Referral rewards: How to earn ACX for using Across
Tldr; The Across referral rewards program offers bridgers a way to earn $ACX for using the cross-chain ecosystem’s best bridge solution. The program has been a success so far, but there are still plenty of rewards available for avid cross-chain explorers.
Key takeaways:
- The Across referral rewards program lets people earn $ACX for introducing friends to the bridge (and they can earn more by using the link themselves).
- Anyone who gets referred to Across is also eligible to earn $ACX through this program.
- Referral rewards can cover up to 80% of Across bridge fees, offering huge savings on transfers.
- The program has been a success so far, and over half of the allocated $ACX rewards are still available.
- With the cross-chain ecosystem expanding, the program makes exploring the fast-growing space more accessible by offsetting some of the costs.
Since launching at the end of the last crypto bull run, Across has gained recognition as the cross-chain ecosystem’s best bridge solution. Despite crypto suffering a grueling winter over the past two years, Across’ lifetime bridging volume has steadily climbed past $3 billion. It has attracted a loyal user base because it optimizes for capital and gas efficiency, offering users a bridging experience they’ll want to repeat.
One of Across’ key milestones has been its native token launch. $ACX went live in November 2022, but Across community members could get ahead and earn tokens early through a “bridge-to-earn” referral rewards initiative. The concept was simple: onboard a friend to Across to earn $ACX rewards for yourself and your friend.
Across saw a boost in bridging volumes when the program launched. The program has since been extended, meaning newcomers and longtime users alike still have an opportunity to earn $ACX for spreading the word about Across. As crypto looks ahead to its next cycle, in which cross-chain interoperability is set to be a dominant theme, we explain how to participate in the program and access the ecosystem’s best bridge at a heavily subsidized cost. Learn more below.
Reflections on the referral rewards program
The referral rewards program has offered Across advocates and any friends they onboard a way to earn ownership in the protocol. This has had several benefits:
- Establishing a community of loyal supporters.
- Increasing Across bridging volumes.
- Improving the distribution of $ACX and its holder base.
But just as importantly, the program sought to introduce people to the market’s best bridge. By paying people to use or talk about Across, the initiative aimed to improve awareness around the bridge. The idea was that when people tried it, they’d learn about its advantages and become repeat users.
The program’s success hints that this thesis was correct. Across has become one of the ecosystem’s dominant bridges, leading against its competitors. Its cumulative volume has risen throughout 2022 and 2023, topping $3 billion for the first time this month. In that time, 42%* of the $ACX supply allocated to the program has been distributed. That means over half of the allocation is still available for active bridgers.
How it works
To participate in the program, bridgers can create a unique referral link here and then share it with other potential users. When someone uses Across through a referral link, both the referrer and new user earn $ACX rewards.
Referral rewards constitute a portion of the bridge fee the new user pays when they make a transfer. The portion rewarded starts at 40% and scales up to a maximum of 80% depending on the number or volume of unique transfers made through the link.
Of the portion rewarded, the referrer receives 75% and the new user gets the remaining 25%. For example, for referrers on the Copper tier, the new user they refer receives 10% of their 40% bridge fee allocation.
The $ACX rewards accrue with new bridge transfers and are presented as part of the net fee on the Across bridging interface. Across users can claim their rewards on a monthly basis (two weeks into the month) through the Rewards tab.
The below formula shows how the net fee is calculated:
Net fee = (Bridge fee + Destination gas fee) — ACX Referral Reward
In the above example, the referrer receives $0.41 in $ACX, which represents their share of the 80% portion of their friend’s bridge fee. The referrer’s bridge fee and destination gas fee totals $0.51, giving a net fee of $0.10. The numbers below show how the net fee is calculated:
$0.10 = ($0.01 + $0.50) — $0.41
Head to our docs for a more in-depth look at how referral rewards are calculated.
Become a Referral Ranger
Across is the cross-chain ecosystem’s fastest and most cost-effective bridge. The referral rewards program makes using the protocol even more attractive. Whether self-referring by bridging with separate wallets to get 100% of the rewards or onboarding friends, participants can earn $ACX to offset their bridge costs.
Across already beats its competitors on bridging fees. This program offers experienced and new bridgers alike a way to access the space’s optimal bridging experience with negligible costs. The Across interface makes tracking rewards easy.
For those who want to level up and get the most out of the program, the Referral Rangers Bootcamp is the best place to get started. By enrolling in the Bootcamp, you’ll have access to a community of Across’ most ardent supporters, tips on winning strategies, and much more.
The cross-chain cycle
The referral rewards program makes Across more accessible, but there are other reasons it should appeal to active users. First, experienced Across users know that it’s the best bridging experience available, so it makes sense that they would want to spread the word to their friends.
Additionally, it’s been two years since crypto’s last market cycle peak. The space has suffered from a prolonged downturn, but some signs suggest that the future looks bright. Crypto’s biggest believers are now looking ahead to the next adoption cycle. When this arrives, cross-chain interoperability will have a major impact on the ecosystem.
The sheer number of new Layer 2 solutions that have hit the market in 2023 hints that the next cycle will be a cross-chain cycle. In this future, where cross-chain explodes and users need robust interoperability solutions, Across looks set to be one of Web3’s most essential projects. We believe this future is coming sooner than most people realize. And if we’re right, this is the time to double down.
Head here to join the referral rewards program now or say hi in our Discord server if you have any questions. Happy referring!
*This figure was correct as of October 2023. Across Protocol’s data and research team conducted an analysis to determine the amount of $ACX that had been distributed.
