In-app traffic for crypto brands means buying ads inside mobile apps (games, utilities, news and finance apps) and paying on CPC or CPM, with optimization on what happens after the install. We run exclusive mobile inventory and performance-focused sources for crypto and iGaming advertisers who care about one thing: users who deposit and trade.

What we deliver

  • High-volume in-app traffic across Android and iOS.
  • Geo targeting and audience segmentation, so Tier-1 and growing markets never share one campaign.
  • Premium placements, not the leftover inventory that ad networks fill at the end of the auction.
  • CPC and CPM buying, with strong CTR and real engagement, for acquisition, retargeting and scaling.

Why crypto brands buy in-app at all

Think about where a new trader actually signs up. Not on a desktop. Most people open an exchange or wallet for the first time on a phone, often minutes after seeing an ad inside another app. In-app puts you in that moment at scale.

Policy is the other half of the story. Google allows exchange and software wallet ads only for certified advertisers holding a licence in each approved country, and bans DeFi trading protocols, unhosted wallets and unregulated dApps entirely (Google Ads crypto policy). If you're a new exchange, a Web3 wallet or a DeFi product, search ads may simply be closed to you. In-app networks with their own moderation are one of the few channels that can deliver mobile volume.

CPC or CPM for crypto in-app traffic

Start on CPC while you're testing, then move proven placements to CPM to scale cheaper. CPC caps the cost of learning which placements and creatives convert; CPM lowers the price per user once you know. Running both side by side is normal. Here's how we decide in practice.

Start on CPC when you have no data yet. You pay only for clicks, which caps the cost of finding out which placements and creatives work. It's the safer test model for a new offer or a new geo.

Move to CPM once you know which placements convert. CPM is cheaper per user on proven inventory, and it gives you control over reach and frequency. The catch: on bad placements you're paying for impressions nobody acts on. So CPM only makes sense after the CPC test has given you a whitelist.

We usually run both side by side for a while. CPC keeps exploring, CPM scales what's already proven.

Optimize for deposits, not installs

Here's the mistake we see in almost every crypto in-app account we audit. The campaign is optimized for installs, the dashboard looks great, and the exchange sees thousands of installs with almost nobody passing KYC.

Installs are easy to buy. Depositors aren't.

We set up event tracking through your MMP (AppsFlyer, Adjust or similar) for registration, KYC, first deposit and first trade. Then we optimize on the deepest event that has enough data. Usually that means starting on registration and moving to deposit as volume grows. On AppLovin we've used the same approach to scale crypto and iGaming apps, see scaling in-app traffic with AppLovin.

Fraud checks we run

Mobile is where fraud lives. Before scaling any source we check four things:

  • Click-to-install time. Installs a few seconds after the click, or days later, usually mean click injection or click spamming.
  • Installs without events. A source with thousands of installs and zero registrations gets cut.
  • Device clusters. The same device models and OS versions in suspicious volumes.
  • Odd-hour spikes in the target geo.

Placements that pass go into a whitelist, and the next campaign starts from it.

How much in-app traffic for crypto costs

Price depends on geo, format and OS more than anything else. For real numbers by country, see our in-app video ads benchmarks for 2026. For a full crypto test we usually recommend a budget from $3,000–5,000, explained in how much a crypto marketing agency costs.

FAQ

Does in-app advertising work for crypto apps?

Yes, especially for wallets, exchanges and Web3 apps with a mobile version. In-app delivers mobile volume fast and isn't bound by Google's crypto restrictions, but it works only if you optimize for deposits or trades instead of installs.

Should I buy in-app traffic on CPC or CPM?

Start on CPC to test placements and creatives with limited risk. Move proven placements to CPM to scale cheaper. Running both in parallel is common.

How do you measure in-app campaigns for crypto?

Through an MMP such as AppsFlyer or Adjust, with events for registration, KYC, first deposit and first trade. Sources are compared by cost per depositor and trading volume by cohort.

How do you protect a crypto in-app campaign from fraud?

Check click-to-install time, installs without events, device clusters and odd-hour spikes. Cut bad placements early and build whitelists from good ones.

Can I use the same campaign for iGaming and crypto?

No. Different audiences, creatives and moderation rules. We run them as separate campaigns even on the same network.

Our results with deposit-focused crypto campaigns: 3,095 traders and 8.45× ROI in 30 days. Terms like CPI, FTD and postback are in our crypto marketing glossary.

Open to direct partnerships, agencies, affiliate networks and media buyers. Get in touch and we'll suggest a test plan and placements for your geo. More case studies are in the blog.