2025 China DeFi Market: The Ultimate Practical Guide to Chinese KOL Marketing

Web3 and Decentralized Finance (DeFi) are becoming key trends in the global financial industry. According to Statista, the global DeFi market is projected to reach $1.2 trillion by 2025, with an annual growth rate exceeding 30%. In China, as regulatory policies gradually loosen, the DeFi ecosystem is rapidly growing, particularly among young, tech-savvy user groups, where demand for DeFi continues to rise. According to Chainalysis, China has become one of the largest cryptocurrency markets globally, with DeFi projects and related applications gaining increasing attention from users.


However, as competition intensifies, standing out in this vast market is a significant challenge for Web3 projects. In this context, the role of Chinese-speaking KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) is becoming increasingly prominent. KOLs play a critical role not only in traditional industry marketing but also in the promotion of Web3 and DeFi projects. This article explores how to effectively leverage Chinese KOLs to drive DeFi project marketing, analyzing relevant strategies to help project teams achieve long-term growth.Want to learn more details? Schedule an online meeting with us!



The Influence of Chinese KOLs in the China DeFi Market


The influence of Chinese KOLs in the Chinese market, especially in emerging fields like Web3 and DeFi, cannot be underestimated. According to industry reports, over 70% of Chinese youth obtain financial information through KOL content and view KOL-recommended products as trustworthy sources. In the DeFi sector, user awareness of products and platforms often relies on KOL recommendations and promotions. Thus, KOLs serve not only as a bridge for information dissemination but also as a vital tool for building user trust.


In DeFi promotion, KOLs play a particularly significant role. Unlike traditional financial products that rely on large-scale advertising, DeFi products require KOLs to provide in-depth industry insights and authentic user experiences to attract users. Leveraging their authority and influence within specific communities, KOLs can rapidly spread the advantages of DeFi, helping project teams achieve precise market positioning.


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Potential and Opportunities in the China DeFi Market


As the world’s second-largest economy and a hub for cryptocurrency trading, China has become an undeniable driving force in the Web3 and DeFi markets. With a gradually clarifying regulatory environment and policies increasingly supportive of innovation, DeFi’s potential in China is experiencing an unprecedented boom. According to the latest Chainalysis report, China accounted for nearly 10% of global cryptocurrency transactions in 2022, with DeFi participation rising year by year, particularly among young and tech-forward investors, where DeFi has become a mainstream investment and financial choice.


As the market matures, DeFi’s application scenarios are continuously expanding. Innovative products such as decentralized lending, liquidity mining, and decentralized exchanges (DEX) not only satisfy Chinese investors’ desire for high returns but also provide more flexible and efficient financial services. This financial innovation aligns perfectly with the Chinese market’s massive demand for financial innovation, asset management, and wealth growth. In this process, Chinese KOLs act as a trust bridge between DeFi projects and users, helping users quickly understand and adopt decentralized financial products.


In this wave of growth opportunities, the DeFi market remains vast. It is projected that over the next five years, DeFi will attract more Chinese users, particularly in capital-intensive and innovative financial products. According to Dune Analytics, the growth rate of DeFi users in China has surpassed the global average, with KOL collaborations being a key driver of this growth. KOLs help DeFi projects rapidly establish user trust, particularly in the technically complex decentralized finance space, where their educational and promotional roles are indispensable.


The unique advantages of the Chinese market and the robust growth trend of DeFi projects signal more innovative breakthroughs and collaboration opportunities in this field. During this process, Chinese KOLs not only provide effective market promotion but also help DeFi projects rapidly expand their market presence, build brand influence, and win user favor.




How Chinese KOLs Can Support DeFi Project Promotion in the Chinese Market


For DeFi projects targeting the Chinese market, KOL promotion strategies should be flexible, detailed, and in-depth. Below are several common and effective collaboration methods:


Community Engagement and Education


As a highly technical field, DeFi’s user understanding and participation directly impact project growth. Therefore, DeFi project teams need to leverage KOLs for foundational education and in-depth engagement to enhance user involvement. For example, KOLs can host online AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions to address user questions about using DeFi platforms, lowering the entry barrier for new users. Additionally, KOLs can create accessible educational videos or articles to help users better understand DeFi concepts like decentralized lending and liquidity mining, thereby driving user growth for the project.


Providing Authentic Experiences and Case Studies


As trusted third parties, KOLs’ real-world experiences with DeFi products can alleviate potential users’ concerns. For instance, KOLs can share their process of using a DeFi platform for liquidity mining through live streams or articles, showcasing its ease of use and high returns. Such authentic case studies can enhance potential users’ trust. Moreover, by collaborating with multiple KOLs for comparative reviews, project teams can help users intuitively understand the advantages and unique features of different platforms, leading to increased exposure.


Designing Incentive Mechanisms and User Acquisition


DeFi product promotion in the Chinese market often involves incentive mechanisms. With their strong community influence, KOLs can help project teams design attractive incentives. For example, in liquidity mining or lending activities organized by KOLs, users can participate via KOL referral links and earn rewards. This KOL-driven promotion not only effectively attracts new users but also boosts community activity, driving sustained user growth for DeFi projects.


Long-Term KOL Collaboration and Brand Building


Promoting DeFi projects in the Chinese market is not a one-off activity but a continuous process of brand building. Long-term partnerships with KOLs can help project teams maintain stable exposure and user engagement. For example, KOLs can serve as long-term project ambassadors, participating in major updates and version releases. Through such sustained collaborations, KOLs not only drive continuous user attention but also help projects establish a trustworthy brand image in the market. Get advanced marketing strategies for free now!



Success Stories


Take MakerDAO as an example. By collaborating with top Chinese crypto KOLs, the project successfully expanded its DeFi platform’s user base in the Chinese market. During the collaboration, KOLs used community engagement, educational videos, and platform reviews to help users understand MakerDAO’s core advantage—the decentralized stablecoin DAI. Through precise user education and KOL brand endorsements, MakerDAO quickly gained a large base of loyal users in the Chinese market. According to data provided by the project team, within three months of the collaboration, MakerDAO’s daily active users in China grew by 45%, with user engagement significantly increasing.


Another case is Aave, a DeFi project that gained significant influence in the Chinese market through collaborations with multiple Chinese KOLs. With KOL promotion, Aave not only increased its user base but also attracted numerous investors through innovative liquidity mining activities. KOL-driven community engagement and event promotions led to substantial user growth for Aave, and through their continuous content output, Aave established itself as a leader in the decentralized lending platform space in the Chinese market.



Summary


In the context of an increasingly mature Chinese DeFi market, the role of Chinese KOLs is particularly critical. As China becomes a key player in the global DeFi and cryptocurrency markets, KOLs not only boost project visibility but also accelerate user engagement and market penetration through precise community interactions and education. In the complex DeFi space, KOLs provide a clear pathway for potential users to understand the technology, reducing entry barriers and promoting widespread adoption of DeFi products. Through authentic user experience sharing, community engagement, educational content, and incentive mechanisms, KOLs effectively bridge the “unfamiliarity gap” of DeFi applications, increasing user trust and participation.


For DeFi project teams, collaborating with Chinese KOLs is not just a short-term marketing tool but a key element of brand building. By establishing long-term, stable partnerships with suitable KOLs, project teams can continuously enhance brand visibility in the target market, strengthening market recognition and user loyalty. As the Chinese DeFi market experiences explosive growth, KOLs, as market “guides” and “trust endorsers,” will continue to play an indispensable role. For DeFi projects aiming to succeed in the Chinese market, leveraging the power of Chinese KOLs will be a core strategy for unlocking the market, attracting users, and securing market share.


FAQs

Q1: How to choose suitable Chinese KOLs for DeFi promotion?

When selecting suitable Chinese KOLs, consider the following factors:

  • Industry Influence: Does the KOL have influence in the DeFi and cryptocurrency space, and are their followers part of the target audience?
  • Follower Engagement: Beyond follower count, focus on the KOL’s follower engagement and interaction frequency.
  • Content Style: Does the KOL’s content align with the DeFi project’s features and tone, capable of attracting and educating users?

Q2: How to evaluate the effectiveness of KOL collaborations?

Collaboration effectiveness can be assessed through the following metrics:

  • User Growth: Measure changes in registered users, active users, and other key metrics post-collaboration.
  • Community Engagement: Observe community activity, discussion frequency, and user interactions following KOL promotions.
  • Investment and Trading Volume: Monitor capital inflows and trading volume changes on the DeFi platform driven by KOL promotions.

Q3: How to avoid risks in KOL collaborations?

Ensure clear contract terms before collaboration and set reasonable expectations and goals with the KOL to avoid over-reliance on a single channel. Collaborating with multiple KOLs can mitigate risks and enhance multi-channel exposure.


Q4: What are the advantages of promoting DeFi projects through ChainPeak?

As an agency, we have bulk negotiation capabilities, offering prices significantly lower than direct project collaborations. Long-term partnerships can enjoy customized packages and annual discounts, saving over 30% in costs.


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