Makara Referral Code | Discontinued — Acquired by Betterment

Heads up: the Makara referral code program is discontinued. Makara marketed itself as the first SEC-registered crypto robo-advisor, and the referral link this page used to promote gave new users $20 in free crypto — but Makara was acquired by Betterment in February 2022 and stopped operating as its own company. There’s no Makara referral code to redeem anymore.

✦ SEC-registered advisor ⚑ Acquired Feb 2022 ⏱ Retired Oct 2022

Discontinued

Acquired by Betterment — kept for the record.

See What Happened

Program closed · Historical record

Why Makara called itself “SEC-registered”

Makara’s pitch leaned hard on being an SEC-registered investment advisor — a meaningful distinction in crypto, where most platforms are exchanges or brokers, not registered advisors bound by a fiduciary-style regulatory framework. That registration was part of what made Makara’s automated crypto portfolios feel more like a traditional robo-advisor (think Betterment or Wealthfront) than a typical crypto exchange.

It’s also likely why Betterment — a robo-advisor itself — wanted Makara specifically. The acquisition, announced in February 2022, gave Betterment a ready-made, already-registered crypto product instead of building one from scratch. Betterment relaunched the technology in October 2022 as “Crypto Investing by Betterment,” and the standalone Makara app, referral program, and $20 sign-up bonus were retired along with the brand.

Makara never used a typed-in alphanumeric code — like several apps in this space, it worked off referral links instead, and ours simply doesn’t route anywhere useful anymore. We don’t have a working affiliate link for Betterment’s crypto product to swap in its place. For a live, working crypto sign-up bonus today, our recommendation is Gemini, a regulated US exchange — our Gemini link currently pays new users $10 in Bitcoin after signing up and trading $100 in the first 30 days.

Related on Couponsuck

LLuno Promo Code: 8QETNSMoney & Banking VVaro App Promo Code: No Code Needed — Up to $1,000/yr Referral (2026)Money & Banking

Affiliate link: we may earn a commission when you use our codes.

See also: our other Makara sign-up bonus page (same discontinued program, robo-advisor mechanics) and our Coinbase referral code.

Makara original referral code — discontinued after Betterment acquisition

About Makara

If you were looking for the referral code specifically

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there still a Makara referral code?
No. Makara operated on referral links rather than typed codes, and even those stopped working once Makara was folded into Betterment in 2022.

Was Makara a scam?
No — Makara was a legitimate, SEC-registered robo-advisor that was acquired by Betterment, a well-established company. It wasn’t a collapse or fraud case, just a normal startup acquisition that ended the standalone brand.

Can I still invest in themed crypto portfolios like Makara offered?
Betterment’s crypto product, built on Makara’s original technology, offers themed crypto portfolios today, though it’s a separate sign-up from the old Makara app.

What’s the closest live alternative to Makara?
For hands-on crypto buying rather than automated portfolios, a regulated exchange like Gemini is the closest live option we currently recommend. See our Gemini crypto promo code page.

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