-house software is a unique application that’s typically created by a developer who works for the merchant. Also, the software isn’t available commercially. For instance, Paxful uses a one-of-a-kind affiliate tracking app. Private portal software is hosted on the developer’s server and enables a one-to-one relationship between the advertiser and publisher. Tapfiliate and iDevAffiliate are examples of standalone portal apps. Affiliate networks host programs and allow users to view many merchants in one place, i.e., a one-to-many user interface. For instance, Impact and CJ Affiliate have multiple crypto merchants on their platforms. In-house and affiliate network apps dominate cryptocurrency affiliate programs.
Crypto exchanges lead affiliate program offers, followed by wallets and financial planning apps. Most programs don’t disclose their cookie durations but an industry-standard of 30 to 90 days can be assumed. Many merchants lure publishers with recurring commission payouts that pay for a user’s lifetime activities. Suppose you refer Alice to Paxful. Alice gets verified and starts trading, takes a break for a year, and then resumes trading. Regardless of when Alice trades, you’ll earn 50 percent of her trading fees. On the other hand, some companies limit payouts to months or cycles; for example, Coinbase limits earnings to three months.
Can you make money with bitcoin and crypto affiliate programs? Yes, you can. While public interest and excitement have died down, millions of people trade cryptos, and companies are developing blockchain-based technologies. Secondly, crypto affiliate programs pay some of the most generous commission rates in performance marketing. Finally, I’ve made money with a few programs so you can as well.
Best Cryptocurrency Affiliate Programs
Let’s review the best bitcoin and crypto affiliate programs. Although the advertiser pool remains small, new programs are surfacing each day. Many programs pay affiliates in bitcoins and cryptos, including litecoin, ethereum, ripple, but cash is common too. Amazon and eBay have affiliate programs and sell crypto-related products, including apparel, books, accessories, and more.
A company might not mention an affiliate program on its website but may have one. Merchants typically link to their affiliate programs in their website menus and footers, and some offer programs on multiple networks.
Crypto Exchange Affiliate Programs
Xcoins
Xcoins is a leading platform that lets you buy Bitcoin online securely using a Visa or MasterCard debit card or credit card. It’s trusted by over 250,000 satisfied customers globally. Learn about the Xcoins affiliate program.
- Cost per action (CPA): Cost per transaction
- Commission rate: $20%
- Payout threshold: $50
- Payment options: PayPal
Paxful
Paxful enables buyers and sellers to trade bitcoin online.
- CPA: Cost per transaction
- Commission rate: 50%
- Payout threshold: $0
- Payment options: Cryptocurrency
Binance
Binance is one of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges by trading volume and provides a comprehensive investing platform with access to hundreds of cryptos. Learn about the Binance affiliate program.
- CPA: Cost per transaction
- Commission rate: Up to 40%
- Payout threshold: $0
- Payment options: Cryptocurrency
YouHodler
YouHodler is a “one-stop-shop” crypto-fiat wallet to get crypto-backed loans. It offers lendings, savings, storage, and exchange products to boost your returns. Learn about the YouHodler affiliate program.
- CPA: Cost per transaction
- Commission rate: Up to $100
- Payout threshold: $50
- Payment options: Cash or cryptocurrency
BitMEX
BitMEX is a P2P trading platform that offers leveraged contracts that are bought and sold in Bitcoin. Learn about the BitMEX affiliate program.
- CPA: Cost per transaction
- Commission rate: Up to 20%
- Payout threshold: $0
- Payment options: Cryptocurrency
CEX.io
CEX is a leading cryptocurrency exchange offering Bitcoin, Bitcoin Cash, Bitcoin Gold, Ethereum, Zcash, Dash, and other trading options. Learn about the CEX affiliate program.
- CPA: Cost per transaction
- Commission rate: 30%
- Payout threshold: $0
- Payment options: Bank account
Changelly
Changelly is a cryptocurrency exchange providing the ability to instantly and seamlessly exchange digital currencies. Learn about the Changelly affiliate program.
- CPA: Cost per transaction
- Commission rate: 50%
- Payout threshold: $0
- Payment options: Cryptocurrency
Coinbase
Coinbase is an exchange that supports heavily traded cryptos, including bitcoin, ethereum, litecoin, and more. It also offers tools and products for pro traders and businesses. Learn about the Coinbase affiliate program on Impact.
- CPA: Cost per transaction
- Commission rate: 50%
- Payout threshold: $10
- Payment options: Bank account and PayPal
Coinmama
Coinmama offers an easy, fast, and secure way to purchase Bitcoin and Ethereum. Affiliates earn Bitcoins while helping Coinmama gain new customers. Learn about the Coinmama affiliate program.
- CPA: Cost per transaction
- Commission rate: 15%
- Payout threshold: $0
- Payment options: Cryptocurrency
eToro
eToro is a social trading and multi-asset brokerage company that focuses on providing financial and copy trading services. Learn about the eToro affiliate program.
- CPA: Pay per lead
- Commission rate: $200
- Payout threshold: $50
- Payment options: Bank account
Exmo
Exmo is a cryptocurrency exchange and wallet that promises to offer low commissions, high security, fast deposits/withdrawals, and a user-friendly interface. Learn about the Exmo referral program.
- CPA: Cost per transaction
- Commission rate: 25%
- Payout threshold: $0
- Payment options: Cryptocurrency
Kraken
Kraken is one of the world’s largest and oldest bitcoin exchanges with the widest selection of digital assets and national currencies. Learn about the Kraken affiliate program.
- CPA: Cost per transaction
- Commission rate: 20%
- Payout threshold: $0
- Payment options: Bank account
KuCoin
KuCoin is a cryptocurrency exchange that specializes in many unique low-
- CPA: Cost per transaction
- Commission rate: Up to 50%
- Payout threshold: $0
- Payment options: Cryptocurrency
LocalBitcoins
LocalBitcoins allows users to post advertisements regarding exchange rates and payment methods for buying and selling bitcoins. Learn about the LocalBitcoins affiliate program.
- CPA: Cost per transaction
- Commission rate: Up to 40%
- Payout threshold: $0
- Payment options: Cryptocurrency
Monfex
Monfex makes crypto trading simple. Its flexibility, user-friendly interface, trading features, and security makes it the optimal choice for traders and investors. Learn about the Monfex affiliate program.
- CPA: Cost per transaction
- Commission rate: CPA $500-$850 or up to 50%
- Payout threshold: $0
- Payment options: Cryptocurrency
Poloniex
Poloniex is one of the largest and most popular cryptocurrency market platforms in the world. It has over 100 markets available for spot trading. Learn about the Poloniex referral program.
- CPA: Cost per transaction
- Commission rate: 20%
- Payout threshold: $0
- Payment options: Cryptocurrency
TAGZ
TAGZ is the world’s largest crypto exchange by global reported volume via CoinMarketCap. Learn about the TAGZ affiliate program.
- CPA: Cost per transaction
- Commission rate: 25%
- Payout threshold: $0
- Payment options: Cryptocurrency
TradeStation
TradeStation is a discount brokerage offering low-cost stock, ETF, options, and more. Learn about the TradeStation affiliate program on Impact.
- CPA: pay per transaction
- Commission rate: $50
- Payout threshold: $10
- Payment options: Bank account and PayPal
Wirex
Wirex enables users to buy, hold, and exchange up to 19 crypto and traditional currencies. Use the Wirex Visa travel card to spend abroad and save. Learn about the Wirex affiliate program on Impact.
- CPA: Pay per lead
- Commission rate: $10
- Payout threshold: $10
- Payment options: Bank account or PayPal
Crypto Wallet Affiliate Programs
Like a traditional wallet that you use to store money, an altcoin or bitcoin wallet is used to store private keys—a string of letters and numbers that produce a specific bitcoin address. There are different types of wallets, and wallets are usually encrypted with passwords for maximum security.
TRASTRA
TRASTRA offers a cryptocurrency debit card for payments, a multi-currency wallet, and web and mobile apps for users in the EU and UK. Learn about the TRASTRA affiliate program.
- CPA: Pay per user activation
- Commission rate: 5€ per card activation + 0.2% from crypto exchange volume
- Payout threshold: 0€
- Payment options: Cryptocurrency
Ledger Wallet
Ledger is a leader in security and infrastructure solutions for cryptocurrencies and blockchain applications. Learn about the Ledger Wallet affiliate program.
- CPA: Pay per sale
- Commission rate: 10%
- Payout threshold: 50 EUR
- Payment options: Cryptocurrency
KeepKey
KeepKey is a hardware wallet that secures bitcoin, ethereum, litecoin, and other altcoins. Learn about the KeepKey affiliate program.
- CPA: Pay per sale
- Commission rate: 25%
- Payout threshold: $50
- Payment options: PayPal
TREZOR
TREZOR is a hardware wallet providing advanced security for handling bitcoin private keys. Learn about the TREZOR affiliate program.
- CPA: Pay per sale
- Commission rate: 25%
- Payout threshold: $50
- Payment options: PayPal
Other Crypto Affiliate Programs
BitcoinIRA
BitcoinIRA is a full-service solution that allows you to invest in Bitcoin and Ethereum using an Individual Retirement Account. Learn about the BitcoinIRA affiliate program.
- CPA: Pay per lead
- Commission rate: 3%
- Payout threshold: $100
- Payment options: PayPal
BlockFi
BlockFi helps crypto investors manage digital assets and earn crypto by offering crypto interest accounts, crypto trading, and crypto-backed loans. Learn about the BlockFi affiliate program on Impact.
- CPA: Pay per transaction
- Commission rate: Up to $500
- Payout threshold: $10
- Payment options: Bank account or PayPal
Brave Browser
Brave is on a mission to fix the web by giving users a safer, faster, and better browsing experience while growing support for content creators. Learn about the Brave affiliate program.
- CPA: Pay per install
- Commission rate: $7.50
- Payout threshold: $0
- Payment options: Cryptocurrency (Basic Attention Tokens)
