Drive incremental growth for your crypto app: A guide to mobile app marketing

In 2024, the global crypto market cap almost doubled, with increasing app downloads that signal strong user demand. With the market expected to grow at a 13% CAGR (compound annual growth rate) over the next five years, crypto apps must find new ways to stand out and engage users in an increasingly crowded space.

The majority of ad spend is concentrated in walled gardens like Google or Meta even though users actually spend 66% of their time outside of these ecosystems, creating a major opportunity for app marketers. Programmatic advertising enables crypto apps to reach high-intent users at scale, optimize performance, and drive cost-efficient, incremental growth beyond traditional channels.

In this guide, we’ll explore how programmatic strategies can not only unlock new growth opportunities for crypto and fintech apps but also help them gain a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving market.

Best practices to help maximize growth through programmatic channels

We distilled five best practices below to help marketers unlock success in programmatic advertising:‍

1. Leverage dynamic product ads to highlight real-time market trends

Crypto moves fast, and users are always on the lookout for opportunities. Dynamic Product Ads (DPAs) allow marketers to deliver hyper-relevant ads in real time — by showcasing up to five different cryptocurrencies, like established coins with large market caps and more volatile, emerging coins. Integrating live market data into DPAs reduces the need for manual creative updates, which not only saves time, but also boosts user engagement.

2. Make benefits front and center in creatives

Users decide within seconds whether they will engage with an ad, so highlighting key benefits immediately can significantly improve conversion rates. Incentivized welcome bonuses, referral bonuses, and promotional offers can increase the likelihood of conversions. By keeping the message concise, visually prominent, and action-driven, brands can effectively reduce friction. Ads should focus on clear CTAs and direct, benefit-driven messaging to encourage immediate engagement.

3. Test all available ad formats to maximize impact

There is no one-size-fits-all creative format. Users interact with content in different ways across different platforms, which makes testing and experimentation critical. Often, marketers may assume that one format will outperform others, but the best strategy is to run simultaneous tests across all available formats to identify what resonates with different audience segments.

4. Use geo targeting to ensure compliance 

Crypto regulations vary significantly across regions, so it’s crucial to ensure that your ads get shown to the right audience. Geo-targeting makes sure that ads are served in markets where crypto-related advertising is legally permitted.

5. Partner with platforms purpose-built for the mobile programmatic space

Maximizing outcomes in programmatic advertising requires setting clear goals, continuously monitoring campaign performance, and making data-driven adjustments. A specialized platform can support this process with always-on performance optimization, transparent reporting, and dedicated cross-functional expertise.

Industry benchmarks like Appsflyer’s Performance Index and Singular’s ROI Index highlight top-performing platforms that deliver strong results in programmatic advertising. Choosing a partner recognized in these rankings can provide marketers with the technology, insights, and support needed to refine targeting strategies and optimize spend.

Driving success for apps around the world 

Ajaib, Indonesia’s first digital brokerage platform for cryptocurrencies, stocks, and funds, sought to acquire high-value iOS users beyond walled gardens. By leveraging Moloco’s dynamic product ads (DPA) and machine learning, Ajaib drove:

• 3x higher registration rates in four months
• 3x improvement in install-to-verification conversion
• 9% lower CPR (cost per registration)

"Our partnership with Moloco has fundamentally changed how we approach user acquisition. We're now expanding our efforts outside walled gardens like Facebook and seeing tremendous value." — Ignasius Alvin, Performance Marketing Lead

Moreover, Samsung Securities in South Korea partnered with Moloco to acquire new users and boost account openings for its app 'mPOP' and increase account openings. Moloco developed in-app action optimization campaigns by leveraging real-time user data and saw:

• 10x increase in installs
• 1.5x better CPA for account openings compared to legacy channels
• 42% increase in account openings

"Moloco provided hands-on support to navigate the complexity of the financial industry, and enabled us in many aspects from campaign design to data insights to testing." — Kim Joo-gon, Senior Manager, Marketing Strategy

Start your crypto app’s growth journey with Moloco’s programmatic advertising solution 

As the crypto market evolves rapidly, marketers need to capitalize on channels, partners, and solutions to drive sustainable growth. Moloco specializes in acquiring high-value users at scale, and provides fully transparent reporting and granular insights to empower long-term strategy for marketers everywhere.

Connect with our team of experts to start optimizing your campaigns.