Few tools are more powerful than a well-timed, value-packed tweet when it comes to reaping the rewards of Web3 alpha. This case study shows how one crypto influencer leveraged Ankr’s RPC service and Pioneer Program to drive over 1,800 new signups and earn a significant rewards haul in the process.

How the Influencer Dropped Alpha & Earned Rewards

Earlier in May, one DeFi influencer posted a comprehensive guide on X titled:

“Easy Guide to Deploy Aztec Sequential Node (Earn Apprentice Role)”

The thread broke down how users could quickly spin up a node for Aztec, a privacy-focused zk-rollup protocol, in order to be eligible for an expected airdrop. Among the few critical dependencies for success? An Ethereum RPC endpoint.

Rather than sending readers off to comparison charts or random free endpoints, the thread cut straight to the solution:

“Avoid issues by subscribing to Ankr for $10.”

🔗 http://ankr.com

The call-to-action converted about 800 signups in the first three days, each involving users paying at least $10 to access Ankr’s Ethereum archive and beacon RPC endpoints, giving Ankr hundreds of new customers and the influencer a very nice payday.

Why It Worked: Alignment of Value, Simplicity, and Community

Let’s break down what made this thread explode in reach and conversions:

• Direct incentive: The thread pointed to an airdrop reward by earning the “Apprentice” role in Aztec, which many assumed was connected to a future token allocation.
• Simple setup: With a total cost of $20 and a clear 4-stage tutorial, it made a complex operation feel accessible.
• Trusted tools: Rather than suggest a poorly performing RPC endpoint, the guide leaned on Ankr’s renowned reliability, solid documentation, and friendly UX.
• Referral integration: The influencer benefited from Ankr’s referral program, which gives every sign-up a dual benefit: extra credits for users and bonus points for the referrer.

This wasn't just an airdrop thread — it was a growth funnel combined with valuable developer education.

Inside Ankr’s Referral Engine: How the Influencer Got Paid

Ankr’s Pioneer Program for Web3 API Referrals is designed to reward exactly this kind of alignment between ecosystem growth and content creation.

Here’s how it works:

• Each referral signup: When a user signs up using a referral link and makes a deposit, the referrer earns bonus points, and the user receives 20% extra API credits on their first purchase. In this way, it can be very attractive to both the influencers and users to take advantage of the referral program – users are incentivized to make a large first deposit to make the most of that 20% bonus.

• Payout potential:

  Here are the official rules of the referral program.

For Referrer: The referrer will receive POINTS on REFERRER BALANCE equal to 20% of all credits spent by the referral. Voucher credit spending by the referral will not be rewarded. Rewards will be calculated once per day. There is an upper limit of $100 in rewards that a referrer can receive per referral. Once the total rewards value reaches this limit, no new rewards will be given. The referrer can use the accumulated rewards to top-up their own PAYG BALANCE. The exchange rate for POINTS to API credits is 1:1.

For Referral: The referral will receive a welcome bonus of 20% of their first deposit in the form of vouchers on PAYG BALANCE. These vouchers will have an expiration period of 30 days.

See the full terms

• No cap: There’s no limit to how many people a user can refer.

So, how much did the influencer earn?

His rewards are a gift that keeps on giving:

• 1,800 new signups (from just one of his tweets)
• If even half or less of the new users stay on the platform as users, the influencer stands to gain substantial recurring rewards.
• The influencer is now sitting on $2,100 worth of rewards. This is only the beginning for him, as users will undoubtedly deposit more, and he always has the potential to begin another campaign to onboard more users.

That’s the power of Web3-native monetization through referrals: aligned incentives, real users, real value.

Learn more about Ankr’s referral program →

Why Builders and Influencers Should Pay Attention

This case shows that Ankr’s RPC + Referral combo is more than a passive perk. It’s a legitimate creator monetization strategy and an onramp for developers looking for scalable infrastructure.

Whether you're:

• A Twitter influencer with a niche following,
• A technical educator writing tutorials,
• Or a community leader running a Discord for builders,

Ankr’s referral system gives you a scalable way to earn while helping others build.

Final Thoughts

Ankr’s RPC platform and referral program are designed for win-win growth, and this campaign proved it.

• Thousands of dollars in referral rewards.
• A fresh wave of developers onboarded to Ankr.

We have also started preparing a leaderboard for Ankr referral program participants, where we will show the most successful users and promote their channels through our website and social networks.

With Web3 tooling becoming more composable and more gamified, platforms like Ankr that align incentives with onboarding are setting the tone for what community-led infrastructure growth looks like. Whether you're building, teaching, or growing a community, Ankr offers you a way to plug in, power up, and get rewarded.

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