5 best crypto referral programs for 2026
Jan 27, 2026・5 min read
Sometimes all you need is a crypto referral code to get a friend or family member to take the plunge. To encourage new users, these crypto referral bonuses often reward both the sender and recipient with discounts or free tokens.
With more and more centralized exchanges (CEXs) offering crypto referral programs, it could pay to review the latest offerings and learn how they work. This article covers the best crypto referral programs, their potential benefits, and tax implications for using this rewards strategy.
What are crypto referral programs, and how do they work?
Referral programs are a common marketing initiative where a business incentivizes current users to bring new clients onto its platform. In the context of crypto, these promotions often look like sharing special links or codes from CEXs to potential traders, with rewards for both the referrer and referee. As long as the new user meets the referral program’s terms and conditions, both parties receive extra funds or discounts on products and services.
Although the goal of these strategies is to attract new users, referral programs also reward loyal customers who go out of their way to recommend the company.
Types of crypto referral programs
Sometimes a referral bonus is as straightforward as sending someone a link to create a new account. In other cases, it takes a specific action – such as a number of trades or an initial deposit – to claim these bonuses.
Although every exchange has unique rules for its referral rewards, here are a few common ways they structure these programs:
- Simple “invite and earn” crypto bonuses: The lowest-effort referral program involves sharing a link with friends and getting them to sign up using your link. While some of these referral bonuses may require trading activity or a minimum deposit within a few days, the barriers to claiming free crypto are low for both parties.
- Tiered referral programs: Instead of attracting new accounts who sign up and never trade, a tiered referral program encourages referrers to bring on users who actively participate on the platform. The more a referred user invests and trades, the bigger their referrer’s rewards.
- Affiliate programs: For more consistent rewards, a referrer could partner with an exchange to offer affiliate links that give them a share of what was earned, such as trading fees or subscription commissions. These more professional programs are ideal for people who have high visibility and marketing experience, such as online influencers, crypto community leaders, and crypto-focused small businesses.
- Referral multipliers or seasonal campaigns: To generate excitement and drive a sense of urgency, companies might boost their referral rewards to highlight a special product launch or celebrate major holidays. Aside from increasing the standard referral rate, these promotions can include limited-time non-fungible token (NFT) specials or a competitive leaderboard to win higher trading bonuses, among other perks.
How to choose a crypto referral program
Platforms design referral programs to sound enticing, but there are often many stipulations to consider. Review all the rules of a referral program to understand what’s behind these crypto benefits.
There are four main features to look for in a crypto referral program:
- Reward reliability: Ideally, the fine print should clearly outline the requirements for claiming rewards, without vague language or hidden details. If a user needs more information on how this referral works, they should be able to reach the company quickly and easily.
- Trustworthiness and regulatory status: Look into a company or protocol’s reputation in the crypto industry to reduce the risk of falling for a scam. High transparency standards (including third-party audits), a long history of security, and regulatory compliance are all good signs for a referral program’s legitimacy.
- Reward amount and type: The same referral reward types and sizes won’t be attractive for every user. For example, trading fee rebates are ideal for very active traders, while crypto investors typically prefer fixed crypto or fiat rewards. Different kinds of rewards also have unique tax implications.
- Frequency of payout: Not every referral program instantly deposits rewards. Traders often prefer faster payouts because they improve cash flow and reduce counterparty risks like nonpayment.
2025
Crypto Tax
Guide is here
CoinTracker's definitive guide to Bitcoin & crypto taxes provides everything you need to know to file your 2024 crypto taxes accurately.
The 5 best crypto referral programs for 2026
Many of the world’s largest CEXs use referral programs year-round to expand their user base. However, crypto platforms constantly update their offerings, so it’s essential to double-check the latest official requirements.
Here are five of the strongest crypto referral programs right now.
Coinbase
Rather than offering incentives to create a standard trading account, the popular CEX Coinbase has a referral program for its premium Coinbase One memberships. For customers in the United States who already have a Coinbase One account, it’s possible to earn $10 discounts on monthly subscription fees (capped at $100) for each referral that uses a free 30-day trial of Coinbase One, then pays for one month of membership. New users who use the referral link also get a $10 discount on their first monthly fee.
Binance
On Binance’s flagship exchange, users can opt for one of two referral programs: Lite or Pro. Those who use “Referral Lite” are eligible for trading fee vouchers of up to $100 if the referee buys at least $50 of crypto within their first 14 days. By contrast, "Referral Pro” receives a commission on every new successful referral’s trading volume.
Note that these programs aren’t available to U.S. customers, who can only use the subsidiary Binance.US. At the time of writing, Binance.US offers a $10 referral reward for account holders who get new users to join the platform and trade $100 worth of crypto within 30 days.
Crypto.com
The Crypto.com platform has a tiered referral program that rewards both referrers and referees, depending on each user’s country of residence and the referee’s 30-day trading volume. Rewards range from $5 to $75, and users can increase their rewards by staking the native Cronos (CRO) token or applying for the metal Crypto.com Visa debit card.
Gemini
The U.S. CEX Gemini offers two ways to earn $50 in crypto for each successful referral. First, if a Gemini user gets someone to create an account and trade $100 in crypto within 30 days of sign-up, the referrer qualifies for a $50 crypto reward. Second, if someone has Gemini’s Mastercard credit card, they can earn $50 in crypto if a referee also signs up for the card and makes a purchase.
Robinhood
Robinhood supports crypto trading, but its referral program rewards users with free stock in a U.S. company rather than cryptocurrency. Eligible U.S. users can send referral codes to friends in the U.S. and receive fractional shares in companies like Tesla or Microsoft, valued anywhere between $5 and $200.
Are crypto referral rewards taxable?
Whenever a U.S. crypto trader receives reward tokens from activities like referrals, the IRS takes the cryptocurrency as income. Users must keep detailed records of the fair market value (FMV) of these rewards when they claim them and submit them to the IRS on Schedule 1 as miscellaneous income, or on Schedule C if users earn referral rewards as part of their business.
For example, if someone earns 0.0001 Bitcoin (BTC) when one BTC is worth $100,000, the FMV they have to pay tax on is $10. This $10 also serves as the user’s cost basis for BTC, which they subtract from future sales to determine their taxable capital gain.
Keep up with your referral rewards with CoinTracker
Referral links are one way to earn free crypto throughout the year, but anyone who gets tokens needs to share detailed records of their earnings with the IRS. CoinTracker takes the stress out of recording the FMV for each of these referral rewards, as well as other crypto transactions on exchanges and self-custodial wallets. Just link exchange APIs and public wallet addresses to get a real-time view into your crypto activity on our Portfolio Tracker. CoinTracker can also import all these details into IRS-ready forms.
Managing your crypto assets shouldn’t be complicated. CoinTracker lets you track your entire portfolio across multiple exchanges and wallets, all in one place. Join the three million users who rely on CoinTracker for a seamless crypto experience – start free today.
Disclaimer: This post is informational only and is not intended as tax advice. For tax advice, please consult a tax professional.