Proposal for Indigo Protocol Affiliate Program & Program Manager
Introduction
As competition in DeFi grows and marketwide liquidity remains flat, Indigo Protocol must expand beyond its current user base by attracting new users to the protocol, including passive ADA holders, users from other blockchains, and newcomers to Cardano DeFi.
To accomplish this, the Protocol Outreach Group (POG) proposes implementing an Indigo Affiliate Program which will leverage content creators and influencers to bring attention to the project and ultimately drive up adoption.
This Program aims to boost user acquisition, engagement, and ecosystem growth through an incentive model that rewards affiliates for promoting staking, CDPs, Stability Pools, and other core Indigo features as the Protocol evolves.
In addition to approving the creation of the Program, we recommend that the Indigo Foundation retain a Program Manager to run the Program and help build a strong affiliate network. This role will be essential in scaling the Protocol’s marketing strategy and ensuring sustainable growth through strategic relationships.
The Program is proposed to run through 2025, with any extension subject to further DAO approval.
Objectives
The primary objectives of this proposal are:
1. Build Affiliate Network: The Program Manager will build and grow a successful affiliate network that drives user acquisition, community engagement, and transaction volume for the Indigo Protocol by identifying, onboarding, and supporting key affiliates to expand the Protocol’s reach ensuring long-term growth.
2. Boost User Acquisition: Affiliate links will incentivize users to share Indigo Protocol with their networks, bringing in new participants and increased transactions.
3. Foster Community Growth: Empower influencers and content creators to educate, engage, and promote the Indigo Protocol, strengthening the overall ecosystem.
4. Align Incentives for Sustainable Growth: Reward affiliates through an attractive and performance-based incentive model, ensuring long-term participation and consistent Protocol support.
Benefits
1. Higher User Engagement & Activity: Affiliates will drive new users and increase participation across Indigo Protocol, boosting overall platform engagement.
2. Cost-Effective Marketing: The program primarily rewards performance, ensuring marketing expenses directly contribute to user growth and Protocol adoption.
3. Incentives for Quality Content: A hybrid incentive structure creates a mutually beneficial environment whilst motivating affiliates to create high-impact content, driving traffic and conversions.
4. Sustained Ecosystem Growth: By rewarding long-term engagement, the program helps the Protocol retain active users, fostering a thriving and sustainable DeFi ecosystem.
Affiliate Program Structure
Proposal: Retainer + Commission
The Affiliate Program will launch as a hybrid model that features a base retainer alongside a performance-based commission model.
This structure will incorporate industry best practices, current market rates, and insights from other crypto affiliate programs, creating a win-win situation for affiliates and Indigo Protocol.
To ensure a mutually beneficial arrangement, we suggest providing a retainer for the first 2-3 months of each initial affiliate’s contract. Additional commission payments will be earned based on activity generated through referral links within the Indigo ecosystem.
We propose this retainer since this is a new initiative and it will likely take 2-3 months to collect key data and refine commission metrics. The initial retainer will support affiliates during this period, ensuring a smooth launch.
Retainer amounts will be determined for each initial affiliate by follower count, engagement, and content quality. To qualify for the retainer, affiliates must meet the minimum content creation requirements outlined in this proposal.
The Program will be USD-pegged but paid in INDY tokens. In the event the value of ADA and or INDY increases, the budget will automatically scale accordingly.
How It Works
The Affiliate Program will operate on an invitation-only basis. The Program Manager will be responsible for identifying, onboarding, and collaborating with affiliates to promote Indigo Protocol effectively.
Once live, affiliates will be provided with personalized referral links that track the users’ activity they refer to Indigo Protocol. These links will grant affiliates a commission on key metrics and revenue generated by the referred users such as:
- Staking/CDP Interest/Yield Fees/Other Ventures:** Earnings from users staking their INDY, Interest from CDPs, or participating in stability pools, alongside other key metrics and ventures.
The monthly retainer will depend on audience size, community engagement, market rates, and budget requirements. As previously mentioned, to qualify for the retainer, affiliates must meet the minimum content creation objectives outlined in this proposal.
By using the affiliate link, the end user will receive a sign-up bonus such as $10USD of INDY after the minimum requirements have been met as per below.
Retainer Minimum Requirements
In line with market conditions and complementing the commission structure detailed below, a retainer will be offered to affiliates who contribute specific content. For example:
- Educational Content: Creating one Indigo-specific video per month and including four mid-roll callouts.
- DeFi Related Spaces: Hosting DeFi spaces with other key projects, content creators, and deFi ninjas to assist with bringing more attention and education to the platform.
Providing a monthly retainer ensures that affiliates are fairly rewarded for their content, creating a mutually beneficial arrangement. We believe that this practice also aligns with industry standards.
Commission Allocation
The commission will be paid entirely to the affiliate who referred the user. This commission will be calculated based on a set of key metrics tied to the end user’s activities. Affiliates will receive their payments in $INDY, with payouts guaranteed monthly for the duration of the contract term. Applicable payments will be made via the Foundation’s wallet multisig.
This ensures that affiliates are fully rewarded for their efforts in driving user acquisition and generating activity on the platform, with incentives aligned to the growth of Indigo Protocol.
Implementation Timeline
Phase 1: Affiliate Program Setup (1 Month)
Indigo Foundation to retain a dedicated Program Manager.
- Program Manager in conjunction with the Foundation will finalize the commission amounts and structure.
- Tech team to implement the technical infrastructure to manage affiliate links and commissions.
- Create custom affiliate dashboards/reports for users to track performance. Ideally, this will show all affiliate’s performance to create healthy competition.
Phase 2: Launch and Community Outreach (Ongoing)
- Officially launch the affiliate program with focused outreach to key influencers.
- Provide affiliates with content as required and continuous support on how to participate, start earning, and boost affiliate commissions.
Phase 3: Ongoing Monitoring and Optimization (Ongoing)
- Continuously track the success of the affiliate program.
- Gather feedback from affiliates and users, and make necessary adjustments to optimize the program.
Eligibility Requirements
The Indigo Protocol Affiliate Program is exclusively invitation-based. To qualify, affiliates must meet minimum standards such as follower count and engagement criteria.
All potential applicants will go through an approval process, where the Partnership Manager and the Indigo Foundation will assess content quality, audience engagement, and alignment with the Indigo Protocol’s objectives. Affiliates are expected to showcase a strong capability to engage, educate, and influence large audiences across DeFi and crypto communities.
Program Budget and Sustainability
We propose allocating ~5% of treasury funds equal to 250,000 INDY (not any ADA) to support the Affiliate Program. The Program Manager will receive a salary based on current market conditions and suitability, with the remainder being available for retaining affiliates and paying earned commissions. The current market rates for a similar role span from $50k-$250k annually, with the average being $90k-$100k annually.
This allocation ensures sustainability while aligning with the Protocol’s overall financial strategy. The Program will primarily be performance-driven, with affiliate commissions tied to key activity metrics and revenue generated from referred users, ensuring resources are used efficiently.
If the value of INDY and ADA increases, the funding pool will scale proportionally, maintaining the Program’s scalability and long-term sustainability.
A crucial aspect of the Program is aligning funding with its success, starting gradually and scaling sustainably as momentum grows to ensure its longevity.
Parameters, Terms & Conditions
To maintain fairness and ensure that affiliates drive meaningful and long-term engagement, certain conditions will apply to participation, including minimum staking duration and position sizes across stability pools and CDPs. These will likely be refined by the Program Manager/Foundation and likely be refined throughout the duration of the program. For example;
- Minimum Staking Duration: Referred users must stake INDY for a minimum period (e.g., 30/60/90 days) to qualify for staking-related affiliate bonuses.
- Minimum Stability Pool Position Size: For affiliates to earn commissions from liquidity provision, referred users must meet a minimum SP position size (e.g., $5,000USD) and hold their position for a set duration (e.g., 30/60/90 days).
- Minimum CDP Position Size and Duration: To qualify for commissions from referred users opening CDPs, a minimum exposure (e.g., $25,000) and duration (e.g., 30/60/90 days) will be required.
- Contract length: 6 months or the remainder of 2025 initially, open to a possible extension subject to DAO approval
A similar set of conditions will apply to the end user who wishes to collect their ‘sign up bonus’ of $10 or % of liquidity put into the protocol.
These requirements ensure that affiliates encourage users to engage meaningfully with the platform, rather than making short-term moves solely for affiliate rewards.
Program Manager
The Program Manager will be responsible for overseeing and growing the Indigo Protocol Affiliate Program. This role involves building and managing relationships with affiliates, ensuring they have the tools, resources, and incentives to effectively promote the platform.
The Manager will identify key influencers and strategic partners, onboard them into the affiliate network, and provide continuous support to drive user acquisition, community engagement, and revenue generation.
The Manager will be responsible for ensuring that affiliates are aligned with Indigo Protocol’s goals, actively promoting core features like staking, collateralized debt positions (CDPs), stability pools, and other key protocol features as they roll out.
Additionally, the Manager will monitor affiliate performance, track referral activities, and ensure that payouts are processed efficiently and on time. The Manager will also work closely with the technical team to ensure seamless integration of tracking systems, reporting tools, and dashboards, enabling affiliates to easily track their progress against other affiliate members.
This position requires a proactive, results-driven individual with strong communication skills and a deep understanding of affiliate marketing within the crypto and DeFi ecosystems. The Partnership Manager will play a pivotal role in scaling the Indigo Protocol, enhancing its marketing efforts, and fostering sustainable growth by cultivating long-term relationships with affiliates.
The Indigo Foundation will manage the filling of this position.
Conclusion
The proposed Indigo Protocol Affiliate Program is a strategic initiative to fuel the growth of the Protocol by rewarding affiliates for acquiring new users and driving long-term engagement. By offering incentives that are largely tied to protocol growth, this program creates a win-win scenario for both the Protocol and its affiliates. As affiliates drive traffic, trading, and liquidity, Indigo Protocol will continue to strengthen its position within the DeFi ecosystem.
We welcome community feedback on this proposal and, with approval, look forward to launching the affiliate program to drive Indigo Protocol’s growth and expand its reach beyond expectations.