dYdX has launched a redesigned affiliate program that raises base commissions and introduces time-limited booster campaigns to accelerate referrals and trading volume. The move, tied to recent protocol updates, shifts the program toward a performance-based sliding scale that materially increases earning potential for top referrers.
The changes matter because they align promotional incentives with on-chain upgrades and fee policy changes, concentrating rewards on non‑BTC trading activity and real trading volume. That makes the program both a user-acquisition tool and a revenue-allocation lever for the protocol.
The central change for DYDX is a new sliding commission feature introduced alongside protocol updates such as v9.4. The platform doubled its base taker-fee share for affiliates from 15% to 30%, then added volume-linked tiers that scale up to 50% of taker fees for the highest performers. Affiliates earn higher percentages as referred trading volume rises over a rolling 30‑day window.
Under the new rules, surpassing certain volume thresholds unlocks steeper shares: referring more than $1 million in 30 days lifts commissions to 40%, while driving over $10 million in the same period qualifies an affiliate for 50% revenue share for the subsequent 30 days.
Jumps in effective payouts are meaningful: the program estimates top referrers could generate up to about $10.000 per referral within a 30‑day span under peak performance scenarios. Payouts are described as real‑time, and the entry barrier was lowered to just $10 in referred volume to activate an affiliate link.
Booster program, timing and mechanics
dYdX accompanied the commission overhaul with a series of time-limited Booster Program campaigns to amplify uptake. The first iteration began on 19 january and will run through 16 of february, backed by a $100.000 USDC rewards pool to drive short‑term referral activity. In parallel, a community‑approved, simplified rebate program started on 1 de ene. de 2026 and will extend for six months, intended to foster sustained affiliate engagement.
The program deliberately excludes BTC trading volume from reward calculations and avoids leaderboard-style rank payouts. That design prioritizes direct volume contribution over competitive gamification and focuses incentives on trading pairs other than Bitcoin. These changes were implemented in concert with fee adjustments in v9.4, which removed maker and taker fees for Bitcoin and Solana trading—an alignment that both improves the trading environment and reshapes what affiliate promotion is rewarded for.
For market participants and partners, the immediate implication is clearer alignment between promotional effort and reward: affiliates who can direct high, sustained volumes stand to gain materially. Exchanges and liquidity providers will watch whether the combination of fee changes and boosted referral economics increases non‑BTC derivatives flow without creating arbitrage or artificial volume.
Investors and affiliates are now turning their attention to the close of the first booster on 16 de feb. de 2026, which will function as an early test of whether the revised structure drives durable growth and deeper engagement on the platform.
