The Best Apps for Earning Cryptocurrency Rewards in 2025

Yield farming is one of the best ways to significantly improve returns on crypto investments using the variety of tools offered by the DeFi ecosystem. While other methods of capital allocation exist and thrive, many investors are interested specifically in various ways of acquiring assets “for free”. Some protocols offer rewards for direct financial contributions. However, many ways to earn tokens without risking capital can be utilized by crypto holders.

How to earn crypto in the DeFi sector

When the crypto industry was trying to establish itself, many new projects tried to attract users with different promotional campaigns allowing participants to earn digital assets for free. Below are some of these tools that are still used sparingly by up-and-coming protocols:

1. Faucets are token-distribution methods that have been used by protocols and Dapps hoping for rapid expansion. You could receive all sorts of different rewards by simply using the platform, performing specific actions, or just visiting the official website. In some cases, you could expect to receive Bitcoin rewards as BTC was not as valuable 10 years ago.
2. ICOs or initial coin offerings with low starting prices were also targeting new potential users who wanted to be among early adopters. ICOs were massive events promoted by influencers, media platforms, and partnered protocols or CEXes. While it was not a way to get something for free, buyers could get some tokens at very low initial prices.
3. Airdrops are still widely used by new protocols to attract users. These are special promotional events that can be conducted as single-time giveaways or over a relatively long period. In the vast majority of cases, these are accounted for in tokenomics and allow protocols to distribute native utility tokens as quickly as possible to secure a larger market share.

All these methods are considered outdated in the modern landscape of the DeFi ecosystem which has matured and rarely needs such tools. Market leaders are established. Prices are relatively stable. For instance, Aave, one of the biggest lending protocols in the DeFi sector, has a massive TVL of $17 billion. Such large protocols simply do not need additional advertising that can potentially affect token prices.

We must also warn our readers to stay away from Bitcoin faucets and free giveaways. Unfortunately, the DeFi sector is still full of scams and fraudulent projects that may use shady marketing tactics to attract users. Many BTC faucets turned out to be phishing sites that steal sensitive personal information. Be very careful when interacting with applications and websites that promise free coins.

Despite the proliferation of questionable platforms, you can still find great places to earn rewards!

Cryptocurrency rewards apps

The variety of applications that provide rewards for certain activities allows newcomers to get into the world of blockchain without risking personal funds. Some of these apps are simple mobile games while others may offer different perks and bonuses as payment for simple jobs and tasks. You won’t make a living by using them but it is a great way to earn some crypto without investing in various DeFi protocols.

Newcomers will find these tools extremely useful since you can get Ethereum rewards without the need to actively interact with the world of DeFi. Due to the difficult onboarding process, the whole crypto industry seems intimidating to beginners. However, you can always start with something simple and easily approachable.

We will cover some of the most popular options in the DeFi ecosystem and cover a variety of applications that offer rewards.

Play-to-earn games

P2E games rarely reach cultural relevance. In fact, the vast majority of them fail due to unsustainable in-game economies. One of the best examples of successful projects in this category is Axie Infinity, an auto-battling card game that allows users to create teams of Axies each representing an NFT that you can purchase on the special marketplace. Despite facing some issues with the in-game economy, it is still a big game even by the mobile market standards. The AXS token has an impressive $811 million market capitalization.

Below are some other games in this category:

1. Wreck League is a 3D action game that focuses on battles between users in real-time. The APE token distributed by the app is trading at $1.16 and has a massive $832 million market cap. The mobile game is available for Android and iOS devices. Players purchase NFTs representing in-game items, gear, and characters. They can build unique mechs that fight against each other just like in any other fighting game such as Street Fighter or Tekken.
2. STEPN is an interesting application for mobile phones. It is designed to be one of your main go-to passive income apps that give you rewards for moving. Players pick sneakers that have different levels of energy and speed. If you make enough steps to reach the limit, you will be rewarded with tokens. There are different levels for people who are willing to walk roughly 6 kilometers per hour and for those who can run up to 20 km/h. The creators call the game a “walk-to-earn” game.
3. Big Time is a free-to-play RPG game that relies on its player-driven economy to keep functioning. Players can create new items, go on adventures, trade in-game assets, and even own real estate. As of the time of writing, the BIGTIME token is trading at $0.16 and has a $189 million market cap. The game is an interesting choice for RPG enjoyers and will unlikely capture a bigger audience or attract crypto investors. It is one of many NFT games that want to become the next World of Warcraft.

Gaming is not everyone’s cup of tea. Fortunately, it is not the only way to gamify mobile and web applications to encourage user activity through rewards. Let’s talk about another huge category of apps that has been taking the world of DeFi by storm in 2024. We strongly believe that these apps will be even more popular in 2025!

Learn-to-earn in 2025

Many centralized exchanges are offering various programs to help their users become familiar with the crypto industry. It is true that the onboarding process is quite lengthy and painful for many newcomers who are not used to working with digital currencies. A newcomer will have to learn a variety of things to become proficient with various tools available to cryptocurrency users. Without additional incentives, many will give up before interacting with the industry in any meaningful way.

Take a look at the instruments that an average beginner must learn:

• Cryptocurrency wallets come in all shapes and colors. Some users prefer using simpler versions of apps and browser extensions. Others may be inclined to use hardware wallets that provide a higher level of safety. Downloading desktop apps is also a viable way to manage crypto finances. While these apps are quite similar in how they operate, it still takes a lot of time and practice to become comfortable using them.
• Decentralized exchanges and other Dapps. DEXes provides a wide range of unique services to investors interested in self-custody and hands-on financial management. These platforms are also secure and can be used without the counterparty risk of ruining the experience. Learning how these protocols operate is crucial for any crypto investor.
• Centralized exchanges do everything they can to create a seamless transition from tradfi to crypto for as many users as possible. Many CEXes have interfaces very similar to what traditional brokerage service providers use. While it is easier to use a centralized exchange like Binance or Kraken, you still need to learn how they work and what kind of services they provide.

These are just tools required to get started. Newcomers must also learn more about blockchain technology, contemporary investment instruments, derivatives, various Dapps, and more. For many, DeFi yield farming is a completely foreign concept despite the fact that many CEXes are offering gateways to this novel investment method.

Examples of L2E apps

The vast majority of L2E apps are offered by CEXes. You can find other interesting options like rewards programs on Steemit, Earnviv, and more. However, CEXes are paying in actual rewards that can be used right away.

Below are some interesting programs that you should check out:

• Coinbase has a plethora of interesting courses that are structured as quizzes that must be completed upon watching an educational video. These are usually used as promotional tools and may be unavailable to all users. Rewards are given away in tokens that are issued by protocols featured in educational videos. Previously, users had a chance to earn up to $6 worth of GRT, AMP, or NEAR.
• Binance is the biggest international crypto exchange that has a massive L2E program. Only newcomers can use it for rewards which can be given away in all sorts of tokens including ALGO, POLYX, BNB, BUSD, and many others. Rewards are often paid as a bonus to a purchase of tokens over a certain amount. Consider it a discount on any deposit in tokens featured in educational programs.
• Bake.io has several educational modules that allow users to receive rewards in different tokens. At some points, rewards in DFI, BTC, ETH-DFI, and other tokens were available to all newly registered customers of the exchange. Note that you must go through the KYC procedure to be eligible for claiming rewards.

L2E programs are excellent promotional tools that are always warmly welcomed by the community. Almost all prominent CEXes run such programs. Koinly, Phemer, CoinMarketCap, and many other platforms deserve an honorable mention.

Other means of acquiring crypto rewards

P2E and L2E are some of the most popular and well-known ways of acquiring tokens. However, you can also use a variety of other platforms and services to get some crypto for free. For example, crypto cashback is offered by some CEXes and brokers issuing credit cards backed by coins. These programs are fairly limited in scope but can be used in certain scenarios to great success!

You can also earn rewards by using apps like Earnviv where users answer surveys, play free games, participate in ruffles, and do other things to get paid in tokens!