While the Facebook Platform economy has been changing and, for the most part, maturing over the past couple of years, most of the early firms devoted to helping developers monetize their users have been based in the United Sttates. However, that’s changing this year. In the last few months, we’ve seen several European virtual currency monetization launch Facebook Platform initiatives.

For example, just in the last six months:

• SupersonicAds, an Israeli company focused on virtual currency monetization of European audiences, came out of stealth mode in April.
• SponsorPay, a Berlin-based firm focused on European virtual currency backed by Team Europe Ventures, came out of stealth mode in August.
• TokenAds, another Tel Aviv-based firm focused on the monetization of international audiences, lifted the curtains in September.
• GratisPay, also based in Germany, announced its focus on social games and funding from the venture arm of StudiVZ owner Holtzbrinck last week.

Now, we’re hearing from more European monetization and payment companies that are planning to increase their efforts to help developers monetize international audiences in countries like the UK, France, Germany, Turkey, Italy, Spain, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Austria, and Switzerland.

Meanwhile, the large US-based companies aren’t sitting on their laurels either. Players like Super Rewards, Offerpal, and more are expanding their international and localization efforts to battle it out across Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, and the Middle East.

All in all, we expect the battle to monetize Facebook’s 200+ million active users outside the US to intensify over the coming year, as more regional payment companies and ad networks seek to cash in on the boom in traffic and social games happening on the Facebook Platform. As more quality CPA advertisers and payment providers come online, monetization rates should improve.

While international virtual currency monetization is still maturing, this is a good trend overall for developers, who have historically not been able to monetize international audiences through traditional advertising very well. We’ll be tracking European payment providers over the coming months as Facebook’s international reach continues to expand.