13 Best Ways to Earn Money with Crypto in 2025
The crypto space keeps evolving, and so do the ways to earn money with it. In the early days, earning crypto mostly meant mining Bitcoin or getting paid in tokens for simple tasks. Fast forward to 2025, and there is now a wide range of options. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned trader, there are opportunities for everyone. Let’s take a look at the top 13 ways to earn money with crypto this year.
For nostalgia, our first blog about earning crypto was in 2018 and got over 600k reads. We helped a lot of people start their crypto journey, and today we hope to help you start yours.
A Brief History of Earning with Crypto
Back in 2009, Bitcoin miners earned rewards just by running a program. In 2013, faucets gave away free coins. Then came ICOs, staking, and airdrops. Each cycle introduced new methods. In 2021, play-to-earn and DeFi exploded. Now in 2025, we see a blend of strategies from passive income to high-risk trading—all powered by evolving tech and user behavior.
Read this fun story on how AirdropAlert started back in 2017, when it was a brand new thing.
1. Airdrop Farming
Airdrop farming is one of the most popular ways to earn money with crypto in 2025. It involves using early-stage blockchain apps in hopes of receiving free tokens when they launch. The best part? You don’t need to invest a lot upfront. Just interact with platforms, complete quests, or provide feedback. This strategy has become a cornerstone for many crypto users looking to stack rewards without high upfront costs.
Key platforms offering these opportunities include zkSync, Starknet, Base, Abstract, and Berachain. Wallets like Rabby and MetaMask are great for multi-chain interaction. For the latest updates and upcoming airdrop opportunities, check out AirdropAlert.com—it’s your go-to hub for discovering new airdrops and farming guides.
You can start by reading our ultimate farming guide, or just dive straight into the world of airdrops.
2. Buy and Hold Bitcoin (HODLing)
It’s old-school, but it still works. Buying and holding Bitcoin long-term has historically been one of the most profitable strategies. With increasing institutional interest and supply halving, Bitcoin remains a strong bet.
In 2025, HODLing still pays off—especially with ETFs, sovereign interest, and new Layer 2 development. Platforms like Binance, Bybit, and Ledger make it easy to accumulate Bitcoin and store it securely. For many, this remains the backbone of their crypto portfolio.
3. Day Trading Larger Market Cap Coins
If you’re more experienced, day trading coins like ETH, SOL, or AVAX can be lucrative. These coins have enough volume and volatility to provide good entry and exit points.
Use tools like TradingView, CoinGecko alerts, and on-chain sentiment trackers. Combine technical analysis with market psychology to maximize gains. However, discipline is key—set stop losses, avoid overtrading, and learn from your results.
Study our series of trading guides to improve your skills.
There are often airdrop opportunities as well when you are trading. Hyperliquid and DyDx are prime examples of DEXs that airdropped huge amounts of tokens to active traders.
4. Staking and Restaking
Staking remains a go-to method for passive income. You lock your tokens to help secure a network and earn yield. In 2025, restaking has added an exciting layer, letting users reuse staked assets across protocols. This allows for earning multiple rewards on the same capital, multiplying your returns with minimal additional risk.
EigenLayer, EtherFi, and KelpDAO are leading this charge. They even offer point systems for potential future airdrops. Staking is becoming more composable and accessible, making it one of the most efficient ways to earn money with crypto.
We often publish staking platforms that have points programs, which is a big signal for a potential airdrop coming soon. You can find an overview of staking and restaking options here, and keep an eye on our DeFi section for staking airdrop opportunities.
5. Liquidity Providing (LP) and Yield Farming
This involves supplying crypto to decentralized exchanges. In return, you earn a portion of the trading fees or protocol rewards. LPs are essential to DeFi. It helps power swaps, lending, and various DeFi services.
However, risks like impermanent loss exist. That’s why you should use tools to simulate returns and losses. Protocols like Uniswap, Curve, and Maverick offer dynamic LP tools. With smart planning, yield farming can generate steady returns and even bonus token incentives.
6. Play-to-Earn Gaming and Gaming Airdrops
Gaming is a fun way to earn crypto. Some games pay users in tokens or NFTs just for playing. Others reward testers with future airdrops. These games merge entertainment and finance, attracting millions of players worldwide.
Projects like Portal, Pixels, and a variety of new Arbitrum-based games offer unique tokenomics and airdrop opportunities. By participating early, players gain access to exclusive NFTs, tokens, or whitelists. Many gaming platforms now integrate social-fi elements, allowing you to earn through engagement and community building.
We post new Play-to-Earn games every week, so make sure you join the fun soon. Here’s a curated list of P2E airdrops that we recently published.
7. AI-Powered Crypto Tools
AI is changing crypto forever. From trading bots to portfolio assistants, AI tools can help automate your gains. Some AI platforms even share profit with users who stake their tokens. In 2025, these tools have become smarter and more user-friendly.
Virtuals Protocol, Kaito AI, and TokenScript are at the forefront, and some have retroactive airdrops coming. These tools can analyze market data, find arbitrage, or suggest optimized strategies. Whether you’re a beginner or pro, AI can enhance your crypto earnings and free up your time.
Here’s a recent list of airdrops in the AI niche.
8. Lending and Borrowing
You can lend your crypto to earn interest. Or you can borrow against your holdings without selling. Lending platforms offer stable returns, especially with stablecoins. This is ideal for people looking for low-risk, passive income.
Platforms like Aave, Compound, and Morpho Blue support a wide range of assets. In 2025, many also offer point-based systems for potential future token rewards and airdrops. DeFi lending has matured, with added layers of insurance and security, making it safer for retail users. You can also lend on NFTs on platforms like Blur and NFTfi.
9. NFT Flipping and Digital Collectibles
NFTs are still alive and evolving. In 2025, the focus has shifted toward utility NFTs and gaming assets. Flipping rare items or collectibles can yield great returns if you catch trends early.
Marketplaces like Tensor, Magic Eden , and OpenSea 2.0 have added features for bulk trading, sniping tools, and analytics. Timing is crucial. Look for low-mint supply, active communities, or tie-ins with DeFi or gaming protocols. Many NFTs also come with staking or governance perks. They are mostly active on Ethereum, Solana, and Bitcoin (for Ordinals).
10. Affiliate and Referral Programs
Many crypto platforms offer referral bonuses. You can earn commissions by inviting friends to use wallets, DEXs, or airdrop platforms. The more users you bring in, the more you earn.
This is great for creators, influencers, or newsletter owners. Projects like LayerZero, Orbiter, Solflare, and even CEXs run ongoing referral campaigns. Some reward you in tokens, others in points convertible into rewards. It’s a solid income stream if you have an audience or community.
11. Trading Meme Coins
Meme coins are no joke when it comes to profit potential. Coins like $DOGE, $PEPE, $POPCAT, and $MOO DENG have turned small investments into life-changing returns. The trick is getting in early and riding the hype.
Most of these tokens launch on platforms like Pump.fun, Raydium, Ethervm, or through Telegram bots. Speed and community sentiment are crucial here. But beware, meme coin trading is extremely volatile. Always use proper risk management and never go all-in. If done wisely, meme coins can offer massive upside.
As trading memes require a completely different strategy, we wrote a guide on it.
12. Running a Validator or Node
If you’re technically skilled, running a node or validator can be very rewarding. You help secure a blockchain network and receive tokens as compensation. In many cases, early node operators also qualify for token airdrops when the network goes live.
This strategy requires hardware setup and technical know-how, but it’s a solid way to earn crypto over time. Projects like Shardeum, Fuel, and Celestia have testnets where participation can lead to token allocations. It’s a long-term play with serious upside potential.
A fairly new section is Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePin). Not as complicated as setting up a node, but usually requires you to run a plugin or extension. And guess what? They often reward you with free tokens. Check out a recent list of DePin options here.
13. Farming Bonuses at Exchanges and Casinos
Crypto casinos and centralized exchanges often offer lucrative bonuses, loyalty points, or rewards for participation. In 2025, many users farm these offers in a delta-neutral way—by minimizing risk while capturing the upside.
For example, deposit bonuses at casinos can be farmed by placing opposing bets or using low-risk strategies to meet wagering requirements. Exchanges offer volume-based bonuses, trading fee refunds, or token incentives. Platforms like Bitcasino, Rollbit, and MEXC run seasonal promotions you can optimize with bots or structured trades.
This method requires strategy and sometimes a bit of scripting, but if done right, it’s a great source of low-risk crypto income. Last month, we shared our picks for the best crypto casinos and exchanges. You should check those out.
Stay Safe
With all these exciting ways to earn money with crypto, it’s also important to stay safe. Scams, phishing links, and rug pulls still exist in 2025. Always verify the legitimacy of platforms, never share your private keys, and double-check links before connecting your wallet. Use hardware wallets for long-term storage and enable 2FA on all your accounts. Safety should always come before profits.
Outro
Crypto is no longer just about HODLing or mining. In 2025, there are dozens of ways to earn money with crypto—some passive, some hands-on. Whether you’re gaming, staking, farming, or trading, there’s something for every type of user.
Just remember: do your own research, manage your risks, and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
The world of crypto moves fast, but if you stay ahead of the curve, it can be one of the most rewarding opportunities out there.
If you enjoyed this blog, you may want to check out our airdrop-related guides and content.
As always, don’t forget to claim your bonus below on Bybit. See you next time!
2025-04-21 23:52:00
#Ways #Earn #Money #Crypto
