Trust and Ethics

Why We’re Here

Blockworks is a media and information platform that delivers news and insights about crypto to millions of investors. Our editorial site, newsletters, podcasts, conferences, research, and data provide investors with the critical analysis and information they need to make smarter decisions about digital assets.

What We Stand For

Your trust is our greatest asset. We are dedicated to earning that trust by providing accurate, ethical information and insights on the world of cryptocurrency and digital assets without answering to anyone or anything but the objective truth.

Company Standards:

Blockworks comprises three core pillars: media, research/data, and events. Each of these pillars require content standards, but what applies to one arm of the business may not be applicable to another. For example, our newsroom follows journalistic neutrality, while our podcasts are considered the op-ed arm of our editorial team. All Blockworks information and insights adhere to the following company standards, and additional standards for each respective pillar are listed farther down.

Ownership: From inception until May of 2023, Blockworks was privately-owned by our two founders (Mike Ippolito and Jason Yanowitz) and had no ownership connections to cryptocurrency companies, exchanges, or any issuer of cryptocurrency. In May of 2023 we secured a $12 million dollar investment led by 10T Holdings with participation from Framework Ventures and Santiago Santos. You can see more about our financial disclosures including asset ownership and angel investments in our Financial Disclosures.

Content Independence: Our content, whether news, podcasts or research or events, is completely independent from any influence or input from our sponsors and investors, unless expressly stated as sponsored content (see below).

Sponsored Content: Blockworks is committed to full transparency on all sponsored content. While sponsored content does occasionally appear across the site, newsletters, podcasts and events, it is always flagged as such in the clearest, most explicit manner possible for each respective medium.

Financial Disclosures: Blockworks founders and editorial, podcast and research teams are required to disclose any material holdings, defined as $5,000 or more, of digital assets. Disclosures are updated quarterly and can be found on our Financial Disclosures page.

Corrections, Clarifications and Updates: While we strive for accuracy in our work, we are also a fast-paced, hard-working organization. We are not perfect. We encourage our subjects, guests, and the general public to contact us and suggest corrections, clarifications, and updates when they see the need. Contact our newsroom.

Plagiarism: Blockworks has a zero tolerance policy regarding plagiarism. Where our content is based on other articles, reports, press releases, written statements, or social media postings, we will identify the source of that information.

No Investment Advice: Blockworks media, events and research are intended for informational purposes only and should never be construed as financial or investment advice. If you are interested in Blockworks advisory services, please contact us here.

Media Standards:

Blockworks media is committed to offering authentic, accurate news, information, insights and opinions. Our newsroom follows strict journalistic guidelines adherent to news industry standards. While our podcasts are not part of the newsroom (we consider them the op-ed arm of our media business), they observe the below news standards unless otherwise/additionally noted in the podcasts section.

News

Transparency and Credibility: Blockworks news has achieved a perfect score from NewsGuard, reflecting our adherence to high standards of transparency and credibility.

Source Attribution: If you wish to discuss stories, tips, or your perspectives with Blockworks, or if we reach out to discuss these things with you, reporters and editors will clearly identify themselves as such before any information is considered eligible for publication. As a Blockworks source, you have the following options for attribution/identification:
- On the Record (everything is fair game): Unless mutually previously agreed upon, all communications with Blockworks are by default On the Record. This means that we may choose to report what you say in those communications, and we may choose to identify you.
- Off the Record (we keep our communications confidential): Off The Record means we will not use your communications in our reporting. In order to be considered Off The Record both parties must agree in advance. Off The Record status cannot be retroactively applied to previous communications.
- On Background (the happy medium): On background means that we will not identify you personally by name or job title but that we may use your words or the information you share with us in our reporting. We may attribute that information to “a spokesperson” or “a company representative” or similar. This is another agreement that must be made by both parties in advance.

Anonymous Sources: Blockworks may report on stories which have been sourced partly, or entirely, on background — or colloquially, through ‘anonymous sources’. When such sources are the primary sources for any article, their inclusion requires that we verify the provided information and review said anonymity with our managing editor. In doing so, the reporter will not be asked to divulge the name of a source, nor information that would clearly dox the source, but they may be asked to provide details such as an approximate job title, a date on which a conversation took place, a location, and so on. Any anonymity promised to a source will be likewise respected by our managing editor. We will run a story based on one anonymous source only in the most extreme cases, where the public’s need-to-know is taken into account and there is no practicable way to source the information elsewhere.

Embargoes: We strongly discourage the submission of embargoed news to Blockworks, and our default setting is that we do not recognize or abide by embargoes unless we agree to do so in advance. We strongly suggest that communications professionals ask us in advance whether we wish to receive and observe their embargoed news. Instead of an embargo, we request that communications professionals consider sharing exclusive news with Blockworks (see below).

Exclusives: If we are offered a story exclusively, we take that to mean that you have not shared the information with other media outlets. We may also under certain circumstances consider news that we have the right to publish ahead of other outlets. In all cases, such agreements must be made in writing, and in advance of sharing your news with us.

Personal Investments and Conflicts: Reporters and editors at Blockworks are committed to avoiding conflicts of interest in their work. While they are not prohibited from covering stories that mention a cryptocurrency or equity in which a reporter may be invested, reporters are required to note to their editor that they hold such a position. Reporters and editors are required to adhere to Blockworks’ disclosure policies and submit monthly updates. Blockworks’ disclosure page is viewable by the public. Editors monitor for conflicts of interest as part of our daily reporting processes. We are not permitted to trade any cryptocurrency or equity in which we are invested within 72 hours of mentioning or writing about that asset in any capacity, with the exception of stories that may mention or be focused on bitcoin or ether (which are essentially the ‘currencies of record’ of the cryptocurrency world, similar to the dollar or pound sterling). If a story requires that a reporter or editor mention an asset they have traded in the 72 hours before publication, the story will be assigned to another writer or editor.

Artificial Intelligence: Blockworks journalists and editors may use AI as an additive tool in the reporting process where outputs are independently checked for accuracy. Examples of production tools that involve AI include Grammarly, Otter and ChatGPT as a research tool. Additionally, we have experimented with using imagery created by AI, and we attribute these images accordingly.

Formats and Attachments: Blockworks editors and reporters are strongly discouraged from opening PDF documents and Word docs due to the risks involved with attachments. We prefer that pitches are sent as in-line emails or as Google docs open for viewing.

Podcasts

Disclaimers and Disclosures: The views expressed on our podcasts are solely the opinion of the hosts, co-hosts and guests, and they do not represent the views of Blockworks as a whole. Our podcasts are for informational and entertainment purposes only and should not be construed as financial or investment advice.

Advertisements and Sponsorships: We sell advertisements and sponsorship packages across our podcast slate. Ads and sponsored content are always identified as such within the podcast and do not represent the personal endorsement of the host, co-host or guest(s).

Personal Investments and Conflicts: Podcasts may cover assets or organizations in which our hosts, co-hosts or someone on the team might be personally invested. However, we make every good-faith effort to disclose conflicts of interest via the financial disclosures site, episode/series descriptions and within the podcast content itself.

Content Review: Content review including cuts, revisions, edits, etc. are the sole discretion of the podcast team. Blockworks podcasts do not accept content revisions or input from external parties. This includes (but is not limited to) investors, sponsors, guests and/or their affiliated organizations. If you wish to request a correction, see our corporate “corrections, clarifications and updates” policy above.

Guest Appearances: Our podcasts feature guests who offer authentic value to our audiences. Anyone — including current/former sponsors, investors and/or employees — may pitch themselves as a podcast guest. However, guest selection is the sole discretion of the podcast team and is under no influence from external sources, investors, sponsors, etc.

While we strive to ensure that our social media posts are accurate and factual, they do not live under the same umbrella as our journalism and are often posted by members of the Blockworks team who are not journalists or editors. We kindly ask readers to understand that the same journalistic diligence may not be applied to the quickfire nature of social media posting, though we welcome feedback and corrections in the same manner.

Note that our journalists, hosts, guests and staff may operate their own social media accounts, and Blockworks has no control over, or input into, what they may post on their own accounts.

Events Standards:

Blockworks is dedicated to fostering open dialogue and knowledge sharing through our events, including conferences, roundtables, and webinars.

Content Integrity: Event programming is curated to provide unbiased and informative content, free from external influence. Occasionally, we may engage in sponsored sessions, speakers or webinars. All sponsors are listed on the event website and sponsored sessions are indicated on event agendas.

Moderation: Editorial staff members may occasionally moderate content within their area of coverage at our flagship conferences: Digital Asset Summit and Permissionless.

Research Standards:

Our research division is committed to delivering unbiased, data-driven analysis to inform and empower our subscribers.

Analytical Independence: Research is conducted free from external pressures, ensuring unbiased insights.
Disclosure of Interests: Researchers disclose any potential conflicts of interest, including significant holdings in digital assets, as outlined in our Financial Disclosures.

Methodological Transparency: We provide clear explanations of our research methodologies and data sources to enable readers to assess the validity of our findings.

For more information or questions, please visit our Contact Page.

Last updated May 15, 2025.