Adshares is an innovative advertising network tailored for the cryptocurrency sector, and we’ve recently registered with it as an alternative to some of the existing options in the industry. In this article, we’ll explore the features available for publishers managing websites like ours and examine how it operates.
First, let’s understand what Adshares aims to achieve. After completing an ICO in 2017, it has dedicated itself to developing a decentralized blockchain-based advertising network, specifically catering to crypto websites and publishers. Given the increasingly unwelcoming stance of many traditional ad networks lately (looking at you, Google Adsense), there are only a few reputable advertising networks that aren’t filled with low-quality faucets. We’ve experimented with several networks over the years, and to be honest, many have proven to be quite troublesome to navigate, not to mention the high traffic requirements and sizable minimum withdrawal thresholds set by the major players.
The Adshares platform is relatively new, and as of the time of writing (October 2021), it offers bonuses for new websites that join. These bonuses can come in the form of bonus ADS (the ERC-20 token used for payouts), which can be utilized for advertising your own site, or normal earnings that can be withdrawn to your chosen wallet or exchange.
As one of the early adopters, we needed to complete an application form and undergo an onboarding process with the team, which was a nice touch done via Zoom. We were also provided with a dedicated Telegram chat with team members to assist us in getting started. Currently, you can simply sign up on the Adshares website and apply to become a publisher. Once approved, you’ll receive login credentials for their ad server, and the first step involves adding your websites. While we have only one site, publishers managing multiple sites can add each one individually for ad placement.
The subsequent step is to configure your ad units according to the banner sizes on your website. We utilize a 728×90 and a 300×250 banner, alongside a few other configurations we could set up. When creating your ad unit, additional options are available. If you possess a dedicated server, you can implement some code in your configuration files, which they claim can help bypass ad blockers. Unfortunately, our web host doesn’t allow for this, so we couldn’t test this feature during this review, which is unfortunate considering that around 35% to 40% of our visitors have ad blockers enabled or use browsers like Brave.
There are also several useful features you can incorporate into the adzone code that provide enhanced control. There’s an option to establish a minimum CPM floor for displayed banners, allowing you to show only ads above a certain price. Furthermore, there’s an option to display ads specifically to ad-blocking browsers, in addition to a fallback option, enabling you to default to an alternative ad network should no ads be available, which is a fantastic feature. I did encounter a few issues that required some adjustments while interacting with the ad server due to commented areas in the code, but after experimenting with a few configurations, I was able to get it working as desired.
For those who wish to, and I don’t, there’s an option to enable pop-up ads on desktop or mobile. Additionally, there is a category exclusion feature that allows you to prevent specific types of ads from displaying. For instance, as I don’t want adult ads on the site, I can exclude such categories.
A particularly nice feature was the ability to review the total number of ads served. The website dashboard contains a section for rejecting banner ads, which allows me to see all the ads shown on the site, enabling me to reject those that I don’t find suitable. I haven’t encountered this level of control with other ad networks I’ve worked with, making it a significant selling point for the Adshares network.
Once everything was set up, I activated the ads on the site. Although BitcoinsInIreland.com is not the largest website on the internet—given our primary focus on the Irish market—impressions began appearing on the dashboard within minutes, with ads running smoothly. I left this running for about two weeks before writing this review to evaluate its performance over time. Our traffic closely aligns with the fluctuations in cryptocurrency prices, but as time passed, we observed consistent impressions and clicks from the ads.
Every hour, a payment (in ADS tokens) is credited to your account, so depending on your traffic volume, you may want to wait for it to accumulate or withdraw it to an ERC-20 compatible wallet or exchange that supports it directly. The exchange also features a referral program that allows you to earn up to 10% of the revenue from advertisers you bring to the platform, or you can choose to pass this referral bonus to someone you refer when setting up a referral link.
A crucial aspect I wanted to evaluate was the withdrawal process from the ad server. Although there are a few steps involved, once you complete the initial setup, subsequent withdrawals become straightforward. The first step is setting up an ADS Wallet (a browser extension), and after configuring it with your private key and seed phrase, you receive a wallet address. Input this address into the withdrawal page and confirm the withdrawal via email. The payment is queued for transaction, and upon the next block, the funds land in our wallet.
Currently, there aren’t many exchanges that list ADS, but there are DeFi platforms that support swapping it. The wallet simplifies the process. You have two primary options: firstly, wrapping it into ETH (for swapping on Uniswap), although this isn’t particularly viable due to high costs—especially with lower amounts—when it comes to wrapping it, transferring it to Uniswap, and withdrawing from there. The more efficient option was to utilize Binance Chain. I had a small amount of BNB, so I created a Binance wallet and transferred it. You can then wrap your ADS, incurring a minimal fee of a few cents. This was promptly received in my Binance wallet. I then navigated to PancakeSwap, connected my Binance wallet, and swapped it for Binance Wrapped ETH, which also had minimal fees (approximately 15 cents compared to about one-third of the cost if I had used ETH directly). This was quickly completed, and the funds were transferred to Binance, where they could be exchanged for other cryptocurrencies or fiat currency for withdrawal. Is it the most effortless way to handle things? Not entirely, but having both options provides flexibility, allowing you to either deal with high gas fees on the Ethereum blockchain or use the much more efficient Binance chain.
Overall, from a publisher’s perspective regarding Adshares, here’s a recap. The account registration was relatively simple, and the dashboard offers decent statistics that will likely improve over time. There’s a comprehensive documentation wiki addressing a lot of concerns, and having access to the support team via chat for any unanswered questions proved helpful. There’s undoubtedly room for improvement, which I believe will develop over time (e.g., implementing 2FA for login security and fixing minor issues like the category rejection functionality, which was promptly resolved after I reported it). It’s definitely a promising alternative for crypto-focused sites like this one, and if you’re managing a site that Google’s AdSense or other networks are not fond of, it’s a viable option. I’ve navigated various crypto ad networks throughout the years, and Adshares appears to be putting significant effort into creating a distinctive platform, with features that rival other major networks in the crypto domain.