Sponsored & Advertorial Policy

I. Editorial Independence Statement

Transparency is not optional; it’s foundational. At The Crypto Times, we maintain an impenetrable wall between editorial and commercial content. While independent journalism requires funding to sustain, our commercial model coexists with journalistic integrity.

Core Principles

  • We do not sell coverage; and sponsored content does not influence our editorial priorities.
  • Our editorial team is not involved in writing, approving, or distributing sponsored content.
  • All sponsored and paid content is clearly and unambiguously labeled.

II. Types of Commercial Content

A. Press Releases

Definition of a PR:

This is an official, on-the-record announcement issued by an organization to journalists and the public. PRs are written in news style, and share verifiable, newsworthy information for potential media coverage.

Acceptance Criteria:

What We Accept:

  • Real news: launches, funding, partnerships, product updates, audits, leadership changes, regulatory filings
  • Verifiable facts with sources (links to filings, audits, on-chain transactions, GitHub, court documents)
  • Clear company identity: legal entity, website, and media contact
  • Crypto specifics: contract address and chain, audit link (if applicable), and security disclosures
  • All accompanying media, such as images, charts, and videos, are subject to the same review standards as the written content

What We Reject:

  • Investment promises like “guaranteed returns,” “risk-free,” price targets
  • Unverified claims such as “#1,” “largest,” “regulated,” “SEC-approved” (without proof claims)
  • Hype/airdrop bait such as contests, bounty spam, referral chain schemes
  • Opaque or anonymous teams for financial products/tokens
  • Plagiarized, AI-fabricated quotes, or unverifiable data
  • Illegal/regulated offerings to retail that appear non-compliant in major markets

Identification Markers

  • A clear “Press Release” label at the top of the content as well as in top left corner of post image
  • Author attribution to the issuing company
  • Disclaimer in light gray background below title:

    “Disclaimer: This is a paid guest post/press release. The author is not a part of The Crypto Times’ editorial team and we do not endorse the project or claims made within. The views expressed in this article are solely those of the advertiser.

    Important: The Crypto Times has not verified the claims made in this article. It is solely for informational purposes and does not constitute financial, legal, and investment advice. Investing in any digital asset is highly speculative and carries significant risk of loss. Readers are strongly advised to conduct their own research (DYOR) and consult with qualified professionals before making any investment decisions. The Crypto Times and its team shall not be held liable for any direct or indirect loss or damage resulting from reliance on any content contained in this piece. The advertiser is solely responsible for ensuring that their content and offerings comply with applicable laws and regulations.”

B. Sponsored Posts

Definition:

A sponsored post is paid content created by or with the advertiser to promote their message and kept separate from independent editorial coverage. It is clearly labeled as “sponsored” or “partner”.

Acceptance Criteria:

What We Accept:

  • Thought leadership, explainers, case studies, product guides, and brand announcements with clear utility to readers
  • Transparent value propositions; fair comparisons with cited sources
  • Reasonable CTAs (e.g., “Learn more,” “Register,” “Download report”)
  • All accompanying media, including images, charts, and videos, are subject to the same review standards as the written content

What We Reject:

  • Misleading claims, performance promises, or back-tested performance presented as guaranteed
  • Hidden endorsements or undisclosed financial relationships
  • Content designed primarily for link-building (we use rel=”nofollow”/”sponsored”)
  • Unlicensed financial promotions, token sales pitched to retail without compliance documentation
  • Plagiarized, AI-generated content without human fact-check, or fabricated quotes

Identification Markers

  • Clear “Sponsored” label at the top of the content as well as in top left corner of post image
  • Author attribution to the sponsoring company
  • Disclaimer in light gray background below title: “This is a sponsored article. The Crypto Times editorial team was not involved in the creation of this content and does not endorse the project or claims made within.”
  • End-of-post disclaimer in light gray background:

    “Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Investing in cryptocurrency platforms and yield-generation products is highly speculative and involves substantial risk of loss. There is no guarantee of any returns, and you may lose your entire investment. Please conduct your own thorough research (DYOR) and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions.


    The Crypto Times has not verified the accuracy of the claims in this piece of information. The views expressed are solely those of the company/project mentioned in this article. The Crypto Times and its personnel shall not be held liable for any direct or indirect loss or damage resulting from reliance on any information contained herein. The advertiser is solely responsible for ensuring their content and offerings comply with all applicable laws and regulations.”

C. Banner Advertisements

Distribution Models

  • Google Ads & Other Advertising Platforms
  • Direct Banner Advertisements

Placement and Identification

  • Locations: header, within posts, footer, pop-up advertisements
  • Clear rectangular box labeled “Advertisement”
  • User-interest based (subject to cookie policy)

III. Review and Publication Process

Review and Publication Schedule

All sponsored content undergoes the following review process:

Stage 1: Initial Submission

  • Advertiser submits content via designated portal
  • Automated acknowledgment sent within 1 hour
  • Review queue assignment within 4 business hours

Stage 2: Final Content Review

  • First-pass review completed within 3-4 business days
  • Content Checklist Verification:
    • Content intent and tone check
    • Brand safety assessment
    • Technical requirements validation

Stage 3: Publication Timeline

  • Standard publication: 3-4 business days from approval
  • Expedited publication (additional fee): 48 to 72 hours from approval
  • Time-sensitive content: Must be submitted minimum 4 business days before desired publication date

Post-Publication Corrections

Should an advertiser identify a factual error in published sponsored content, they must contact the commercial team within 30 days of publication.

  • Minor corrections (e.g., typos, broken links, formatting issues, grammatical errors): May be made at the publisher’s discretion without any additional charge
  • Material changes (e.g., substantial content modifications, claim revisions, new data): Require a new review process and will incur an administrative fee
  • All corrections will be noted with an update timestamp at the bottom of the content
  • The Crypto Times reserves the right to decline correction requests that would fundamentally alter the nature of the originally approved content

Content Approval Workflow

1. Initial Review: Advertising Operations Manager

  • Checks technical specifications
  • Verifies payment status
  • Ensures proper documentation

2. Content Review

  • Content intent and tone check 
  • Brand safety assessment
  • Risks highlighted for crypto-specific content

3. Final Approval: Marketing & Communications Team

  • Grammar and readability check
  • Clear commercial content labeling
  • Final quality check
  • Publication scheduling
  • Distribution planning
  • Verifies separation from editorial content


Additionally, we maintain an internal Due Diligence Checklist for every sponsored piece. This checklist is dated and signed (digitally or physically) by the reviewer(s). It includes checkboxes for verification of team identities (LinkedIn/public presence), checking and verifying legitimacy of smart contract audit link, verification of on-chain transactions, searching project name + “scam,” “rug pull,” “fraud” on social media/forums, scanning for prohibited keywords like “guaranteed”, “risk-free,”, etc.

IV. Prohibited Content

A. Content We Do Not Accept

  • Promises of high yield returns in short timeframes
  • Gambling content instructing readers to send cryptocurrency or financial assets
  • Misinformation or false claims
  • Superlative and speculative language without clear citations (such as “fastest blockchain” without benchmark data; “This will revolutionize the digital asset space..,” use of emojis)
  • Native advertising resembling organic news reporting


Note: We understand that sometimes we may publish content that may have passed legitimacy checks due to the platform or company being regulatory compliant at the time, but later turn out to be a scam or indulge in unethical practices in future. To tackle this, we immediately take down such content as soon as we become aware of it to prioritize and safeguard user interest. However, readers are always advised to do their own research before making any investments. 

B. Future Performance Disclaimer and Non-Endorsement

The Crypto Times conducts due diligence on all advertisers and their content at the time of publication. However, we explicitly acknowledge that:

  • Crypto projects are inherently volatile and experimental – Even established, well-funded projects with strong teams can fail, be exploited, or pivot in unexpected ways
  • Our review is point-in-time – Content approval reflects the information available at the time of review and does not constitute ongoing monitoring or endorsement
  • Past performance is not indicative of future results – Projects that appear legitimate and technically sound today may experience failures, hacks, or reveal fraudulent behavior in the future

Non-Endorsement Declaration

  • Publication does not equal endorsement – The appearance of sponsored content or press releases on The Crypto Times does not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or guarantee by our publication
  • Independent research required – All readers are explicitly advised to conduct their own due diligence and not rely solely on sponsored content for investment or participation decisions
  • No ongoing obligation – The Crypto Times has no obligation to update, correct, or remove sponsored content based on subsequent events affecting the advertiser or their project

Historical Acknowledgment

The cryptocurrency industry has witnessed numerous high-profile failures, including:

  • Well-established projects that suffered catastrophic hacks
  • Ventures backed by prominent investors that proved to be fraudulent
  • Regulatory actions against previously compliant operations

These historical precedents inform our policy that today’s due diligence cannot predict tomorrow’s outcomes.

V. Data Protection and Privacy Compliance

Regulatory Compliance

The Crypto Times adheres to all applicable data protection regulations including but not limited to:

  • General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – EU/EEA
  • California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
  • Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (LGPD) – Brazil
  • Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) – Canada

Advertiser Data Obligations

Advertisers must:

  • Obtain necessary consent for any data collection through their content
  • Provide clear privacy policy links in sponsored content
  • Not employ fingerprinting or persistent identifiers without explicit consent
  • Delete user data upon request per applicable regulations

Targeting Parameters

Permitted:

  • Geographic (country/state level)
  • Device type
  • Content contextual
  • Time of day/day of week

Prohibited:

  • Individual user targeting
  • Sensitive categories (health, financial status, religion, sexual orientation)
  • Minors (under 18)
  • Lookalike audiences based on sensitive categories

Data Retention

  • Campaign performance data: 24 months
  • User interaction data: Anonymized after 90 days
  • No PII retained beyond session

User Rights

Users may request:

  • Opt-out of targeted advertising
  • Data deletion requests honored within 30 days
  • Access to data collected (response within 45 days)

VI. Team Oversight and Governance

  • Reporters and editors cannot approve, write, or suggest ideas for sponsored content
  • Revenue performance does not influence editorial decisions or priorities
  • We reserve the right to reject or remove any content that violates our advertising standards, even after publication

VII. Partner Disclosures

For long-term brand partnerships, sponsored series, or co-branded initiatives:

  • Ongoing disclosures will appear on every related article
  • Editorial independence remains non-negotiable

Sponsorship inquiries: advertise@cryptotimes.io

VIII. Terms of Advertising

By advertising with The Crypto Times, Advertiser agrees to the following terms, which constitute an agreement between cryptotimes.io (“Publisher”) and the entity purchasing advertising services (“Advertiser”) and its authorized representative (“Agency”), if applicable.

A. SEO Compliance

The Crypto Times is fundamentally committed to ethical SEO practices and full compliance with all prevailing search engine webmaster guidelines. We do not, under any circumstances, sell ‘dofollow’ links or any other form of link intended to manipulate PageRank or other search engine ranking signals. Any promise or sale of such links by any party claiming to represent cryptotimes.io is unauthorized and fraudulent.

All outbound hyperlinks within sponsored or paid content must include appropriate rel attributes:

  • rel=”sponsored”: Mandatory for any link resulting from a commercial agreement
  • rel=”nofollow”: Acceptable alternative for paid links not editorially endorsed for ranking purposes

C. Advertiser Content Standards

Advertiser and Agency represent and warrant that:

  • They hold all necessary rights and licenses to use and display all content, trademarks, logos, and copyrighted material
  • Their content and promoted products/services comply with all applicable laws and regulations
  • All claims are truthful, not misleading, and can be factually substantiated upon request

D. Payment Terms

All advertising services must be prepaid in full prior to campaign launch, unless otherwise agreed upon in a signed insertion order.

E. Resale Prohibition

Advertiser acknowledges and agrees that it is the end-beneficiary of services purchased. Reselling, sublicensing, brokering, distribution, or assignment of any services provided by cryptotimes.io to any third party is strictly prohibited without prior, explicit written consent from cryptotimes.io.

F. Authorized Purchasing Channels

Official cryptotimes.io advertising services may only be purchased through:

  • Direct communication via Advertise@cryptotimes.io
  • Official Telegram: @CryptoTimes_io

We do not recognize or honor agreements made through unauthorized third-party individuals, agencies, or platforms.

G. Direct Use Only

All services are sold for the direct promotional use of the named Advertiser only. Purchase of services in bulk or multiple units for subsequent resale, distribution, or allocation to other entities is strictly forbidden.

H. Advertiser Acknowledgment

By purchasing advertising services, Advertiser acknowledges and agrees that:

  • The Crypto Times’ review and publication of content is based solely on information available at the time of submission
  • No warranty or guarantee is provided regarding the advertiser’s future operations, solvency, or legitimacy
  • The Crypto Times bears no responsibility for losses incurred by readers who interact with advertised projects
  • Advertiser will not hold The Crypto Times liable for association with their project should it fail, be compromised, or face any regulatory action in the future

IX. Indemnification and Liability

Advertiser's Indemnification

Advertiser and Agency, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless cryptotimes.io, its parent company, subsidiaries, affiliates, and their respective directors, officers, employees, agents, and representatives from and against:

  1. Any claims arising from advertising content, including but not limited to:
    • Intellectual property infringement
    • Defamation or privacy violations
    • False or misleading advertising claims
    • Regulatory violations or penalties

2. Any breach of representations and warranties herein

3. Any unauthorized use of purchased advertising services

4. Claims arising from data collection or privacy violations in Advertiser’s content

Process

  • The Crypto Times will promptly notify Advertiser of any claim
  • Advertiser may select counsel subject to Publisher’s reasonable approval
  • The Publisher reserves right to participate with own counsel at own expense
  • No settlement affecting the Publisher’s rights without written consent

Limitation of Liability

  • The Publisher’s maximum liability limited to fees paid for specific campaign
  • No liability for indirect, consequential, or punitive damages
  • Force majeure clause for service interruptions beyond reasonable control

X. Breach of Policy

I. Consequences of Breach

A breach of any provision within this policy constitutes a material breach of contract. cryptotimes.io reserves the right to:

  • Immediately suspend or terminate active campaigns without notice and without obligation for refund, credit, or makegood
  • Permanently refuse future services to the Advertiser, unauthorized reseller, and known affiliated entities
  • Immediately and permanently remove all content associated with the breaching campaign
  • Pursue all available legal and equitable remedies to recover damages, including but not limited to:
    • Direct financial loss
    • Damages to brand reputation
    • Dilution of brand value
    • Damages resulting from tortious interference with business relationships

II. Content Removal Rights

The Crypto Times reserves the right, but not the obligation, to:

  • Remove or mark sponsored content if the advertiser is subsequently proven to be fraudulent
  • Add warning notices to previously published content if significant risks emerge
  • Refuse future advertising from entities associated with failed or fraudulent projects
  • Cooperate with law enforcement regarding advertiser investigations

III. Special Emphasis on Resale Violations

Unauthorized resale violations receive special emphasis and will result in immediate termination of all services and permanent exclusion from future advertising opportunities.

This policy is effective immediately and supersedes all previous advertising policies. The Crypto Times reserves the right to update this policy at any time.

Last updated: September 29, 2025