Deep dives|Oct 21, 2025 · Updated Oct 6, 2026|6 min read
Why Choose Merkl for Your Reward Programs?
Thinking about launching incentive campaigns and wondering which service or partner can do it best?
Incentives are not just token transfers, they’re infrastructure, and they require a robust, reliable, and scalable system to calculate and distribute millions of rewards to millions of users accurately.
Merkl is the most complete solution, deeply integrated into the DeFi ecosystem, secured through its non-custodial model, and unmatched in technical depth.
Let’s take a closer look at what makes Merkl stand out and why it’s the best choice for your incentive programs.

Deepest Integration in the DeFi Ecosystem
Extensive DeFi Protocol Support
Merkl is the most integrated incentive platform in DeFi.
The Merkl engine is trusted by 1,000+ companies and covers almost all activities you might want to incentivize. This eliminates integration costs and allows you to launch campaigns fast.
Rewards Displayed on Top DeFi Apps
Merkl’s API is integrated with major DeFi applications like Uniswap, Aave, Morpho, Curve, Euler, and more, so your reward APRs appear automatically, and users can claim their rewards directly on these apps for a seamless experience.
Today, the Merkl API powers interactions for over 5 million monthly active users, giving your campaigns unmatched visibility across the most used DeFi frontends.

The Most Secure Model
No need for your users to trust Merkl to participate in reward campaigns.
With Merkl, users never deposit funds into our platform. Instead, they deposit liquidity directly into the incentivized DeFi protocols. Merkl then detects offchain that the required actions have occurred and that the user is eligible for rewards. At no point do users need to lock their assets in a Merkl smart contract.
This approach contrasts with other incentive platforms, where liquidity providers must transfer their assets into platform-managed vaults, increasing the attack surface and significantly raising risks for users.
Learn more about Merkl’s security model →
Unmatched Technical Depth
Reward Forwarding
Merkl is the incentive platform offering the most advanced technology, making reward campaigns scalable, transparent, and reliable.
One of the main benefits of using Merkl is the ability to leverage its reward forwarding technology. The Merkl engine can detect when a smart contract is eligible for receiving rewards (for example when it has deposited liquidity into an incentivized vault) and forward the rewards to the original owners of the funds, avoiding misdistribution.
Merkl can even mirror the protocol’s logic when forwarding rewards, so if a protocol charges fees on accrued rewards, Merkl automatically accounts for them and replicates that logic in the reward distribution.
Cross-Chain Rewards
Merkl allows you to incentivize activity on one chain while distributing the rewards on another.
For example, users might deposit USDC into a vault on Ethereum while receiving UNI tokens on Arbitrum as rewards. By distributing rewards across multiple blockchains, you can maximize reach and flexibility.
These advanced features come at no extra cost, giving you access to the most sophisticated capabilities without additional fees.
Discover the future of incentives →
Unparalleled Level of Customization
Tailored Campaign Designs
One of Merkl’s greatest strengths, which sets it apart from competitors, is its flexibility.
The possibilities for customizing incentive campaigns are limitless.
For example, Merkl created a new campaign type tailored specifically to Morpho’s goals, and also developed the first bot-proof, human-verified reward campaigns in collaboration with World Chain.
Beyond these specific cases, Merkl offers a wide range of customization options, including referral programs, reward boosts, and more. Additional options can also be built on demand to meet your unique needs.
Flexible Distribution Models
Reward campaigns on Merkl can be set up with variable, fixed, or capped reward rates to fit any strategy.
Rewards can be distributed proportionally based on time-weighted liquidity, or users can earn a predefined amount per unit of liquidity, regardless of total liquidity. You can also create campaigns with a capped reward rate to ensure a maximum APR is never exceeded.
Rewards can be distributed in tokens or points, depending on your program’s design.
Customize your rewards program with Merkl →
The Most Engaged DeFi Users
Instantly Reach 10k+ Daily Users
The Merkl app is a go-to destination for DeFi users seeking yield opportunities. All reward campaigns launched via Merkl are automatically displayed on the app, where users can also claim rewards directly.
Currently, there are ~1,000 live opportunities on the Merkl App, across 60+ chains!
With Merkl, your program instantly reaches over 10,000 daily users and 200k monthly active users managing billions in capital, giving your campaign unmatched visibility among active yield-seekers.
Dedicated Dashboard for Your Project
Every project that launches a campaign with Merkl gets a dedicated page on the app. This page can be fully customized to provide a cohesive, branded experience for your users while effectively promoting your rewards.

The Most User-Friendly Platform
Seamless, Effortless, Gas-Efficient
Users can claim new rewards approximately every 5 hours , ensuring a smooth and continuous distribution of incentives. No staking or locking is required, Merkl’s reward infrastructure is based entirely on onchain data.
In addition, Merkl’s gas-efficient design allows users to batch multiple rewards into a single transaction, drastically reducing gas costs and improving the claiming experience. This ensures your community benefits from rewards in the most user-friendly and economical way possible.
Already Well Known by Your Community
Merkl is already a familiar name among active DeFi participants.
With over 5 million addresses rewarded to date, the platform has built a trusted and engaged user base. Many of your community members have likely already used Merkl’s interface to claim rewards, meaning there’s no learning curve or onboarding friction.
Proven Track Record
The Most Used Incentive Platform
Merkl is the #1 incentive platform in DeFi, with over $1.8 billion in rewards distributed to date.
Thousands of pools and assets have been incentivized, over 50 programs run, and more than 50,000 campaigns created.
Merkl powers incentive programs for the biggest brands in the space, including Aave, Uniswap, Plasma, Arbitrum, Morpho, and many others, demonstrating its reliability and trustworthiness.
The platform has been a pioneer in crypto incentives, continuously refining its processes since 2023 to maximize campaign impact and enhance user satisfaction.
Leading-Speed Customer Support
With Merkl, a dedicated account manager guides you through campaign creation, answers your questions, and sets up a discussion group on Telegram or Slack, with an average response time of only 2 minutes.
Conclusion
Merkl is the most powerful solution for DeFi incentive programs, combining deep integration with the ecosystem, unmatched technical capabilities, flexible and customizable campaigns, and access to a highly engaged user base.
With a proven track record, over $1.8 billion in rewards distributed, and dedicated support that responds in minutes, Merkl empowers projects to launch, manage, and scale reward programs confidently and efficiently.
Choosing Merkl means choosing a platform that is secure, reliable, and built to maximize the impact of every campaign while providing a seamless experience for both projects and users.
Comparative Summary - Merkl vs. Competitors
| Criteria | Merkl | Other platforms |
|---|---|---|
| Protocol support | Trusted by 1,000+ companies, with native support for Uniswap, Aave, Morpho, Curve, Euler, and more | Protocol coverage varies; new integrations can require custom work per campaign |
| Reward APR integration | Reward APRs are automatically displayed on major DeFi app frontends | Limited visibility; users must visit multiple apps to calculate total APR (native + rewards) |
| Security model | Non-custodial; users keep funds in DeFi protocols; no asset custody risk | Some models require deposits into platform-managed vaults |
| Features | Reward forwarding that traces ownership through up to seven layers of contracts, plus cross-chain reward distribution | Forwarding depth and cross-chain support vary by platform |
| Customization | Highly flexible; tailor-made campaigns with boosts, bot-proof options, referrals, and more | Standardized campaign templates; minimal customization |
| Distribution types | Variable, fixed, or capped reward rates, with the ability to design new types | Usually limited to variable or fixed reward rates |
| User reach | Direct access to 10k+ daily / 200k+ monthly active users managing billions in capital | Smaller or closed user communities |
| Campaign visibility | Dedicated, branded dashboard for each project | Generic listings without brand customization |
| User awareness | Already known by millions, including your community; loved for gas efficiency and continuous rewards | Often unfamiliar to users, requires onboarding; may have higher gas costs and less frequent reward distribution |
| Track record | #1 incentive platform, live since 2023, with $1.8B+ rewards distributed | Newer platforms with limited scale and smaller cumulative rewards |
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