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Crypto World

How Paid Hype Pumps Tokens and Silences Critics

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Chainwire Collaborations with Crypto News Outlets

Crypto news stories are vanishing without a trace. Articles questioning the influence of paid press releases have quietly disappeared from major crypto websites, leaving little evidence they were ever published.

At the same time, thousands of promotional announcements continue to flood the industry, shaping narratives, moving markets, and blurring the line between journalism and advertising.

The Shadow Pipeline That Fuels FOMO

Chainstory analyzed 2,893 press releases distributed between June 16 and November 1, 2025. Using AI-driven sentiment tagging and risk classification, cross-referenced with blacklists like CryptoLegal.uk, Trustpilot, and scam alert feeds, the report found that:

  • 62% originated from high-risk (35.6%) or confirmed scam projects (26.9%).
  • Low-risk issuers accounted for only 27% of releases.
  • In certain niches, such as cloud mining, scam, or high-risk content, dominated ~90% of releases.

The tone of the content was heavily promotional:

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  • Neutral: 10%
  • Overstated: 54%
  • Overtly promotional: 19%

Content type breakdown further highlighted the triviality of much coverage:

  • Product tweaks or minor feature updates: 49%
  • Exchange listing announcements (spam): 24%
  • Substantive corporate events (funding, M&A): 2% (58 releases)

Based on this, the researchers concluded that these dynamics create a “manufactured legitimacy loop.” Dubious projects buy guaranteed placements across dozens of outlets, including mainstream financial portals, sidebars, and niche crypto aggregators.

Placement allows these projects to populate “As Seen On” sections, leveraging recognition to drive retail FOMO.

Headlines are deliberately loaded with marketing buzzwords like “AI-Powered Revolution,” “RWA Game-Changer,” terms editorial desks would likely reject if scrutinized.

PR Dollars Speak Louder Than Facts

The ecosystem echoes TradFi abuses. SEC data shows press releases fueled 73% of OTC penny-stock pump-and-dump schemes from 2002–2015.

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In crypto, the effect is amplified, with algorithmic trading bots that scrape keywords such as “partnership” or “listing,” automatically triggering buy orders.

The result is a short-term price pump, often followed by unexpected declines once the underlying project fails to meet expectations.

Complicating matters, FTC rules for native advertising require clear disclosure. In practice, many crypto “Press Release” sections appear neutral, erasing the sponsored stigma and conferring the illusion of independent validation.

Retail investors often interpret the placement of content on recognized domains as evidence of legitimacy.

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Who Pulls the Strings Behind Crypto Coverage?

Chainstory’s findings initially gained traction across crypto media, with coverage appearing on TradingView, KuCoin, MEXC, and other outlets. Yet, key articles disappeared without explanation on several outlets.

  • Investing.com – formerly titled “Crypto press releases dominated by high-risk projects, Chainstory study finds.”
  • CryptoPotato, which had described wire services turning placement into a “paid commodity.”

There were no 404 errors or notices. Posts were simply erased from search and archive.

As seen by BeInCrypto via email, sources indicate that an executive from a company implicated in the pay-to-play ecosystem contacted these outlets, citing alleged data faults or bias.

Some editorial teams complied, suggesting a broader vulnerability: advertiser leverage over editorial independence.

It is imperative to note that most crypto outlets rely heavily on PR distribution revenue, particularly during bear markets or when ad budgets are tight.

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Therefore, it may be safe to assume that critical reports threatening that revenue stream can prompt quiet removals or editorial self-censorship.

“I’m not involved in the day-to-day of the site/ editorial. I need to ask about this,” CryptoPotato’s Yuval Gov responded to BeInCrypto’s request for comments.

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The Man at the Center: Nadav Dakner and Chainwire

At the core of the paid-PR ecosystem is Nadav Dakner, co-founder and CEO of Chainwire (MediaFuse Ltd.), which markets “guaranteed coverage” across crypto and TradFi sites.

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“Broadcast your crypto & blockchain news with guaranteed coverage, in industry-leading publications,” read an excerpt on the Chainwire website.

A source close to the matter told BeInCrypto that Nadav is the force behind the article takedowns.

Chainwire mirrors the practices highlighted by Chainstory: syndication to dozens of outlets in exchange for visibility, often leveraged to influence retail behavior.

Chainwire Collaborations with Crypto News Outlets
Chainwire Collaborations with Crypto News Outlets. Source: Chainwire Website

Despite scrutiny, Chainwire remains influential:

  • Named “Best PR Wire” at the 2026 CoinGape Awards (February 2, 2026).
  • Maintains strong G2 ratings for 2025 campaigns.

Meanwhile, Dakner’s past ventures provide further context. He co-founded MarketAcross and InboundJunction and was involved in the 2017 Gladius Network ICO, which raised approximately $12.7 million in ETH.

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The SEC settled with Gladius in February 2019 for unregistered securities violations, requiring refunds and registration, but no fines due to self-reporting.

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Gladius dissolved later that year without full compliance, leaving investors uncompensated.

Court documents from Gladius v. Krypton Blockchain Holdings (2018) describe Dakner introducing Gladius to Krypton Capital (founded by Ilan Tzorya). InboundJunction appeared in the whitepaper as a marketing/PR partner.

Some reports frame Dakner as the de facto CMO and investor. Investigative reporting by FinTelegram and CryptoTicker (October 2025) notes proximity to funding conduits linked to broader fraud networks involving figures such as Gery Shalon, Vladimir Smirnov, and Gal Barak.

Importantly, these connections are indirect, as no charges were filed against Dakner.

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Chainwire also faced separate 2025 allegations of exploitative practices, including unpaid “test” campaigns and ghosting publishers.

Notably, no direct link exists between Dakner or Chainwire and Chainstory takedowns.

However, overlap in ecosystems and timing raises questions about whether commercial relationships suppress critical reporting.

The Quiet Amplifiers That Shape Crypto Markets

Chainstory’s research exposes a market where credibility can be bought, manipulated, or quietly erased. When critical reports vanish from archives, it reinforces the opacity and manufactured legitimacy that fueled the original concerns.

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For retail participants within crypto’s hype-driven environment, skepticism is essential. Verification via on-chain data, independent sources, and awareness of PR revenue dependence is crucial to avoid falling prey to the pay-to-play cycle.

In crypto’s ongoing information wars, the quietest edits—deleted posts, altered archives, and erased analysis—may speak loudest, revealing the subtle levers that shape perception, sentiment, and ultimately, market outcomes.

Chainwire did not immediately respond to BeInCrypto’s request for comment.

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Crypto World

Japan Bond Market Crisis Raises Crypto Crash Fears as BOJ Rate Hike Looms

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Brian Armstrong's Bold Prediction: AI Agents Will Soon Dominate Global Financial

TLDR:

  • Japan’s 2Y, 3Y, 5Y bond yields hit all-time highs while the 10Y yield reached its highest since 1999.
  • The US-Iran conflict has blocked 90–95% of Japan’s oil route, driving inflation fears and BOJ pressure.
  • There is currently a 55% probability of a 25BPS BOJ rate hike this month, unsettling crypto markets.
  • Each BOJ rate hike since 2024 has caused Bitcoin to drop between 20% and 35% within weeks of the move.

Japan’s bond market crisis is drawing renewed attention from crypto investors worldwide. Bond yields across Japan’s 2-year, 3-year, and 5-year tenors have reached all-time highs.

The 10-year yield also climbed to its highest point since 1999. These shifts are raising concerns about a potential Bank of Japan rate hike. Analysts warn this could trigger a crypto market selloff similar to Q1 2026.

Rising Yields and the Strait of Hormuz Connection

Japan’s bond yields are climbing primarily because of growing inflation expectations. The ongoing US-Iran conflict has severely disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Nearly 90 to 95 percent of Japan’s oil supply passes through that route. With the strait largely blocked, energy prices for Japan are under significant upward pressure.

Higher energy costs feed directly into Japan’s broader inflation outlook. As a result, investors are pricing in the possibility of a hawkish shift from the Bank of Japan.

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Crypto analyst Crypto Rover pointed to this connection on X. He noted that rising yields this week coincided with the shipping disruption.

When inflation expectations rise, bond yields typically follow. Japan is particularly vulnerable because of its heavy reliance on imported oil.

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That dependence makes any disruption in Middle Eastern shipping a direct economic concern. Investors are now watching BOJ closely for any policy response.

Market data currently shows a 55 percent probability of a 25-basis-point rate hike by the BOJ this month. If the US-Iran situation remains unresolved, that probability is expected to climb further.

A confirmed rate hike could accelerate capital flows out of risk assets. Crypto markets would likely feel that pressure quickly.

BOJ Rate Hikes and Bitcoin’s Crash Pattern

Historical data shows a clear pattern between BOJ rate hikes and Bitcoin price drops. In March 2024, Bitcoin peaked near $74,000 and then fell roughly 20 percent.

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In July 2024, it dropped 30 percent within a single week following a BOJ move. January 2025 saw Bitcoin fall 35 percent over several months after another hike.

The most recent example came in December 2025, when Bitcoin lost 34 percent in just six weeks. Crypto Rover attributed these drops to the unwinding of yen carry trades.

Traders who borrowed cheap yen are forced to sell assets when borrowing costs rise. That selling pressure then strengthens the yen and creates further liquidation.

The cycle tends to feed on itself once it starts. Asset prices fall, triggering more margin calls and further selling. Crypto markets, being highly liquid and volatile, often absorb the sharpest drops. Bitcoin and altcoins become exit routes for traders covering yen-denominated positions.

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If the BOJ holds off on a hike, markets may stabilize in the near term. However, the bond market crisis in Japan remains an active risk for crypto investors globally.

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Iran’s Telegram ban backfired, stoking crypto concerns

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Crypto Breaking News

The Iranian government’s bid to shutter Telegram in the country appears to have backfired, as millions of users find workarounds to stay online through privacy-centric tools and VPNs, according to Telegram founder Pavel Durov.

In a post on X, Durov said Tehran’s attempt to clamp down on the messaging app “years ago” has instead fueled a broader wave of circumvention. He noted that tens of millions of Iranians remain connected via VPNs and similar technologies, and he highlighted a cross-border effect as VPN-driven connectivity accelerates in Russia as well.

“The government hoped for mass adoption of its surveillance messaging apps, but got mass adoption of VPNs instead. Now, 50 million members of the digital resistance in Iran are joined by over 50 million more in Russia.”

Decentralized technologies—ranging from blockchain-based messaging to encrypted, distributed networks—are increasingly pitched as a way to counter state-imposed online restrictions and surveillance, offering users a path to private communications even when central authorities exert control.

Key takeaways

  • Iran’s Telegram ban did not end use; tens of millions continue to access the service via VPNs and related tools, per Pavel Durov.
  • The stance has produced a broader migration toward privacy-preserving and decentralized messaging technologies beyond a single app.
  • Even as governments restrict access, parallel connectivity channels such as Starlink and device-to-device mesh networks emerge as potential backstops for communication.
  • Evidence from protests in Nepal and Madagascar shows spikes in downloads of decentralized messaging apps during periods of social unrest, underscoring demand for censorship-resistant tools.
  • For investors and builders, the episode highlights a growing divergence between regulatory attempts to control information flow and a user base willing to adopt privacy-native infrastructure at scale.

Regulatory push, user resilience

Iran’s January 2026 nationwide internet blackout, enacted amid escalating protests and ongoing regional tensions, marked a decisive move to curb online mobilization. While the blackout remains in effect, residents retain some access through alternative means—most notably satellite-backed networks such as Starlink, which the government has not fully blocked—and through local, privacy-forward apps capable of wading through censorship filters.

Among the most discussed workarounds is BitChat, a messaging application built to operate over Bluetooth and mesh networks. BitChat turns each participating device into a relay node, effectively stitching a communications mesh that can bypass traditional networks and satellite backbones. Its decentralized design aims to keep conversations flowing even when centralized infrastructure is restricted.

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The broader ecosystem around decentralized technologies is also expanding to address similar scenarios elsewhere. BitChat’s architecture has drawn attention for its potential to offer an alternative communication channel when internet access is compromised. The project’s technical approach and practical uses were detailed in public repositories and whitepapers, illustrating how mesh networking can complement or substitute conventional connectivity in crisis conditions.

Decentralized messaging in the crucible of unrest

The wave of protests that swept across Nepal in 2025 and 2026 brought a notable surge in interest for censorship-evading communication tools. Cointelegraph reported a sharp uptick in BitChat downloads in Nepal during the social-media crackdown, described as a period when the government’s grip on information intensified. In the same breath, Nepalese protests were described as having a transformative political effect within the month, with the government reportedly toppled by demonstrators in that period.

Similar dynamics were observed in Madagascar, where a related surge in decentralized messaging adoption accompanied political turbulence. These patterns illustrate a practical use case for privacy-preserving and distributed communications during periods of blackout and unrest, rather than a speculative tech experiment.

Proponents argue that the trend signals more than isolated incidents. As governments seek to regulate or disable centralized platforms, users appear to gravitate toward tools that improve resilience, privacy, and autonomy. This shift aligns with a broader discourse in the crypto and decentralized tech communities about building communications layers that remain accessible despite state-level interference.

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What this means for markets, users, and builders

The episode offers a tangible case study in how regulatory pressure can inadvertently accelerate adoption of decentralized and privacy-first technologies. For traders and investors, the takeaway is not a call for quick price moves but a recognition that demand for censorship-resistant communications could expand alongside ongoing geopolitical frictions and regulatory crackdowns in various regions.

For developers and infrastructure builders, the narrative underscores several priorities: enhancing the reliability of offline and mesh-based communications, improving the security and usability of decentralized messaging, and developing interoperable layers that can bridge traditional networks with privacy-focused protocols. The convergence of encrypted messaging with crypto-inspired incentives and governance mechanisms could shape new kinds of platforms that prioritize user sovereignty and resilience over centralized control.

While the exact regulatory responses and technological adoption timelines remain uncertain, the Iranian case—paired with parallel developments in Nepal and Madagascar—highlights a clear, growing demand for alternatives that keep people connected when conventional networks falter.

As the situation evolves, watchers should monitor how governments respond to a populace that increasingly expects and deploys private, censorship-resistant channels. The next developments could redefine how citizens, developers, and policymakers think about online rights, access, and the role of decentralized technology in everyday communication.

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Source references and ongoing reporting from Cointelegraph and related coverage underscore the continuity of this trend as it unfolds across regions facing varying degrees of internet control and regulatory pressure.

Risk & affiliate notice: Crypto assets are volatile and capital is at risk. This article may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure

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Telegram Has Been Downloaded Over 50M Times in Iran, Despite Ban: Durov

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Decentralization, Privacy, Liberty, Telegram, Cypherpunks, Pavel Durov

The Iranian government’s attempt to block the Telegram messaging application in the country has backfired, as users find ways to circumvent national firewalls and online controls, according to Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov.

“Iran banned Telegram years ago,” Durov said on Friday; however, tens of millions of users in the country have managed to access the application via virtual private networks (VPNs) and other similar tools, he added.

VPNs route web traffic through servers distributed around the globe to mask the true Internet Protocol (IP) addresses of users and obscure their locations. This allows individuals with VPN access to bypass national online restrictions. Durov said:

“The government hoped for mass adoption of its surveillance messaging apps, but got mass adoption of VPNs instead. Now, 50 million members of the digital resistance in Iran are joined by over 50 million more in Russia.”

Decentralization, Privacy, Liberty, Telegram, Cypherpunks, Pavel Durov
Source: Pavel Durov

Decentralized technologies like blockchain, crypto and encrypted messaging applications can mitigate or neutralize state-imposed online restrictions and surveillance infrastructure, promoting individual liberty, proponents of decentralized technology say.

Related: Global turmoil pushes uptake of decentralized messengers, social media

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Users turn to decentralized alternatives amid online blackouts

The government of Iran imposed a nationwide internet blackout in January 2026, amid growing protests and civil unrest, which is still in effect due to the ongoing war between Israel, the United States and Iran.

Residents in the country can still access the internet through Starlink, a satellite-based network, or communicate via BitChat, a messaging application that uses Bluetooth radio waves to form a mesh network between devices.

BitChat’s mesh network transforms each device into a relay node that transfers data to other devices running the application within range, bypassing online and satellite-based systems entirely.

Decentralization, Privacy, Liberty, Telegram, Cypherpunks, Pavel Durov
The components of the BitChat messaging application tech stack. Source: GitHub

The government of Nepal imposed a social media ban in September 2025 amid growing protests, causing a spike in BitChat downloads.

Bitchat was downloaded over 48,000 times in Nepal the week of the social media ban, and the government of Nepal was toppled by protestors that same month.

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The application recorded a similar download spike in Madagascar amid protests, which also occurred around the same time as the political revolution in Nepal.

Magazine: Did Telegram’s Pavel Durov commit a crime? Crypto lawyers weigh in