Crypto Projects That Generate High, Real Revenue

by Marija Matic
By Marija Matic

In the fast-paced world of cryptos, hype gets potential investors’ attention. 

In our universe, community-building is essential to a coin’s potential success. So, the act of getting people to pay attention when a new coin is released is somewhat of a rite of passage.

But the hype that gets generated (if they are lucky) might not always translate into genuine value. 

That said, a select few crypto protocols have proven their ability to generate significant revenue over time.

And, in select cases, they also find ways to “share the wealth” with their communities:

  • Buyback-and-distribute: This is when a protocol uses a portion of its revenue to buy back tokens from the market and redistribute them to holders.
  • Buyback-and-burn: In this inflation-controlling mechanism, a protocol buys back tokens from the market. Then it permanently removes them from circulation, which reduces the total supply. This deflationary dynamic can serve to boost the value of the remaining tokens.

For those who trade stocks, these strategies can be likened to a company paying a dividend (distribute) or repurchasing its own shares (burn).

And the effects can be similar in the crypto world. In fact, …

Improved tokenomics can greatly influence market perception. 

For example, Binance Coin (BNB, “C+”) has seen immediate positive effects from its burn events. 

It’s also seen longer-term ones, too. Its price performance peaked in June after years of consistent burning of its supply.

That’s just one example of many.

Here’s a look at some of the top revenue-generating protocols:

Source: DefiLlama. Click here to see full-sized image.

 

Stablecoins Tether (USDT) and Circle’s USDC sit at the top of the revenue charts. They generate billions through interest on reserves and transaction fees. 

Tether earned $93.6 million in fees alone in just the past week. However, this revenue is not shared with tokenholders.

In contrast, let’s look at a newer stablecoin project like Ethena's USDe. 

USDe offers yields to tokenholders by generating staking yields from Ethereum while earning funding rates from short positions. 

Source: Fortune. Click here to see full-sized image.

 

However, during market downturns, funding rates can temporarily turn negative. This in turn can impact yields. 

Plus, regulatory restrictions may also limit availability in certain jurisdictions, such as the United States. 

But as you can see, there are multiple ways to make money with crypto. So, let’s move to our more volatile friends.

Bank Some Revenue from
Lending Protocols

Let’s consider the lending protocol Aave (AAVE, “C+”)

Aave is a long-standing and top-earning DeFi project. Its Total Value Locked (TVL) and net profit have consistently outperformed broader market trends. 

In yesterday’s Weiss Crypto Daily, my colleague Dr. Bruce Ng noted its recent trading action. He even named Aave as one of “3 Amazing Altcoins Ready for a Rebound.”

Beyond its positive price performance, Aave has also established dominance on nearly every network it has deployed to.

This success has enabled the Aave DAO (that’s Decentralized Autonomous Organization) to become self-sufficient. 

The Aave DAO has also been able to accumulate a substantial treasury of ETH and stablecoins.

And, yes, there are rewards in store. The protocol’s recent "Buy and Distribute" proposal aims to redistribute excess revenue to holders. 

This has garnered support and contributed to AAVE’s recent upward trend, even amid broader market downturn. 

So, I agree with Dr. Bruce that one shouldn’t overlook this long-standing giant.

Want Perp(etual) Payouts?
Consider Perp DEXes

Perpetual Decentralized Exchanges (Perp DEXes) are making waves as some of the highest-earning and top-performing protocols in the crypto space.

These exchanges offer "perpetual" margin trading. In other words, they allow users to trade without worrying about settlement dates.

One effective way to tap into the revenue of Perp DEXes is by buying Liquidity Provider Tokens (LPTs). 

These tokens are given as a receipt to users who provide liquidity to trading pools. 

In return, LPT holders receive a share of the fees generated by the pool.

This revenue-sharing approach, where liquidity providers act as a counterparty to all trades, has proven successful.

And it’s likely to keep thriving thanks to its win-win nature for all participants.

For instance, Jupiter's JLP pool is a leading success story. 

In just three months, Jupiter has become the third-largest Perp DEX globally by trading volume, capturing a 12% market share. 

JLP price since November 2023. Source: CoinGecko. Click here to see full-sized image.

 

This success has positively impacted the price of the Jupiter Liquidity Provider (JLP, Not Yet Rated) token, which distributes earnings directly to its holders.

2 More Ways to Generate Revenue
from Revenue Generators

In addition to the well-established revenue-generating giants, there are several emerging protocols that show great promise. Here are two worth considering.

Banana Gun (BANANA, Not Yet Rated) is a popular trading bot. 

It operates on Telegram and web platforms, focusing on trading within the Solana blockchain. And it features an "Auto Sniper" tool for automated token transactions. 

The BANANA token, associated with this bot, offers holders benefits such as voting rights, rebates and access to exclusive features. 

Notably, Banana Gun shares its revenue with tokenholders, which contributed to the token's price reaching an all-time high in July.

Rollbit (RLB, Not Yet Rated) is another intriguing project with a buyback-and-burn mechanism. However, it carries higher risk and is not available on centralized exchanges. 

This high-revenue gambling platform provides a range of services. Those include casino games, sports betting and leveraged futures trading. 

Its native token, RLB, is relatively small in market size. But it is currently emerging from a six-month downtrend. 

This creates a potentially compelling short-term opportunity.

It’s ‘Bananas’ How Many Options There Are!

While established protocols like BNB and AAVE continue to prove their value, emerging projects also offer promising revenue opportunities. 

By analyzing factors such as tokenomics, utility and market trends, investors can identify potential high-revenue protocols and capitalize on their growth.

If you’d rather hunt for high-yielding opportunities alongside me, come to Boca Raton, Florida, this coming May 4-6. Reserve your spot here.

That’s because, at the 2025 Weiss Investment Summit, I’ll demonstrate live and in person how to start new positions from scratch. 

So, bring your laptop to the beautiful Boca Raton resort so you can trade right alongside me! Will I see you there?

We’ve just opened the doors and seats are already filling up. We only have 300 available. Once those are reserved, the doors are closed until 2026. 

So, don’t wait. Save your spot at the 2025 Weiss Investment Summit today.

Best,

Marija Matić

About the Contributor

Marija Matic is a master superyield hunter. That is, she is an expert at finding crypto income opportunities that offer outsized yields. She's equally adept at explaining these multi-step processes simply and clearly for investors who want to explore this relatively uncharted, and therefore fertile, area of the major crypto exchanges and blockchains.

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