Editorial Guidelines

1. Sourcing

Every factual claim must be traceable to a primary source. Acceptable: official filings, on-chain transactions verifiable on a block explorer, signed press releases on company-controlled channels, named statements from individuals empowered to speak. Secondary sourcing (another publication's reporting) is allowed only when credited and only when the original story is well-established.

We will not run stories that rely on a single anonymous source unless (a) the source is in a position to know directly, (b) we can corroborate via documents or a second source, and (c) two editors agree the public interest justifies the anonymity. Anonymous sources may not attack identifiable individuals.

2. Speed vs. accuracy

If we have a choice between being first and being right, we choose right. We will hold a story to verify. We will publish a follow-up update rather than a correction when a story develops after publication. Time-stamps reflect actual publication time; we do not back-date or quietly republish.

3. Reporting vs. analysis

News articles report facts and direct quotes. Analysis articles interpret data and may state the author's read of the market. The two are visually labeled and structured differently. Analysis articles must include the data used and an invalidation level — the condition that would make the call wrong.

4. Conflicts and disclosures

Every reporter discloses material holdings of any asset they cover. Reporters may not actively trade securities or tokens they are reporting on. The editor-in-chief reviews disclosures quarterly. Authors with material positions must rotate off coverage of those assets.

5. Sponsored content and affiliate links

Sponsored content is clearly labeled as Sponsored in 12pt minimum on every device, with the sponsor named at the top. Editorial decisions are made independently of advertising. Affiliate links may appear in product comparisons and the prices section — they are disclosed inline and on our affiliate page. They never determine what we cover.

6. Price predictions and forecasts

We do not publish "Coin X will reach $Y by date Z" predictions as editorial content. Where we discuss price ranges, we (a) describe the data underlying the range, (b) state the assumptions, and (c) state what would invalidate the analysis. We do not run roundup-style price-prediction listicles.

7. Corrections

Material errors are corrected on the page within four hours of confirmation, with a dated note describing what changed. The correction is also logged on our corrections page. Non-material edits (typos, broken links) are fixed silently. We do not delete published material to hide errors.

8. Right of reply

Subjects of unfavorable reporting are given a reasonable opportunity to respond before publication. Their full response — or a clear summary — is included in the article. Subjects who decline to comment are noted as such.

9. Sources and security

We protect source identities. Sensitive material may be shared via Signal; request the handle from newsroom@dmcnews.org. We do not host whistleblower-grade tools but will route to appropriate channels when needed.

10. AI assistance

AI tools may be used for transcription, research aggregation, and copy-editing. AI does not generate factual claims, attributed quotes, or analysis published under a human byline. Every article is reviewed, fact-checked, and signed off by a human editor.

11. Trader safety

DMC is read by people whose financial decisions follow what we publish. We weigh that. We do not write in a way designed to provoke reactive trading. We do not bury risks. The "not financial advice" disclaimer is on every page because it is genuinely the case.

12. Diversity of sources and views

Markets coverage that consistently quotes the same handful of voices is partial. We track diversity of sources by gender, geography, and institutional affiliation and audit quarterly. Where we cite an opinion, we seek a counter-view from a credible holder of the opposite position.

These guidelines are reviewed annually and updated as the practice evolves. Last reviewed: May 2026.