Crypto journalism has issues.

One common practice is that writers silently pump the coins they own. Most of the time, "breaking news" refers to an anonymous message in a Discord channel. Changes to the article are very quietly and briefly mentioned.

You've probably all witnessed this kind of situation. The tweet of a crypto influencer about a certain altcoin causes the price to pump by 40%, and after that, we learn that they have sold their bags immediately after the tweet.

At Coinminutes Crypto, we choose to operate differently. Each article has its references. We inform you if we are holding the coins that we write about. There is no mystery surrounding our editorial department.

Understanding Transparency in the Crypto Ecosystem

Cacophony of Information

Crypto news moves at an incredibly fast pace. A person posts a tweet saying "BREAKING: SEC APPROVES BITCOIN" and another person, without checking the authenticity of the news, believes it. Half of the internet may believe it as well.

Logic and reasoning often go out of the window when I see such instances. Rational and intelligent people have lost money because they followed illusory and fictitious news that spread faster than the truth.

The problem of taking the news at face value is not only the speed but also the accountability of such news. Editors, fact-checkers, and the legal department in traditional newspapers are responsible for the news published in them. In contrast, in Crypto Twitter, there is no one to verify the information.

Crypto news chaos: Unchecked rumors spread faster than the truth.

The Money Game

Let me explain it. Crypto writers often buy coins while this is done secretly. When the price of the token is up, they sell their coins. People who read those articles are not told that they were reading an advertisement.

We have seen this repeated over and over again. To advertise their project, the writers pay the influencers while they present the advertisement as if it's a real blog post from the influencer. Writers get free tokens from the projects and then they write positive reviews about the projects. News sites also run sponsored content that looks exactly like real articles.

Normal people who read the articles can't distinguish between real or fake ones.

Verification Problems

Cryptocurrency Market is always open to the public, 24/7. Unfortunately, incidents occur when news breaks at an odd hour, and journalists cannot verify the news in time.

Market crashes happen due to fake regulatory announcements. The question is how a deepfake video of the CEO can be so real that even experienced traders get fooled? Non-existent partnerships get reported as fact because everyone is racing to be the first.

It's first come, first served, but if you are wrong, it doesn't matter.

CoinMinutes' Core Transparency Principles

Show Your Work

For every article that we put out, we include the sources that we have used for the work. It's not only at the bottom of the article - but also throughout the piece. You see a statement? Follow the link. Understand the source by yourself.

It is impossible for CoinMinutes to produce a piece without definite sources. Period. Our editors verify each link before the articles are published. If sources are missing or broken, publication stops until we fix it.

Money Talk

We are crypto holders. Let's not pretend otherwise.

Our team members reveal their cryptocurrency holdings every year. Contributors inform us about their financial interests. Paid collaborations are clearly identified. Before you start reading, you will know if we have a stake in the game.

These things change quite often as well. Purchase some Bitcoin? We disclose it. If a project pays you, you will see it in the article header.

Open Kitchen

The majority of the media hide their editorial process as if it were a secret of the trade. CoinMinutes makes its guidelines available to the public. You can understand how we verify facts, check content, and make editorial decisions just by looking here.

If we decide something controversial, we explain it. Edit something post-publication? You will find a clear explanation of what was changed and why here.

Fixing Mistakes

No one is perfect, and mistakes are part of being human. The difference lies in how you handle your mistakes.

In a situation when we are not right, corrections can be found prominently at the original article location. Not at the bottom in a small font and out of sight. Right where everyone can see them.

We make our mistakes publicly visible as well. Understand the errors by patterns. Improve our manner of work based on what is going to be wrong.

Practical Tools and Features for Enhanced Transparency

Live Source Checking

If you disagree with something we are saying, just click on the claim we made and see the evidence right away. These connections are our routine targets for checks to determine their validity. Inoperative connections deliver notifications of article check-ups.

Never rely on a secondary source if you have a primary source. For instance, an official statement is more credible than a tweet full of speculations. Eventually, each piece of information can be connected to its origin.

The Bias Dashboard

Writer features reveal the most relevant financial aspects. Article titles indicate the potential conflicts of interest. Contributor sections are revealed in full.

This mechanism is doing everything by itself. Are there any new investments? Let everyone know immediately. Have your partnerships changed? Show the transition right away. There is no hiding, no delay.

Real-Time Fact Checking

Statements are supported with evidence as a writing process. Most of the information is confirmed by multiple sources. Experts scrutinize the technical details. If questionable information is found, it is flagged for further verification.

The CoinMinutes publishing piece reflects the status of the fact-checking very clearly. Verified information is promoted. Unconfirmed claims feature disclaimers. You are provided with an understanding of the level of confidence in each statement.

Public Scorecards

We make public on a monthly basis the numerical data of our accuracy. The rate at which corrections are made is one of the statistics that remain visible. The quality of the sources is another one that gets measured. The performance improvements are the fourth aspect that gets documented openly.

The times of reaction to breaking news get recorded. The success rate in verification is also among the data available to the public. Comments from readers influence our priorities. We are measuring our transparency... in a transparent way.

Educating and Empowering Users

Crypto Media 101

CoinMinutes educates its readers about trustworthy sources of crypto news, clearly explaining the warning signs. Manipulation methods are revealed. Critical thinking is consistently demonstrated.

Checklists make it easy to evaluate sources at a glance. Examples of articles allow you to practice spotting bias. Media literacy becomes an ongoing theme, rather than a one-time lesson.

Reading Between the Lines

Articles come with questions to think about. Alternative viewpoints being considered. Calling out Assumptions. Assumptions are called out, and learners become critical thinkers of everything that is presented to them.

Comment sections promote genuine interaction. Moderators steer discussions towards in-depth analysis. Different viewpoints being presented with the respect. Critical thinking is consistently demonstrated.

DIY Verification

It is possible to verify crypto news on your own using blockchain explorers to verify transactions. For each project, the most trustworthy sources are identified and presented. The research techniques are taught in small, manageable steps.

Actual examples are provided for practice. The verification skills improve through repetition. The goal of letting the reader become independent of any single source is achieved, replacing trust with knowledge.

Empower yourself: Learn to spot bias, question assumptions, verify news, and think critically.

Measuring and Demonstrating Transparency Progress

Monthly Report Cards

CoinMinutes releases detailed metrics of transparency every month. Various types of errors are investigated. The quality of our sources is better documented, and the feedback from our readers is summarized and made available to everyone.

The instances of transparency being used in reality are shared. The explanations of the difficult editorial decisions are provided. Announcements of process improvements are also made. Transparency becomes something that can be measured, and the organization can be held accountable.

Outside Eyes

Independent reviewers evaluate our transparency practices every year. The audit results are made available without any changes. Recommendations are put into practice in the open. Third-party verification creates additional trust.

Everything gets reviewed, including editorial processes, financial disclosures, technology systems, and staff training. The company uses the feedback from independent reviewers to improve their practices further.

Community Input

Reader surveys are an instrument to regularly measure reader satisfaction. The improvement suggestions that are made are put into practice. The concerns lead to the review of processes. Community input helps determine our priorities.

The feedback remains very easy to reach. The timelines for the implementation are being communicated. Transparency becomes a collaborative process.

Conclusion

Crypto media could improve their work by producing less "trust me bro" journalism.

We created CoinMinutes to prove that openness is what really gives one more credit rather than tearing it down. People are right to ask for the way their news is made, who profits from it, and if they can trust it.

Transparency is a win-win situation for all people - readers get to make better decisions, writers receive the trust they have earned, and the industry becomes more mature for everyone. 

Find More Information:

CoinMinutes Initiatives for Professional Development in Crypto Journalism

How CoinMinutes Leverages User Insights to Shape Editorial Strategy