Some links on TheWeal are affiliate links. When you click an affiliate link and complete an action on the partner site (typically opening an account, sometimes funding it), TheWeal earns a commission. This page tells you which programs we participate in, where the links appear, and how this does — and does not — affect editorial coverage.
Last updated: May 28, 2026.
Why we run affiliate programs at all
Affiliate revenue is one of three revenue streams that sustain TheWeal. The other two are display advertising and newsletter sponsorship. We chose this mix deliberately:
- Affiliate revenue from regulated exchanges aligns with reader interests in a defensible way — readers were already going to use an exchange; we link to ones we’ve assessed as reputable.
- Display advertising is sold on a CPM basis to general advertisers (some crypto, some not), is clearly visually differentiated, and is not negotiated with any project we cover.
- Newsletter sponsorship is occasional and limited to non-coverage-relevant advertisers.
We do not run sponsored articles disguised as editorial. We do not negotiate “favourable coverage in exchange for affiliate priority.” Editorial decisions are not coordinated with the partnerships team.
Which programs we participate in
TheWeal currently participates in the following affiliate programs:
| Partner | Program type | Where the link appears |
|---|---|---|
| Binance | Account signup + first-trade commission | “Major venues” cards on coin pages; markets table trade links |
| Coinbase | Account signup commission | “Major venues” cards on coin pages |
| Kraken | Account signup commission | “Major venues” cards on coin pages |
| OKX | Account signup + trading-volume commission | “Major venues” cards on coin pages |
| Selected hardware-wallet manufacturers | Direct product affiliate | Within Learn hub guides on self-custody where relevant |
We do not have affiliate relationships with: any DeFi protocol whose token we cover, any L1 or L2 chain we cover, any infrastructure project we cover, any specific token launch.
How affiliate links are marked
Every affiliate link on TheWeal:
- Uses the HTML attributes
rel="nofollow sponsored noopener"as required by Google’s link-attribute guidance. - Opens in a new tab so you don’t lose your place on TheWeal.
- Appears in a tagged context — affiliate link contexts are visually distinct (a card or a button labelled “Trade →” / “Open account →”) rather than embedded inline in editorial text.
- Carries a small affiliate-disclosure note nearby (“External venue links may be affiliate-tracked. Disclosure.”) pointing to this page.
You will not encounter an inline affiliate link embedded in a news paragraph. You will encounter affiliate-tagged cards in clearly differentiated contexts (e.g., the “Major venues” row on each coin page).
How much we earn
Commission structures vary by program. The general ranges are:
- Account signup commissions: $5 to $80 per qualifying new account, depending on the partner.
- Trading-volume commissions: a fraction of fees paid by users who signed up via our link, often capped or time-limited (e.g., 6 months after signup).
- Hardware wallet affiliate: typically 5–10% of the product price.
The aggregate revenue from affiliates is meaningful to TheWeal’s operating budget but is not the dominant revenue stream. We will publish summary financials annually starting with the 2026 financial year.
How affiliate relationships do not influence editorial
Specifically:
- Coverage decisions are made by editors who do not have visibility into partnership program rates.
- Critical coverage of an affiliate partner does not require partnerships team approval and has occurred.
- We do not write product reviews of exchanges in exchange for affiliate consideration.
- The order of exchanges listed on coin pages is alphabetical (or, on the markets sub-section, ranked by independent third-party volume data from CoinGecko). The order is not influenced by which partner pays the highest commission.
- If a partner asks for “more favourable coverage” in exchange for higher affiliate rates, we decline the rate.
FTC and consumer-protection compliance
This affiliate disclosure complies with the US Federal Trade Commission’s Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (16 CFR Part 255). It also satisfies the equivalent disclosure requirements in the UK CMA Online Choice Architecture guidance and the EU Digital Services Act.
If you have any reason to believe a specific affiliate placement on TheWeal violates disclosure requirements, email compliance@theweal.com. We review every report.
What this is not
- This is not a list of “best exchanges”. Inclusion in the affiliate program does not mean we recommend any specific exchange for any specific reader.
- This is not paid promotional content. Affiliate cards are clearly differentiated from editorial text.
- This is not all the exchanges that exist. Many reputable venues are not in the affiliate program because their commission structures or terms did not work for us.
Reader notes
If you would prefer not to use an affiliate link, you can navigate to any partner exchange directly without going through TheWeal. There is no penalty to you either way. We earn the commission when you use our link; we do not earn when you don’t.
Contact
Questions about affiliate relationships: partnerships@theweal.com. Editorial-related complaints: editor@theweal.com.