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Crypto exchange in the UAE: 265 trades through influencers

Attract verified traders on an exchange in the MENA region.

$40 000budget
265trades
$150,9cost per trade
6 wksflight
within the corridor · MENA$150,9
$0corridor $70–260$299
Context

A crypto exchange wanted to attract traders in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Google Ads does not allow crypto products in the region without a local licence. Influencers and Telegram remained. Budget was $40,000 for six weeks, target was verified traders who completed at least one trade.

Launch timeline

Wave by wave

  1. Weeks 1–2

    KOL selection

    Nine crypto influencers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Checked recommendation history: three candidates had past projects that turned out to be scams — filtered out.

  2. Weeks 3–4

    Analysis and AMA

    Influencers broke down exchange fees and liquidity, with no registration calls. In parallel — seeding in Arabic-language Telegram channels.

  3. Weeks 5–6

    Promo codes

    Referral codes with a commission discount. Out of 580 registrations, 265 reached a trade — 46% conversion. Cost per trade $150.9 at MENA's high average ticket.

Decisions

What worked

Solution 01

Vetting KOL track records

Out of twelve candidates, we dropped three: their past recommendations turned out to be projects that later went bankrupt. In crypto, a KOL's reputation is the product's reputation.

Solution 02

Analysis, not calls to action

The first two waves ran with no promo codes and no links at all — analysis only. That cost us direct attribution for them, but by the third wave the audience had context and arrived through branded search.

Solution 03

46% conversion to trade

Out of 580 registrations, 265 reached their first trade — 46% conversion. For MENA this is high. The reason: KOL audiences already traded and came to compare terms, not to try.

What did not work

Seeding in Arabic Telegram channels generated plenty of clicks, but fewer than 15% of registrants passed verification. The channels attracted a news audience, not traders. Cost per trade through Telegram was three times higher than through KOLs. In week four we cut Telegram share to 20% and moved the budget to repeat integrations with the top KOLs.

Sources in this case
Crypto Influencer & KOL MarketingTelegram & Community Marketing
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Where this ran

UAEMENA
Creative languageAR · EN
Local currencyAED
Prime time21:00–01:00
Where the audience isInstagram · YouTube · Snapchat · TikTok
Regulator and licenceGCGRA licenceLicensed market · betting and casino · licence: 6–12 mo.
How the first deposit is paidCards · Apple Pay · Bank transfer · USDT

Prime time is local time: creator posts and streams are scheduled against it. The budget is fixed in dollars; the local currency is there for reconciliation with internal reports.All regulators and licences.

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