MC-Guide
Content Writing
Website 18: Coindesk.com
How Can You Earn Money Writing For “coindesk.com” Website
This guide shows you, step by step, how a beginner can learn to pitch and sell stories to coindesk.com.
You will learn what Coindesk wants, how to test your idea, how to write a pitch, and how payment roughly works. You can use this like a small SOP.
Guide: How to Pitch & Write for CoinDesk (The Right Way)
This guide breaks down exactly how to navigate the CoinDesk newsroom. Whether you are a crypto-native researcher, a freelance journalist, or an expert wanting to share an Op-Ed, you need to know the specific “beats” and contact protocols to get published.
CoinDesk is not a blog; it is a serious financial news outlet. We will cover the difference between Reporting (paid news) and Opinion (thought leadership), and how to find the right editor so your email doesn’t get deleted.
Section 1 · The Landscape
Understanding CoinDesk’s Authority
Before you write, you must understand where you are pitching. CoinDesk is the publication of record for the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry. Founded in 2013, it hosts the massive Consensus conference and created the Bitcoin Price Index (XBX).
Unlike casual crypto blogs, CoinDesk adheres to strict journalistic standards. They do not publish “shills”, paid promotional posts masquerading as news, or unverified rumors.
Reporters are assigned to specific areas. Knowing these helps you target the right person:
- Markets: Price action, technical analysis, institutional flows (ETFs, futures).
- Tech/Protocol: Updates to Bitcoin core, Ethereum upgrades, ZK-rollups, code vulnerabilities.
- Policy/Regulation: SEC actions, global crypto laws, court cases.
- Business: Mergers, bankruptcies, exchange news (Coinbase, Binance).
Your writing must be:
- Objective: Unless it’s an Op-Ed, keep “I think” out of it.
- Sourced: Quotes must be attributed. Data must have links.
- Timely: Crypto moves fast. A story about last week’s price drop is dead.
They value scoops (exclusive news) and deep analysis over generic summaries.
Section 2 · The Path
News vs. Opinion: Choose Your Lane
This is the most common mistake beginners make. You must decide if you are acting as a Journalist or an Expert.
Freelance Journalism (Reporting)
This is for writers who want to earn money reporting news.
- What it is: You interview people, dig into filings, or analyze on-chain data to find a new story.
- The Goal: Inform the reader about facts they didn’t know.
- Payment: Yes, legitimate outlets pay freelance rates (often per word or flat fee).
- Contact: The specific section editor (e.g., Markets Editor).
Opinion / Op-Ed (Consensus)
This is for experts, devs, or investors who want to build authority.
- What it is: You have a strong argument about the industry (e.g., “Why DAOs are failing”).
- The Goal: Persuade the reader to your point of view.
- Payment: Often unpaid for guest contributors (you get exposure/byline), but regular columnists may be paid.
- Contact: The Opinion Editor (opinion@coindesk.com).
Section 3 · Execution
How to Pitch a News Story (Freelance)
If you have a scoop or a deep investigative idea, follow this protocol from CoinDesk’s official guidance.
| Step | Action | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Identify | Find the specific editor. | Do not email “tips@”. Look at the masthead for “Markets Editor” or “Tech Editor”. |
| 2. Subject | “PITCH: [Headline of Story]” | Editors get 100s of PR emails. “PITCH” signals you are a human writer. |
| 3. The Lead | Summarize the news in 2 sentences. | Don’t bury the lede. Tell them what the story is immediately. |
| 4. Evidence | Provide your proof/sources. | “I have screenshots” or “I interviewed the founder” or “Here is the TXID”. |
Section 4 · Thought Leadership
How to Pitch an Op-Ed (The “Consensus” Section)
CoinDesk’s opinion section is influential. It shapes industry narrative. To get published here, your writing must be sharp, argumentative, and non-promotional.
Send your Op-Ed draft or pitch to opinion@coindesk.com. Be patient; they receive high volumes of submissions.
Section 5 · Integrity
Ethics & Disclosure: The Golden Rule
CoinDesk is famous for its Ethics Policy. To write for them, you must understand it.
If you write about Ethereum, and you own Ethereum, you must state that at the bottom of the article. Failure to do so can get you blacklisted.
You cannot trade on information you learned while reporting a story before it is published. This is standard for financial journalism.
Section 6 · Summary
Final Pitch Checklist
Use this before you hit “Send” to any CoinDesk editor.