Makara Referral Code | Discontinued — Acquired by Betterment

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.