§1
Core principles
The Altcoinlog newsroom works by five principles that take priority over any commercial, political, or personal interests:
- Independence. The newsroom is separate from advertising and B2B. A decision to publish does not depend on whether the subject is a client.
- Accuracy. Every claim that can be checked must rest on a primary source.
- Transparency. Source, date, author, and the date of the latest update are public and visible in the piece.
- Accountability. We openly admit mistakes. A serious error triggers an update marked “Correction.”
- Reader value. If a piece does not give the reader factual value, we do not publish it — however commercially attractive it looks.
§2
Sources and attribution
We distinguish three levels of sources:
- Primary: on-chain data, official statements by companies and regulators, court documents, regulator and central-bank publications, academic papers, source code.
- Secondary: reporting by major outlets (Reuters, Bloomberg, Forbes, CoinDesk, Cointelegraph), industry analysis from established firms (Chainalysis, Glassnode, Messari, Kaiko).
- Tertiary: Telegram channels, X accounts, forums. Used only as a signal; they need confirmation from a primary or secondary source.
Hyperlinks are required
Every non-trivial claim in a piece must link to a source. If the source is not public (NDA, insider) — we say so explicitly: “according to a source familiar with the matter.”
§3
Fact-checking process
A piece goes through a fact-check checklist that depends on the category:
News
Standard
Date, facts, primary source, names, figures. Checked by the managing editor.
Analysis / longread
Extended
Methods, formulas, on-chain data, calculations. Checked by the author and the section editor.
Taxes / Regulation
Legal
Links to legislation and official guidance are mandatory. Publication is approved by the editor-in-chief.
§4
Updates and evergreen materials
Guides, exchange reviews, wallet reviews, and educational pieces are “evergreen” and are updated regularly.
- At least one review every 6 months — even if nothing has changed.
- On a material change (a new exchange fee, a change in law) — an update within 5 business days.
- Every update is signed with a date and a short description of the change.
- The date of the latest update is shown in the piece.
§5
Corrections policy
If we got it wrong, we do not hide it. Levels of response:
- Typo / style: we fix silently.
- Factual inaccuracy: we fix it and show the update date on the piece.
- Substantial error (wrong figure, misread quote, faulty conclusion): we add a “Correction” block at the top of the article, stating what it was and what it is now.
- Retraction: in extreme cases the publication stays available, but the headline gets a “Retracted” mark and an explanation of the reasons.
§6
Use of AI
AI is a tool here, not an author.
We do not publish pieces fully generated by neural networks. Any part of the text that went through an LLM goes through mandatory editorial review.
Allowed:
- Translations (with mandatory human copy-edit).
- Transcription of interviews and podcasts.
- Help structuring a draft, generating headline options.
- Finding and grouping sources.
Forbidden:
- Publishing AI text without editing.
- AI-generated quotes and “expert comments”.
- Using AI images in pieces without an explicit label.
§7
Commercial content
Materials for which the newsroom or the site is paid by a third party are labeled on three levels: a Partner content badge next to the headline, a disclosure block in the header, and a repeat disclosure at the end of the piece. More in the disclosure policy.
Full disclosure policy§8
Anonymity of authors and sources
Pseudonyms are allowed only in exceptional cases and only with the editor-in-chief’s permission — for example, when naming the author would create a direct risk. The anonymous source’s name is known to at least the editor-in-chief and the fact-checker.
§9
Outside experts
- The expert is listed with a real name, title, and affiliation.
- If the expert has a financial interest in the project discussed — this is stated explicitly.
- Quotes are cleared with the expert on wording, not on meaning — the newsroom keeps editorial control.
§10
Complaints and feedback
If you believe a piece contains an error, violates editorial policy, or your rights — write to support@en.altcoinlog.com. We reply to every substantive request within 2 business days.