The dYdX community has officially passed the v9.4 software upgrade which introduces one of the most exciting changes to the protocol to date: the Sliding Affiliate Fee Feature. This update unlocks a new era of affiliate rewards on the dYdX Chain and allows the community to move toward a more dynamic, performance-based model for partner incentives.

A More Rewarding Affiliate Experience

With v9.4 now live, the community voted to revamp the affiliate program by replacing the current static VIP tier system with a sliding, volume-based structure. Under this new model: 

• Affiliates will now automatically earn 30% of taker fees from their referred trading volume, a 2x increase from the previous 15% baseline commission.
• Under this new structure, affiliates start at 30% revenue share and can earn up to 50%, depending on the total trading volume they refer over a trailing 30-day period. In other words, the more volume affiliates generate, the higher their commission.

Here are the new tiers:

‍

For example, affiliates who refer over $10M in trading volume within a 30-day window will automatically earn a 50% revenue share over the following 30 days. If their volume later decreases, their rate adjusts accordingly. This creates a system that’s transparent, merit-based, and built to continuously reward real impact.

Why This Matters

The Sliding Affiliate Fee Feature marks a major step forward in aligning incentives across the dYdX ecosystem. The previous VIP model relied on static tiers that required governance proposals to adjust or expand. This new structure is designed to:

• Reward performance: Affiliates earn proportionally to their long-term impact on trading volume.
• Encourage consistency: Sustained engagement is rewarded, motivating affiliates to continue driving new activity.
• Reduce governance overhead: Simplify governance overhead by automating affiliate tier adjustments without the need for VIP affiliate whitelisting proposals.

Promote fairness and inclusivity: All affiliates have equal opportunity to reach higher commission levels based on performance.

Interested affiliates can unlock their custom affiliate list here and join the Telegram group here.