CEO & Founder of Onmyads and Partner of Moloco Ads Ion

Publication date: 9 December 2025

What is the story behind the creation of Onmyads, and how has media buying influenced its development? What have been the most notable successes and the most painful failures over the course of its operation? Read about all this in the iGaming Heroes column on 3S.INFO. iGaming Heroes on 3S.INFO with Ion, the CEO & Founder of Onmyads and partner of Moloco Ads.

– You have over 15 years in digital. How did you get into advertising and performance marketing? How did Onmyads begin?

I got into media buying by taking educational courses that were just starting to appear back then. One of them was by Wildo. Now, years later, we work work together as an agency-client relationship.

I started with affiliate marketing: I tried different offers ranging from crypto to gambling, using various sources such as Facebook* to multiple in-app networks. Like everyone else who came into media buying at that time, I eventually discovered premium in-app traffic and first encountered Moloco. That was the exact moment when the puzzle pieces fell into place.

Initially, the agency operated according to the classic model — CPA-based payments. Later, we transitioned to a spend-based model. It was precisely the emergence of Moloco as a source that shaped Onmyads into what it is today. Now, five years later, we are a direct partner of the source and possess the greatest expertise in the market regarding Moloco. We have direct accounts, our own buying team, app development, full support, and training.

What is Moloco? It is a global technology company specializing in advertising solutions powered by machine learning and artificial intelligence. It focuses on developing platforms that help businesses of all sizes grow, scale, and monetize their data through smart advertising products. The company provides solutions for mobile app user acquisition, monetization, and advertising performance optimization, leveraging advanced machine learning algorithms.

– How is Onmyads’ operation structured “under the hood”? What are the key elements of your system?

In short: expertise and service. These are the two pillars on which the agency stands.

One of the strongest departments is the account department. These are not just managers. These are people who know Moloco inside out. We have a fundamental model: every account manager is also a buyer.

A client’s request goes through business development, but once connected, it’s handed off directly to the account department. From then on, the client works directly with people who understand Moloco’s algorithm in practice, not just in theory.

The second critical component is the application development department. We have our own product team dedicated solely to building apps tailored specifically for Moloco. Internally, we handle integrations ourselves, ensuring complete coverage of the technical side. Additionally, our iOS apps often remain active for up to three months or longer, while the average lifespan of an iOS app in the industry is only 26 days.

– Moloco is a closed ecosystem. What benefits do you gain from being an official partner?

Being a Moloco partner isn’t just about access to dashboards. It’s a high standard that partners must maintain.

Currently, Moloco works with approximately 19 agencies worldwide. They have almost no direct B2C operations. They share their expertise exclusively through partners. The source itself can provide direct access to dashboards, but such access is granted to very few entities. Typically, these are large holding companies with daily spending limits of $10K+, strict campaign restrictions, and launches managed only through network managers (and proving your competence to the network takes considerable effort, so launching campaigns won’t happen overnight).

What does this partnership give to Onmyads?

Full functionality of dashboards.
Early access to all Moloco updates. We communicate daily with Moloco representatives, ask questions independently, and therefore receive important information first. Some insights we share in our Telegram channel, others only with clients.
Deep feedback loop with Moloco’s product team across all cases.
High level of trust. We have one of the closest communications with the network’s team in the market and learn about changes before anyone else.

This is not “just another in-app network” you can work with “somehow.” It is a serious ecosystem, and the requirements for its partners are equally high.

– Which segments of the performance market do you consider the most promising?

Mobile traffic. We all see where the target audience resides. It’s not just a feeling, it’s backed by research. Therefore, anything related to mobile traffic will continue to be at the top for many years to come.

Google is effectively disappearing for iGaming, Meta* is experiencing turbulence, and clients are massively seeking alternatives. TikTok remains relevant, but we choose the best option, and that’s Moloco.

– What are the biggest challenges in high-risk verticals?

The hardest part is finding a source willing to work with iGaming. The market is moving towards regulation, which is normal for maturing niches. However, today’s weak point could be anything: moderation by the source, platform requirements, technical issues, attribution, availability of direct accounts.

Attribution on iOS is particularly crucial, as a massive amount of traffic still ends up in organic search. Hence, renting applications under the right model, proper integration, and correctly configured MMP becomes essential.

Moreover, Moloco introduced its spy tool only last summer, and not everyone knows about its existence yet. This protects links and allows profitable operation for longer periods.

– What is the most serious challenge for Onmyads right now?

The speed of change. We work with mobile traffic. It’s a new environment for the entire media buying market. Algorithms change, optimization logic evolves, new requirements emerge.

Secondly, there’s the issue of talent. It’s almost impossible to find someone on the market who knows how to work specifically with Moloco. That’s why we grow specialists from scratch within our team. Since we’re aware of this issue, when clients come to us to rent an account, we train their in-house team on how to launch campaigns.

As for competition, it’s minimal here. There are few direct partners, so that’s definitely not a problem.

– The most notable success and the most painful failure?

Success: A fintech product campaign with a $5 million ad budget — executed quickly and efficiently.

Failure: Entering a GEO where all payments were blocked shortly after launch. This killed the retention of all cohorts, making it impossible to save their LTV (for an iGaming product).

– What is Onmyads today? How would you explain its value to new clients? How do you envision the company’s development in the next 1-2 years?

Onmyads is the only agency on the market with such deep expertise in Moloco. We don’t just provide accounts. We teach people how to work with Moloco, explain the philosophy of its algorithm, and guide them step-by-step from the “I’ve never seen this interface before” stage to launching large-scale campaigns.

Today, Onmyads represents high-level expertise, quality service, robust technical capabilities, secure applications, comprehensive support, and a reliable partner you can depend on.

Moloco will remain our primary ecosystem. It’s the favorite source of the whole team and the backbone of our business. However, we’ll add new in-app sources, enter new markets, increase media reach, and develop product-oriented directions.

We don’t want to dive into mainstream sources. Our strategy is depth of expertise, not breadth of offerings.

Forecast: What Will Happen in the Next Two Years with the Market and Technologies?

Regulation will intensify: iGaming will become legalized in more GEOs, new standards, labels, and requirements will emerge. But the vertical won’t disappear; it will thrive for decades, becoming more civilized.

Geographies will start merging. Large conferences, multicontinental tracks. The industry is becoming global rather than segmented by regions.

Media buying marketers will experiment with new networks. Old networks will either exit the scene or undergo radical transformations, as exemplified by Meta* and Google. We’re witnessing the market actively searching for new sources, with Moloco serving as a prime example. Here, volumes will increase, and we’ll keep enhancing our expertise to ensure that growth in volume and competition doesn’t impact our clients’ traffic.

*Meta Corporation has been designated as extremist in Russia. The social network Facebook has been blocked in Russia by court order.

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