Editorial Standards

These standards describe how ChainReport reports, checks and corrects its journalism. They apply to everyone who publishes with us: staff reporters, contributing writers and editors. Crypto is a financial subject and a frequent target for promotion and fraud, so some of the rules below are stricter than those of a general news site.

Accuracy and verification

We verify before we publish. Claims about prices, token supply, protocol mechanics, fund flows, regulatory status or company activity must be backed by a primary source: a filing, an official statement, protocol documentation, public blockchain data or an attributable interview. When a figure comes from a data provider, we name the provider and the time frame it covers.

Headlines, summaries and social posts must match what the story says. We do not publish rumors, leaks we cannot confirm, or price speculation presented as fact. When a story involves a dispute, we include the relevant sides or say that we asked for comment and did not receive it.

Sources

We work on the record whenever possible and link to the documents we rely on so readers can check them. We grant anonymity only when the information is newsworthy, the source has a legitimate reason to fear harm or retaliation, and we cannot obtain the information any other way. An editor must know the identity of every anonymous source, and the story explains why anonymity was granted.

News, analysis and opinion

Every piece belongs to one of three types, and readers should never have to guess which:

• News reports what happened, in neutral language, without recommendations.
• Analysis explains the context and possible consequences of a development, based on evidence. It does not forecast prices.
• Opinion carries the author’s view, is filed in our Opinion section and does not necessarily represent ChainReport.

When we mention past performance, we do not present it as a guide to future returns. Forward-looking statements are attributed to the person or document that made them.

Independence and conflicts of interest

Editorial decisions, including what we cover, how we frame it and what conclusions we draw, are made by the newsroom alone. Advertisers, sponsors and affiliate partners have no influence over them.

Because our writers cover assets they could also own, we apply these rules:

• Writers must not cover an asset, token or project in which they or their immediate family hold a position that could reasonably be seen to influence their coverage.
• Writers must declare relevant holdings to the editors before working on related stories, and an editor may reassign the story.
• Trading on knowledge of unpublished stories is prohibited.
• Writers may not accept payment, tokens, airdrops or gifts from the companies or projects they cover.
• When a story involves a company that has a commercial relationship with ChainReport, the article says so.

Breaches can lead to the removal of a story, reassignment or the end of a writer’s relationship with ChainReport.

Use of AI and research tools

Our writers may use software, including AI tools, to search documents, summarize filings, check data or draft parts of a text. Every article is reviewed and approved by a person before publication, and responsibility for its accuracy lies with the named author and the editor. AI tools are never used to invent quotes, sources, data or events, and we do not use AI-generated images of real people.

Corrections

When we get something wrong, we fix it openly. If you believe a story contains an error, email [email protected] with the link to the article and what you think is wrong, or use our contact page. We aim to review every request within two working days.

• Correction: when a factual error has been fixed, a dated note at the end of the article explains what was wrong and what was changed.
• Update: when a story develops after publication, we add the new information and a dated update note.
• Clarification: when a passage was accurate but could be misread, we rewrite it and say so.

Spelling and style fixes that do not change the meaning are made without a note. We do not delete articles to hide mistakes; a story is only removed for legal reasons or to protect someone’s safety, and when that happens we say so.

Commercial content

Sponsored articles, press releases and advertising are produced or paid for by third parties, are always labelled and are kept apart from our reporting. The rules for this content are set out in our Commercial Policy.

Questions about these standards

If you think a ChainReport story falls short of these standards, or want to report a possible breach, write to [email protected]. Every credible report is reviewed by the editors.