Because businesses are increasingly vulnerable to the whims of ad platforms and are actively looking for alternative acquisition paths, a fintech and crypto growth marketing veteran with over 7 years of background has pioneered apps designed to transform everyday user routines into organic acquisition channels.
An American court recently mandated that Google adjust specific rules governing its ad technologies and appoint an internal compliance officer to oversee antitrust regulations. While the court stopped short of forcing the tech giant to spin off its advertising division, the decision once again highlights the heavy reliance that advertisers and publishers place on major tech infrastructure. Reuters reports that advertising made up roughly 73% of Alphabet’s total revenue last year.
At the same time, U.S. digital ad spending climbed by 13.9% in 2025. Because top tech ecosystems hold immense sway through integrated data and platforms, businesses remain vulnerable to external algorithms and fluctuating ad costs. A viable counter-strategy involves converting a genuinely useful, standalone product—rather than an advertisement—into a customer acquisition funnel.
This distinct strategy sets Aliaksei Karavaichyk, User Acquisition & Mobile Growth Director at Binance.US, apart from conventional marketing approaches. Throughout his career in the fintech and crypto sectors, he has transitioned from performance marketing into product management and organic growth. During his time at Capital.com, Karavaichyk served as Mobile Marketing Team Leader before being promoted to Head of Organic Growth. In that role, he directed a team of specialists, managed multi-million dollar marketing budgets across more than 60 markets, and created referral and mobile user acquisition offerings.
His background allows him to treat a companion app not merely as a promotional trick, but as an autonomous pillar of product strategy. Two specific projects he helped shape illustrate the precise conditions under which this model thrives in the modern marketing environment.
The app should be useful even without the main brand
Unlike a traditional lead magnet, a supplementary product succeeds when users choose to download and regularly open it regardless of whether they intend to buy the primary service. It addresses a specific pain point that occurs frequently enough to form a habit.
“My background in economics has allowed me to view growth as a measurable system rather than a set of guesses. I work across the entire chain, from ad creative and ASO to UX and monetization, so as to build user acquisition into the product itself, rather than just buying media around it,” Karavaichyk noted.
For the consumer, the exchange is straightforward: zero immediate sales pressure or mandatory obligations, just a utility that saves time or simplifies information access. For the enterprise, repeated interactions establish a direct communication channel, foster brand familiarity, and yield valuable data on user preferences. That relationship lasts strictly as long as the product retains its utility.
Consequently, total download metrics alone cannot prove the success of this framework. Key performance indicators instead focus on whether users return to the application, integrate it into their daily habits, and eventually transition to the core offering. This dynamic is evident in two of Karavaichyk’s ventures: one that brought cryptocurrency pricing directly to smartphone home screens, and another designed to help retail traders navigate market-moving economic announcements.
Check the price at a glance
Aliaksei deployed his first model during a project for a regulated broker following Apple’s release of iOS 14, which introduced home screen widgets for iPhones. Recognizing an opportunity, Karavaichyk proposed building a free standalone application titled ‘Bitcoin & Crypto Price Widget’ and spearheaded its development alongside product and design teams.
The concept stemmed from a straightforward realization: crypto holders frequently check prices multiple times daily, yet doing so typically requires opening a website, brokerage app, or exchange. The widget bypassed these friction points by keeping selected asset quotes visible right on the mobile screen.
“The first test version was built in two weeks. After attracting an initial audience, the team continued to develop the product, adding new currencies, customization options, an Android version, lock screen support, and Apple Watch support,” he stated.
Crucially, the widget did not demand that users instantly open a brokerage account. It first delivered standalone value by solving a distinct user problem, subsequently offering a pathway to the trading platform. Insights gathered from this independent app later informed the creation of native widgets within the enterprise’s flagship product.
“The approach starts with identifying a recurring audience need, developing a focused tool around it, promoting it organically, and guiding engaged users toward the main product, while insights from usage help inform its further development,” Karavaichyk explained.
The primary value, however, did not rely on an overwhelming volume of supported assets. Instead, quotes were placed precisely where users already look dozens of times daily. One U.S. App Store user highlighted a common use case: when Bitcoin pricing comes up in conversation, a quick glance at the phone screen eliminates the need to dig through separate applications.
Product without a motherboard
The second venture tackled a different user challenge. Retail traders rarely require every sophisticated feature found on professional trading platforms. However, ahead of major employment, inflation, or interest rate releases, they need quick access to announcement schedules, previous figures, and expert forecasts.
Macroeconomic indicators remain dispersed across ad-laden economic calendars, news outlets, and trading software, requiring traders to manually monitor and aggregate critical reports. Aliaksei identified this friction point while utilizing professional financial software during his Policy Economics studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
To resolve the issue, he self-funded and launched the Forex Calendar mobile app through his company, Maverick Forge Limited. Utilizing a freemium structure—offering baseline features for free while placing advanced tools behind a subscription paywall—the app provides push notifications, historical charts, analyst predictions, and an event timeline.
Rather than funneling traffic toward an external broker, this companion software functions as an independent business. Even so, it relies on the same foundational growth methodology: solving an ongoing customer need, capturing organic reach via search engines and app store optimization, and converting highly active users into paying subscribers. Ultimately, Forex Calendar has secured tens of thousands of downloads across platforms while sustaining approximately 1,500 monthly active users.
“Both cases also highlight the model’s limitations. A standalone app does not become an acquisition channel simply because it features the company’s logo or a link to the main service. It requires a product team, support, analytics, feedback management, and constant updates. If the app’s standalone value disappears, so do user retention and organic growth,” Karavaichyk cautioned.
Therefore, product-driven acquisition strategies must not be judged strictly by install counts. It is far more vital to understand user retention patterns, the specific problems being solved, and whether the established habit successfully encourages the intended action. While paid advertising secures attention temporarily, a genuinely useful product earns a permanent spot in a user’s daily routine—provided it continues to make their life easier.
