Quick answer: This advertising disclosure explains how STnews labels paid and affiliate content. We mark all advertising, sponsored content, partnerships and affiliate links clearly, in line with FTC guidance, and keep them separate from independent stablecoin and crypto reporting. Contact us with questions.
Key takeaways
- Everything paid is labelled: advertising, sponsored content, partnerships and affiliate links.
- Standard: disclosure follows the FTC endorsement guidelines.
- Separation: commercial content never influences independent reporting.
- No hidden links: we do not sell undisclosed or disguised paid links.
- Not advice: nothing on the site is financial advice.
Purpose of this disclosure
This policy exists so readers always know what they are looking at. Crypto is a YMYL subject, and clear disclosure is essential to reader trust and to honest advertising practice. It applies across STnews and complements our affiliate disclosure, our editorial standards and our note on how we make money.
How we label advertising
Display and in-article adverts are visibly marked as advertising. They reflect the advertiser’s message, not our editorial view, and their presence does not imply endorsement. Advertisers have no influence over our reporting.
How we label sponsored content
Any sponsored article carries a clear sponsored label at the top of the piece. Sponsored content is company-supplied or company-commissioned, reviewed for accuracy, and never presented as independent journalism. The label makes the commercial relationship explicit to every reader.
Partnerships
Ongoing partnerships combine advertising and sponsored content over time. Each element is disclosed exactly as it would be individually. Any editorial feature that occurs within a partnership is earned on merit and labelled only if it involves a commercial arrangement.
Affiliate links
Some articles contain affiliate links, through which we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. These are disclosed in line with our affiliate disclosure and FTC guidance. An affiliate relationship never changes our editorial assessment, and we do not sell undisclosed or disguised paid links.
Editorial independence
Independent reporting is decided by our team on merit and cannot be bought. Commercial arrangements cannot secure favourable coverage or the removal of critical reporting. Where an independent article discusses a commercial partner, we disclose the relationship so readers can weigh it.
What we do not accept
We do not publish undisclosed paid content, sell disguised paid links, offer editorial endorsement for payment, or run guaranteed-return or misleading financial claims. Requests that conflict with this policy are declined.
Questions about this disclosure
If anything about a label or a commercial relationship is unclear, contact us or email partners@stnews.live. We welcome questions and will clarify how any given item is classified.
How to recognise a label and what it means
Labels only work if readers understand them, so here is what ours signify in practice. When you see a placement marked as advertising, it means a company has paid for that space and controls the message within it; its presence is not a recommendation from us, and it says nothing about our editorial view of the advertiser. When you see an article marked as sponsored, it means the piece was paid for and shaped by the company it concerns, reviewed by us for accuracy but written to tell their story rather than to report independently on it. Neither label implies that our journalism endorses the brand.
An affiliate link is different again: it is a link within otherwise independent content that may earn us a commission if you act on it, at no extra cost to you. We flag these so you can factor the relationship into how you read a recommendation. Crucially, an affiliate arrangement does not decide whether a product appears or how we assess it — we would rather omit a link than let a commission colour our judgement, and we do not sell undisclosed or disguised paid links of any kind.
What no label ever appears on is our independent reporting, because there is nothing to disclose: it has not been paid for, shaped or approved by anyone outside our editorial team. If you are ever uncertain which category a piece falls into, the absence or presence of a label is your answer, and you are always welcome to ask us directly. We would far rather field a question than have a reader misjudge what they are looking at.
These distinctions matter most in a YMYL field like crypto, where a reader might make a financial decision based on what they see. That is why we hold to them strictly, keep the wording plain, and place labels where they are easy to notice rather than buried. Clear disclosure is not a formality to us; it is the foundation that lets both our readers and our commercial partners rely on the site.
It is worth being equally clear about what none of these labels ever means. A label does not turn a claim into a fact: a sponsored article still has to be accurate, and we review it on that basis, but the opinions and promises within it belong to the advertiser, not to us. Nor does any label — or the absence of one — make a piece financial advice. Nothing on STnews, whether independent reporting, sponsored content or an advert, is a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any asset, and readers should always do their own research and seek qualified advice before making a financial decision.
This policy sits alongside our how we make money explainer, our affiliate disclosure and our editorial standards, and we keep all of them current as our commercial activity evolves. If a new format appears on the site, its disclosure will be added here so that this page always reflects how STnews actually operates. Transparency that goes out of date is no transparency at all, so we treat keeping this document accurate as part of the commitment itself.
About STnews and how we work
STnews is an independent stablecoin and crypto news publication produced by a named editorial team working to published editorial standards. You can read more about us and meet the people behind our coverage. Every paid or company-supplied placement is labelled in line with our affiliate disclosure and the FTC endorsement guidelines. We keep commercial arrangements fully separate from independent reporting, we do not sell undisclosed or disguised paid links, and nothing we publish is financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
How does STnews disclose advertising?
All advertising is visibly marked as advertising, in line with the FTC endorsement guidelines.
How is sponsored content labelled?
Every sponsored article carries a clear sponsored label and is never presented as independent reporting.
Do you use affiliate links?
Sometimes. They are disclosed per our affiliate disclosure, cost you nothing extra, and do not affect our editorial view.
Can paid content influence your reporting?
No. Commercial arrangements are kept separate from independent reporting and cannot buy or remove coverage.
Do you sell paid links?
We do not sell undisclosed or disguised paid links. Promotion runs only as labelled advertising or sponsored content.
Where can I read more about your funding?
See how we make money and our affiliate disclosure.
Is any content on the site financial advice?
No. Nothing on STnews is financial advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any asset.