Updated November 2026 · Written and maintained by the Progression Agency strategy team
A crypto PR agency gets a blockchain company real coverage from reporters who have been burned before, and keeps paid placements on the right side of disclosure law. Cryptocurrency PR is not ordinary technology publicity: much of the trade press sells placements, token news can move a market, and a sentence about price or return can raise a securities question. This page is for communications leads at exchanges, protocols, wallets, stablecoin companies and web3 infrastructure teams. It covers what crypto public relations includes, how to tell earned from paid, the news that works at each stage from testnet to a security incident, what can be said to UK and EU readers and what it costs. Every engagement starts with a free proposal and a written scope.
On this page · 11 sections
- What a crypto PR agency does, and what it cannot buy
- Crypto PR firm or a general tech publicist
- Earned coverage, paid placement and the anti-touting rule
- Crypto public relations by stage: testnet to token to mainnet
- When something breaks: hacks, depegs and frozen withdrawals
- Stories crypto reporters actually run
- What UK and EU readers change
- Top crypto PR agencies: how to read the lists
- Questions to ask a crypto PR agency
- Measuring crypto PR
- What does a crypto PR agency cost?
The short answer A crypto PR agency earns coverage by giving reporters something they can verify, and it labels anything that was paid for. Earned coverage comes from news with evidence behind it: on-chain research, audits, filings and integrations that are live. Sponsored posts, wire releases and key opinion leader posts are advertising and must be disclosed as such. Avoid talk of price or return in any announcement, and decide with counsel what can be said to readers in the UK and the EU. Our PR retainers and project prices are listed further down, and market figures from other providers are labeled as such. This is not legal or investment advice.
Section 17(b) of the Securities Act, the SEC’s October 2022 press release, the FCA’s two press releases on cryptoasset marketing, the federal endorsement rule at 16 CFR Part 255 and a Congressional Research Service report on the GENIUS Act were each opened on the site that publishes them in November 2026, and rules change. No statement on this page reports a result for a particular project.
What a crypto PR agency does, and what it cannot buy
A crypto PR agency finds the news in what a blockchain company has built, tells it to the reporters, analysts and communities who need it, and prepares the company for the day something goes wrong. A cryptocurrency PR agency cannot buy genuine editorial coverage: if money changes hands for a story, it is advertising, and for anything touching a security the law requires the payment to be disclosed. The rest of this page is about doing the first well while staying clear of the second.
Cryptocurrency PR for exchanges, wallets and stablecoins
Cryptocurrency PR for a company that holds customer assets starts with trust. Reporters want to know where funds are held, who audits them, which regulators supervise the company and what happens in a failure. A crypto PR service for an exchange, a wallet or a stablecoin issuer therefore leans on proof: attestations, audits, licenses and plain explanations of how redemptions work. Marketing claims come second.
Blockchain public relations for protocols and infrastructure
Blockchain public relations for a protocol or infrastructure team speaks to developers, node operators, researchers and partner companies more than to retail readers. The stories that travel are technical ones: a new consensus design, a security review, a client release, a data set. Blockchain PR firms that do this well can read a repository and a governance forum, and a blockchain PR agency should be able to explain an upgrade to a business reporter without losing the facts. A blockchain PR firm that cannot do both will struggle with a protocol.
Web3 PR agency work for consumer apps
A web3 PR agency working for a consumer wallet, game or social app has a different job: to explain what the product does for a person who has never used one, without leaning on jargon. Web3 public relations for these products relies on product launches, user stories that can be confirmed and honest descriptions of the risks. Our web3 marketing agency page covers the growth work that sits beside the press work.
| Workstream | What it is | What it produces |
|---|---|---|
| Positioning | What is true and newsworthy about the project, in words the whole team can repeat | A short message document and a list of facts that can be checked |
| Media relations | Briefing reporters and analysts who cover the sector | Earned stories and accurate explanations |
| Research stories | Turning public data into findings with a method attached | Material reporters can cite |
| Spokesperson preparation | Practice with the people who will speak for the company | Calm, accurate answers under questions |
| Announcements | Writing and timing news about launches, listings and upgrades | Releases that say what happened and nothing more |
| Incident readiness | A plan, holding statements and approval paths for bad days | A response that is fast and accurate |
| Working with counsel | Review of claims, disclosures and regional rules | Copy that your lawyers have seen before it goes out |
Crypto PR firm or a general tech publicist
Hire a crypto PR firm when your news depends on on-chain facts, regulation and disclosure; hire a general technology publicist when your story is about a product that happens to use a blockchain. The two are not interchangeable, and the difference shows in how they treat reporters, numbers and risk.
What a general firm often gets wrong
Crypto PR firms learn quickly where a generic approach fails. A generalist may pitch every outlet the same way when only a few are read by the people who matter. They may quote a number without checking it against a block explorer, or write a headline that reads like an investment claim. They may also accept a placement without asking whether it is paid. Each of those mistakes costs more here than in most sectors.
Should you hire a crypto PR firm or do it in house?
An in-house communications lead is the right owner for daily replies and for knowing the product. An outside firm adds media relationships, extra hands for a launch and experience of what has gone wrong elsewhere. Many teams keep one person inside and bring in outside help for launches and crises. Our public relations agency page explains how PR retainers work in general.
Questions to settle before you hire anyone
Write down the answers to these first:
- What is the news, and what proves it?
- Who are the three audiences that matter, and what do they read?
- Who in the company can approve a statement in an hour?
- Which claims must counsel review first?
- Is any coverage being paid for, and how will it be labeled?
Earned coverage, paid placement and the anti-touting rule
Earned coverage is a story a publication chose to run; paid placement is something you bought, and the law treats them differently. In crypto the line matters more than in most sectors because some outlets publish sponsored content as a business, and because a paid description of a security can break a federal rule. This is the core of the page.
How much of crypto media is sold?
Some crypto outlets sell sponsored posts and package them alongside editorial work, and a rate card is often one email away. We will not name a publisher or put a share on it. The practical point is that a byline on a crypto site does not tell you whether the story was earned, so always ask, and assume nothing about a placement you did not arrange yourself.
What does section 17(b) require?
Section 17(b) of the Securities Act, codified at 15 U.S.C. 77q(b), makes it unlawful to publish or circulate a notice, article or other communication that describes a security for a consideration received from an issuer, underwriter or dealer without fully disclosing the receipt, past or prospective, of that consideration and the amount. It is often called the anti-touting provision. Whether a given token is a security is a question for your counsel, and we do not answer it for any named asset.
Sponsored posts, wires and “featured in” badges
A sponsored post must be labeled as sponsored in the place readers see it. A wire release is a paid distribution, so the result is a distributed announcement and not an editorial choice. A crypto press release agency that offers pickup across dozens of sites is selling distribution, which can help search visibility but is not earned coverage. A “featured in” badge on your own site should show only coverage that was earned, and sponsored items should be labeled as sponsored.
Key opinion leaders
A key opinion leader who is paid or given tokens, early access or free products to post about your project has a material connection, and the federal endorsement rule at 16 CFR Part 255 says such connections must be disclosed clearly and conspicuously where they might affect how much weight readers give the endorsement. In October 2022 the SEC announced charges under the anti-touting provision over an undisclosed payment of $250,000 for a post promoting a crypto asset security, with $1.26 million in total payments including a $1 million penalty, in its press release 2022-183. We cite it as the SEC reports it and make no comment on anyone involved.
| Kind of coverage | Who pays | What must be disclosed | What it is good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earned story | No one pays the outlet | Nothing about payment, but accurate facts and any relevant relationships | Credibility with readers who distrust advertising |
| Sponsored post | The company pays the publisher | That it is sponsored, and for a security, the payment and its amount | Reach to a defined audience, labeled as paid |
| Wire release | The company pays a distribution service | That it is a company announcement | Distribution and search visibility for a fact |
| Key opinion leader post | The company pays or gives something of value | The material connection, clearly and conspicuously | Reaching a creator’s audience, with disclosure |
Crypto public relations by stage: testnet to token to mainnet
Crypto public relations works best when the story matches the stage: a technical write-up on testnet, an audit before launch, facts at launch and clear change notes at mainnet. Telling the wrong story at the wrong time wastes the news and invites questions you cannot answer yet.
Before a token exists
Before a token exists there is nothing to promote and a great deal to explain. Write up the problem, the design and the team. Publish the code. Let developers and researchers test it, and let a handful of well-chosen reporters understand it before there is an announcement.
Token launch week: facts only
In token launch week, announce facts: what is live, where it can be used, who audited it and where to read the documents. Leave out price, returns and comparisons with other assets. Our token launch marketing section covers the marketing side, and the press side stays strictly factual.
Exchange listings and integrations
A listing or an integration is news only for what it lets people do. State the date, the markets or services and any limits, and say who to contact for support. Companies building their own trading venue should see our exchange software page; this page deals with how to announce the result.
Mainnet, audits and upgrades
A mainnet launch or a major upgrade needs a calm change note: what is different, who is affected, what to do and what has not changed. Publish the audit report or its summary, with the scope of what was covered, so that a reporter does not have to guess.
| Stage | Story | Proof reporters will ask for |
|---|---|---|
| Testnet | A design and its trade-offs | Open code, a documented method and a way to try it |
| Pre-launch | A security review | The report, its scope and what was fixed |
| Launch | What works today | A live product and a plain description of limits |
| Listing or integration | What a partner now allows | The partner’s own confirmation and the date |
| Mainnet or upgrade | What changed and for whom | Release notes, a migration guide and a support contact |
Have something shipping and no story yet?Tell us what you have shipped, what is next and where your users are. You get a free proposal for crypto PR with a written scope.
When something breaks: hacks, depegs and frozen withdrawals
When something breaks, publish a short, accurate fact sheet quickly, name one spokesperson and tell users, regulators and partners before you tell the press. In this sector a bad day moves fast on social media, so the first hour matters more than the first week. Our crisis management PR page explains crisis work in general.
The first hour
Confirm what you know and what you do not. Pause what can be paused. Post a short statement on the channels users already trust, and say when the next update will come.
- Gather the facts from engineering and security, and write down what is confirmed.
- Decide who speaks. One person, with a backup.
- Post a short holding statement that says what you know and when you will update.
- Tell regulators, partners and exchanges that need to hear it from you.
- Publish on-chain facts that readers can check, such as addresses and transaction links.
- Keep a log of every statement and who approved it.
The days after
Publish a plain account of what happened, what users should do and what will change. Do not speculate about who did it, and do not promise outcomes you do not control. A correction made quickly costs far less than a denial that has to be walked back.
Prepare before it happens
Write the holding statements, the contact tree and the approval path in calm weather. Rehearse once. Agree with counsel which phrases you will not use. A plan on paper is worth more than a plan you hope someone remembers.
Stories crypto reporters actually run
Reporters run stories that contain something new and checkable: a dataset, an audit finding, a filing, a live integration, a measurable change in developer activity or a significant hire. Price predictions and promises of returns are not stories and often cause harm.
Pitching without touching price
A pitch that leads with price invites a different set of questions and may put you in conflict with advertising rules. Pitch the finding, the user need or the technical change, and keep the price out of every sentence, headline and subject line.
When is a crypto press release worth sending?
A crypto press release is worth sending when there is a fact a reporter must have in writing: a listing date, an audit, a license, a security notice or a partnership with a named company. If you wonder how to write a crypto press release, start with a headline that states the fact, a first paragraph that answers who, what, when and where, a quote from a named person and links to the proof. People ask what a crypto press release is, and the short answer is a dated, factual announcement that anyone can quote. Leave out adjectives and anything that sounds like an investment claim.
What reporters distrust
They distrust anonymous founders, unverifiable numbers, embargoes that hide the news and claims of being first or best. They also distrust announcements dressed as news. Show the evidence in the first paragraph.
What UK and EU readers change
If your coverage or advertising reaches readers in the UK or the EU, their rules can apply even when the company is based elsewhere. Ask counsel who is qualified in each place before a campaign runs there.
UK: financial promotion rules
The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority announced that from October 8, 2023, marketing of cryptoassets to UK consumers must be clear, fair and not misleading, with prominent risk warnings, and that refer-a-friend bonuses would be banned, in a press release. A second FCA announcement says the rules apply to firms wherever they are based globally, and a cooling-off period applies to first-time investors. A press pitch that lands in the UK can count, so take advice.
EU: MiCA marketing communications
The European Union has its own regime for crypto-asset markets, and a campaign aimed at readers there should be reviewed by counsel qualified in the EU before it runs. We do not summarize those rules here.
US: stablecoins and insurance language
A Congressional Research Service report on the GENIUS Act, which became law on July 18, 2025 as Public Law 119-27, says the act bars issuers from falsely marketing stablecoins as backed, guaranteed or insured by the government or the FDIC. Read the report at Congressional Research Service. The practical rule for communications is to avoid any phrase that suggests federal insurance or backing unless counsel confirms it is accurate.
Top crypto PR agencies: how to read the lists
Lists of the top crypto PR agencies are marketing documents, not audits. Many are written by the firms they rank or are sold as sponsored content, so treat them as a starting point and ask how each one was made. We name no firm and offer no ranking.
How do you find the best crypto PR agency?
Anyone looking for the best crypto PR agency, a top crypto PR agency or a PR agency crypto founders recommend will see lists first. Ask the author what the criteria were, whether any listed firm paid, and whether anyone verified the claims. A list that cannot answer is an advertisement.
What to look for instead
Look for firms that can show earned stories and explain the news behind each one, that discuss disclosure without being asked and that name the limits of what they can do. Speak to people who have worked with them, and ask for references you can call yourself.
How to read what a firm shows you
Case summaries are useful only if they say what the news was, who covered it and why. Ask whether the coverage was earned, sponsored or distributed, and whether the firm can show the pitch that led to it.
Questions to ask a crypto PR agency
Ask a crypto PR agency how it labels paid placements, which earned stories it can show, how it works with counsel and what it will refuse to do. A firm that guarantees a number of articles, or that talks about price, is giving you the answers you should walk away from.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| How do you label sponsored and paid distribution? | It shows whether the firm keeps earned and paid separate |
| Which stories can you show that were earned, and what was the news in each? | It shows whether the firm can find a story |
| Who reviews claims and disclosures, and when? | It shows how counsel fits into the process |
| What will you refuse to say or do? | A firm with no limits will create problems for you |
| How do you handle a security incident? | It shows whether there is a plan |
| How will we know it is working? | It shows which measures the firm uses |
Should a firm be paid in tokens?
Some firms ask for tokens as part of their fee. If a firm receives tokens in return for describing a security, section 17(b) requires disclosure of the receipt and the amount, and the value can swing widely, which complicates any budget. Raise the question with your counsel before signing, and ask the firm how it would disclose the arrangement in every piece it writes.
Measuring crypto PR
Measure crypto PR by what readers did and who noticed: coverage in outlets your audience reads, branded search, developer and partner inbound and how AI assistants describe the project. Do not use token price as a measure of success, and do not use advertising value equivalents, which tell you nothing about influence.
Coverage that counts
A single story in an outlet your regulators, partners and users read is worth more than a dozen on sites nobody reads. Track the stories by tier and by whether they repeated your facts correctly.
Search and assistants
Check searches for the project’s name before and after each announcement, and ask the main AI assistants how they describe it. Our AEO for crypto page explains how answers about crypto companies are formed.
Why is price the wrong measure?
A price move can come from many causes that have nothing to do with a press story, and treating it as a result pushes a communications team toward the sort of language that raises securities questions.
What does a crypto PR agency cost?
A crypto PR agency costs a monthly retainer or a project fee, and the amount depends on the size of the team and the length of the work. Sponsored posts, wire distribution and key opinion leader fees are on top of any agency fee and are priced by each publisher.
Our prices
Our PR retainers are $2,500, $4,500, $7,500 and $12,000 a month, plus project work from $4,000. Those are the prices on our public relations agency page; crypto work is quoted after a written scope that says what is included. Our retainers do not include paid placement of any kind: if a payment secures coverage it is advertising and it is labeled as advertising.
| Work | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PR retainer, single narrow beat | $2,500 a month | Trade press in one vertical, reactive |
| PR retainer, regional and trade | $4,500 a month | Proactive pitching with two or three angles |
| PR retainer, national | $7,500 a month | Sustained national pitching and spokesperson work |
| PR retainer, multi-market | $12,000 a month | Includes a standby clause for crises |
| PR project | From $4,000 | A launch or a single moment |
Published market price bands
The figures below come from other providers’ published pages and run from the typical low to the published high. None of them is a Progression quote:
| Work | Published US range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Small or boutique PR retainer | $3,500 to $15,000 a month | A solo publicist or a small team |
| Midsize or national PR retainer | $10,000 to $90,000 a month | Named teams and national reach |
| PR project or campaign | $10,000 to $100,000 | Launches, funding news and defined campaigns |
| Sponsored posts, wires and creator fees | Priced by each publisher | On top of any agency fee |
Get a free proposal
Tell us what you have shipped, what is next and where your users are. You get a free proposal for crypto PR with a written scope.
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Frequently asked questions
In practice, what is a crypto PR agency responsible for?
Is a cryptocurrency PR agency different from a regular tech PR firm?
Should a project hire a crypto PR firm or do it in-house?
Do paid crypto articles need to be disclosed?
What is crypto public relations at each stage of a project?
Is any promise of guaranteed articles in crypto media credible?
Should a PR agency be paid in tokens?
Can PR talk about token price?
What happened in the SEC’s 2022 crypto endorsement case?
How should a team respond during the first sixty minutes of a security breach?
Is a crypto press release worth sending?
What stories get blockchain companies earned coverage?
Do UK rules apply to a US crypto company’s PR?
How do EU readers change a crypto PR campaign?
How is crypto PR measured?
How much would a crypto PR agency retainer or project cost us?
How should a company label sponsored crypto content on its own site?
Are key opinion leader posts covered by advertising rules?
Can a stablecoin issuer say its product is insured or government backed?
How early before a launch should a project bring in outside communications help?
Have something shipping and no story yet?Tell us what you have shipped, what is next and where your users are. You get a free proposal for crypto PR with a written scope.
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