Over the last decade, I’ve spent a good part of my professional life helping fintech and SaaS companies grow, scale, and secure partnerships. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that monetization models don’t stay still. What worked five years ago rarely works today.
So lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how Web3 is reshaping the way B2B platforms earn. Not just in theory, but in practice. And I believe there’s a real shift underway—from charging clients flat fees or API subscriptions to earning from activity itself. To me, that’s powerful.
Let me explain.
The Limitations of Traditional SaaS Monetization
We’re all familiar with the SaaS model. Monthly subscriptions, feature-based tiers, or API call pricing. It’s predictable. It scales. But for platforms serving traders, investors, or automated strategies, this model creates friction. Users end up paying upfront whether or not they actually profit.
And let’s be honest: many smaller tools and startups struggle to justify recurring fees in an increasingly competitive market. I've seen great products fail simply because their revenue model couldn’t keep pace with user expectations.
Web3 Changes the Game
What Web3 allows—and what I’m excited about—is monetizing value delivered, not access granted. If your platform enables trading activity, copy trading, or algorithmic execution, there are now ways to plug into real trading infrastructure and earn from the volume your users generate.
That’s where the broker model comes in.
Why Broker Models Make Sense
Here’s the basic idea: instead of building your own exchange or relying on advertising, you become a gateway to liquidity. You connect users to an existing exchange (like WhiteBIT, in one example I’ve been exploring), and you earn a percentage of their trading fees.
Think about it:
No need to manage order books or custody.
You focus on UX, analytics, AI overlays—whatever makes your tool better.
And in return, you earn a cut every time your users place a trade.
This isn’t speculation—this is happening.
A Case Study: WhiteBIT’s Broker Program
Let’s take a concrete example. The WhiteBIT Broker Program offers up to 40% revenue share for trades executed via your platform. If your users are already trading or running bots, you don’t need to charge them more—you just need to connect the pipes.
What I particularly like is that they’ve thought beyond pure revshare. They support:
Co-marketing (blog posts, AMA sessions, tournaments)
Bounty programs for active users
Even paid campaigns with influencers and retargeting
In other words: they’re treating brokers like growth partners. And that, in my opinion, is the future.
Who Is This For?
This isn’t just for big institutional desks or trading firms. It’s ideal for:
Portfolio tracking tools
Copy trading platforms
Trading bots and AI strategies
Multi-exchange dashboards
Even educational apps that help users learn trading
Basically, anyone who facilitates crypto trading but doesn’t want to become a full-blown exchange.
My Take
Personally, I think this model will define the next wave of fintech-Web3 crossover. We’ll see fewer walled gardens and more protocols offering shared incentives.
If you're building in this space, my advice is simple: don’t reinvent the wheel. Partner with infrastructure that lets you scale with your users.
WhiteBIT’s Broker Program is a good starting point to explore this. But more importantly, start thinking about monetization not as a paywall, but as a flow of value that you can align with.
Would love to hear thoughts from others building in this direction.
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