Quick answer: STnews makes money from clearly disclosed advertising, sponsored content and partnerships, and sometimes affiliate arrangements. These revenue sources fund independent stablecoin and crypto reporting, and none of them can buy or influence our editorial coverage. Contact us with any questions.
Key takeaways
- Revenue sources: advertising, sponsored content, partnerships and affiliate arrangements.
- All disclosed: every paid or affiliate placement is labelled per the FTC guidelines.
- Independence: money never buys or steers editorial coverage.
- No hidden links: we do not sell undisclosed or disguised paid links.
- Not advice: nothing we publish is financial advice.
Why we explain this
In a YMYL field like crypto, readers deserve to know how a publication is funded and whether money shapes what they read. Transparency is part of earning trust. This page sets out, plainly, where our revenue comes from and the rules that keep it separate from our journalism.
Advertising
We sell display and in-article advertising in defined placements. Adverts are visibly marked as advertising and reflect the advertiser’s message, not our editorial view. Advertisers cannot dictate or veto our coverage. We decline adverts that make guaranteed-return or misleading claims, or that target restricted jurisdictions.
Sponsored content and crypto PR
Companies can commission sponsored content — a labelled branded article that tells their story. It is always marked as sponsored, reviewed for accuracy and compliance, and never presented as independent reporting. Paying for a sponsored article does not earn favourable editorial coverage elsewhere on the site.
Partnerships
Some brands work with us on ongoing partnerships that combine advertising and sponsored content over time. Every element is disclosed. Editorial features that may occur within a partnership remain earned on merit, not guaranteed by the commercial arrangement.
Affiliate arrangements
Where we link to a product or service through an affiliate arrangement, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to the reader. Such links are disclosed in line with our affiliate disclosure and the FTC guidelines. An affiliate relationship never determines our editorial assessment, and we do not sell undisclosed or disguised paid links.
How we protect editorial independence
The core rule is simple: revenue and reporting are separate. Commercial arrangements cannot buy coverage, secure a positive verdict, or remove critical reporting. Independent articles are decided by our team on merit. Every paid or affiliate item is clearly labelled so you can always tell promotion from journalism. Where a story touches a commercial partner, we disclose the relationship.
What we will not do
We will not publish undisclosed paid content, sell disguised paid links, promise editorial endorsement for payment, or run guaranteed-return and misleading financial claims. If a commercial request conflicts with these rules, we decline it. These limits are what make our disclosures meaningful.
Questions and corrections
If you are unsure whether something you have read is independent or commercial, the label will tell you — and you can always ask us. We welcome questions about our funding and corrections to our reporting, and we take both seriously.
Why a mix of revenue matters
No single revenue source should be able to hold a publication hostage, which is one reason we deliberately keep several. If a business depends entirely on one advertiser or one format, the temptation to soften coverage to protect that income is real. A spread across advertising, sponsored content, partnerships and occasional affiliate arrangements means no individual relationship is large enough to influence what we report. That structural independence is as important as any policy we write down, because it removes the pressure before it can start.
It also lets us keep the core reporting free to read. The commercial activity on STnews exists so that our independent coverage of stablecoins, markets and infrastructure can reach readers without a paywall in front of it. When you read an unlabelled article here, it has not been bought; it has been funded, indirectly, by the clearly labelled commercial work elsewhere on the site. We think that is a fair exchange, and being open about it is part of the deal.
Finally, a diverse revenue base helps us say no. Because we are not reliant on any one deal, we can decline requests that conflict with our standards — undisclosed placements, guaranteed-return claims, disguised paid links — without putting the business at risk. Every time we turn something down, we are choosing the long-term trust of our readers over a short-term payment, and a healthy mix of income is what makes that choice sustainable rather than heroic.
We are also careful about where affiliate income can and cannot appear. It never sits inside our news reporting or market coverage, where a commission could create even the appearance of a conflict; it is confined to clearly labelled contexts where a recommendation is expected and disclosed. If a product we would genuinely recommend has no affiliate arrangement, we still recommend it, and if one we would not recommend offers a generous commission, we still leave it out. The commission follows the recommendation, never the other way around.
None of this is unique to us — it is simply how responsible publishing works — but in crypto, where hype and undisclosed promotion are common, we think it is worth stating plainly. If you ever believe we have fallen short of these commitments, tell us. We would rather hear it and correct course than let a lapse go unnoticed, because the trust described on this page is the single asset the whole business depends on. In a market where readers are right to be sceptical of who is paying for what, earning and keeping that scepticism’s benefit of the doubt is worth more to us than any individual placement, and we would rather forgo revenue than spend that trust cheaply.
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 make money?
Through clearly disclosed advertising, sponsored content, partnerships and affiliate arrangements, which fund our independent reporting.
Can advertisers influence your coverage?
No. Revenue and editorial are kept separate; money cannot buy, steer or remove coverage.
How do I know if something is paid?
Every paid or affiliate placement is clearly labelled in line with the FTC endorsement guidelines.
Do you use affiliate links?
Sometimes. They are disclosed per our affiliate disclosure, cost readers nothing extra, and never determine our editorial view.
Do you sell paid links?
We do not sell undisclosed or disguised paid links. Promotion runs only as clearly labelled advertising or sponsored content.
Does paying for content get favourable coverage?
No. Sponsored placements are labelled and do not earn favourable independent coverage elsewhere.
Is any of your content financial advice?
No. Nothing on STnews, paid or independent, is financial advice.