Cointelegraph Trust & Ethics Statement

Last updated: January 1st, 2026

1. Our Mission

Cointelegraph exists to serve readers with independent, accurate, and in-depth journalism on digital assets, blockchain technology, and the future of finance.

Our mission is to shine a light on the people and projects building positively in our industry, while retaining journalistic skepticism about the people who use this technology for nefarious purposes and holding them to account, without fear or interference.

We believe in the future of Web3 technologies and the opportunities they present, but we are not cheerleaders. We celebrate values including decentralization, personal sovereignty, freedom and digital ownership, but we carefully interrogate the claims of those who purport to represent them.

2. Editorial Independence

Editorial independence is the foundation of Cointelegraph’s credibility and public trust. All editorial decisions are made solely on the basis of news value, factual importance, and journalistic merit.

Cointelegraph’s editors, journalists, and producers operate independently from the company’s business, commercial, and sales functions. Advertisers, sponsors, event partners, investors, and external advisers have no role in determining editorial coverage and receive no advance knowledge of, input into, or right to review, delay, amend, or suppress editorial content.

No journalist or editor at Cointelegraph may be directed to write, amend, frame, or withhold coverage for commercial, financial, political, or personal reasons. Any attempt to exert improper influence over editorial decision-making must be reported to senior editorial leadership or the appropriate legal or compliance function. Cointelegraph prohibits retaliation against staff who raise good-faith concerns regarding editorial interference.

Journalists and editors are required to disclose any personal, financial, or professional conflicts of interest that could reasonably be perceived to affect their coverage. Where a conflict exists, it will be managed through disclosure, editorial oversight, or recusal, as appropriate.

Sponsored, partner, or commercial content is clearly labeled and visually distinguished from editorial journalism. Editorial leadership retains final authority over labeling, placement, and whether any content meets Cointelegraph’s standards for publication.

Editorial independence is not a slogan or aspiration. It is a non-negotiable operating principle that underpins Cointelegraph’s credibility, audience trust, and long-term viability.

Cointelegraph does not publish or permit editorial coverage of gambling, casino or iGaming-related topics, including betting platforms, wagering services, casino products, gambling affiliates or similar niches. Content that directly or indirectly promotes such services, or frames them as news, analysis or educational material, is strictly prohibited.

3. Editorial Operations

Cointelegraph operates a centralized, professional newsroom model designed to ensure accuracy, accountability, and consistency across all platforms and language editions.

Newsroom Structure and Oversight

Cointelegraph maintains a predominantly in-house editorial team. The majority of editors and senior journalists have multiple years of experience at Cointelegraph or at established news organizations. Editorial leadership retains final responsibility for all published content.

All editorial content published on Cointelegraph-owned domains is subject to mandatory editorial review prior to publication. No content is published directly by contributors without approval from an editor.

Multi-Layer Editorial Review Process

Cointelegraph employs a layered editorial control process for all content:

  1. Authoring by a staff journalist or approved recurring contributor
  2. Editorial review to assess accuracy, sourcing, newsworthiness, and compliance with editorial standards
  3. Copy desk review for clarity, structure, style, and legal or policy considerations
  4. CMS-based checks, including mandatory prompts and safeguards related to accuracy, attribution, disclosures, and compliance

Final editorial responsibility rests with Cointelegraph’s editorial leadership, which has full authority to revise, delay, or reject content that does not meet standards.

CMS Access and Publishing Controls

Access to Cointelegraph’s content management systems is strictly limited to in-house editorial staff and approved recurring contributors. Third parties — including advertisers, sponsors, PR agencies, marketing firms, and commercial partners — are prohibited from accessing publishing tools or directly uploading content under any circumstances.

Publishing permissions are granted on a need-to-use basis, reviewed regularly, and revoked when no longer required.

Training, Accuracy, and Corrections

Cointelegraph provides regular editorial training covering accuracy, ethics, sourcing standards, platform compliance, and evolving newsroom best practices. Editorial errors are tracked, reviewed, and corrected transparently in accordance with Cointelegraph’s corrections policy.

Global Application

These editorial standards and operational controls apply uniformly across all Cointelegraph-owned domains, language editions, and platforms. Local editorial teams operate under the same policies, oversight structures, and review requirements as the central newsroom.

4. Social Media

Cointelegraph uses social media to share our journalism quickly and engage directly with readers. While we strive for accuracy in posts, the speed and brevity of social platforms means these posts may not undergo the same editorial review as published articles.

However, social posts are expected to reflect the substance of published reporting and remain subject to correction if inaccurate

We welcome feedback, corrections, and respectful dialogue on all our channels — but our published articles remain the authoritative record of our reporting.

Our journalists may operate personal accounts, but their views are their own and do not represent those of Cointelegraph. Cointelegraph journalists are free to use personal social media, but they may not:

  1. Share unpublished reporting or confidential newsroom information.
  2. Endorse, promote, or appear to promote digital assets they cover.
  3. Accept payment, gifts, or benefits in exchange for posts.
  4. Present personal opinions in a way that could be mistaken for Cointelegraph’s editorial stance.

5. Editorial Principles

The editorial team is responsible for maintaining content quality across all Cointelegraph platforms, including local and language editions. All content is reviewed prior to publication under a “three pairs of eyes” principle: the journalist, an editor, and the copy desk. In addition, CMS-integrated AI prompts provide a final automated check to support accuracy, consistency, and compliance.

This review framework applies uniformly across editorial, opinion, and sponsored content, with additional labeling and separation requirements where applicable.

Final editorial responsibility rests with Cointelegraph’s editorial leadership, which has full authority to revise, delay, or reject content that does not meet standards.

6. Sourcing: Clearly Defined Terms

  1. On the record (default): Information may be quoted and attributed by name.
  2. Off the record: Confidential and not published or attributed; must be agreed in advance.
  3. On background: Information may be used without naming the source; requires prior agreement and editorial approval.
  4. No retroactive changes: Source terms cannot be changed after the fact.
  5. Anonymous sources: Used only with editor approval and independent verification.
  6. Other outlets: When citing reporting that relies on anonymous sources, this will be clearly disclosed. Cointelegraph does not publish content from anonymous or unverified authors on its owned domains.

7. Opinion Content

Opinion articles are clearly labeled. They reflect the author’s personal or professional views and do not necessarily represent the views of Cointelegraph, its ownership, its editors, journalists, or staff. Publication of an opinion does not constitute endorsement of the views expressed. Editorial commissioning and publication decisions for opinion content are made independently of commercial considerations.

All opinion content undergoes the same editorial review process as other Cointelegraph content, including review for clarity, relevance, accuracy, and compliance with editorial standards. Editorial review does not imply agreement with, or validation of, the author’s opinions.

Cointelegraph remains committed to transparent reporting and the highest standards of journalism. Readers are encouraged to conduct their own independent research before acting on any information presented.

8. Embargoes

We encourage public relations agencies and marketers to contact us in the event they have newsworthy announcements that require an embargo, as we generally do not accept them without a clear and compelling reason.

Exceptions may be made for complex material that will take time to review, or where a public interest is served by observing an embargo. Genuinely market-moving news may also qualify for an embargo.

Embargoes are respected only when agreed in advance. News marked “Embargoed” and sent without prior agreement is exceptionally unlikely to be covered. If it is, we may not observe the embargo.

9. Crypto Holdings & Disclosure

Cointelegraph journalists may participate in the digital asset economy, provided they do so with full transparency and without compromising editorial independence.

Staff must disclose material holdings of any cryptocurrency other than Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) when the value of those holdings exceeds $1,000.

BTC and ETH are treated as the “currencies of the internet.” Staff may hold these assets without disclosure, reflecting their status as widely held, highly liquid instruments with broad market exposure rather than project-specific investments.

Journalists must recuse themselves from covering any digital asset in which they hold a significant position, or where their coverage could reasonably be perceived as conflicted.

To avoid any appearance of short-term profiteering, staff may not trade in or out of a cryptocurrency within 72 hours before or after publishing coverage directly related to that asset.

Staff may not accept tokens, equity, or any other digital assets in exchange for editorial coverage.

Staff biography pages include quarterly disclosure statements summarizing relevant holdings.

This framework balances participation with accountability, ensuring our journalists can engage with the industry they cover while maintaining the highest standards of independence and trust ensuring that our reporters remain part of the industry without ever being compromised.

10. Artificial Intelligence Usage

  1. AI may aid in research or visual production, but never replaces human reporting or editorial judgment.
  2. The use of AI must be disclosed to an editor and to the public when substantively contributing to content.
  3. AI is never credited as a journalist or author.

11. Corrections & Updates

Errors are corrected promptly and clearly noted in the article’s update log. Cosmetic or stylistic edits are not flagged. For correction requests, please contact the appropriate writer or editor.

12. Plagiarism

Cointelegraph does not tolerate plagiarism. We offer attribution to other outlets when significant reporting is based on their work.

13. Sponsored content: articles and press releases

Sponsored Content is produced by Cointelegraph’s dedicated advertorial team of writers and is subject to editorial review and internal CMS safeguards prior to publication.

All Sponsored Content is clearly labeled and visually distinguished from Cointelegraph’s independent journalism. The views, statements, and claims expressed in Sponsored Content are those of the advertiser alone and do not represent the views of Cointelegraph.

Cointelegraph’s newsroom does not participate in the creation of Sponsored Content and is under no obligation to cover advertisers, sponsors, or their projects in its editorial reporting.

Commercial relationships do not influence Cointelegraph’s editorial decisions, including what is covered, how it is covered, or whether coverage occurs at all.

Cointelegraph employs a layered editorial control process for all content:

  1. Authoring by a staff journalist or approved recurring contributor
  2. Editorial review to assess accuracy, sourcing, newsworthiness, and compliance with editorial standards
  3. Copy desk review for clarity, structure, style, and legal or policy considerations
  4. CMS-based checks, including mandatory prompts and safeguards related to accuracy, attribution, disclosures, and compliance
  5. Final editorial responsibility rests with Cointelegraph’s editorial leadership, which has full authority to revise, delay, or reject content that does not meet standards.

14. Verifying Cointelegraph Authors

Cointelegraph full-time authors and regular contributors are featured on our ABOUT page, where you can also view and verify their LinkedIn and X profiles. You can also verify our authors via the email link on that page.

Questions?

If you have questions about these policies or wish to comment to the editors about our coverage, please email us: editor@cointelegraph.com