Western Europe’s public interest in crypto has been rising since well before Bitcoin hit the monumental $120,000 price level. In fact, recent data shows record levels of enthusiasm: 37% of Italians, 19% of Britons and 17% of Dutch and Belgian adults say they’re interested in crypto, while one-third of French adults (33%) plan to buy crypto in 2025.
One would assume the surge in demand, coupled with Bitcoin continuing to print new record all-time highs as of July, would translate to a vibrant and thriving crypto media sector. But this is not the case at all. Q1 2025 saw the EU’s new Markets in Crypto-Assets rules roll out, along with Google’s algorithm update. This translated to around 82% of crypto-only news sites in Western Europe losing traffic in the quarter, according to a public relations firm Outset PR.
Outset PR’s Q1 report shows most of Western Europe’s crypto media is in decline
Fortunately, there is ample evidence to conclude these drops were driven by compliance and SEO factors, and not a collapse in crypto interest. Meanwhile, broader finance and tech media that cover crypto have surged, due to higher domain authority and content diversity.
In other words, the “bad news” for many crypto sites is that Google and regulators cracked down on thin or unqualified crypto content. For example, the EU’s securities watchdog warned sites that certain news articles must include risk disclaimers and not pitch unlicensed crypto promotions.
As Outset PR analysts note, many crypto publishers are now recalibrating their content to meet MiCA standards. This includes relatively simple fixes like adding disclaimers, including clear jurisdiction labels. A small handful of resilient sites are seeing early signs of a rebound.
Winners and Resilient Outlets
The Q1 media shake-up wasn’t uniform across the board so there is no industry-wide reason to panic. For example, nine German-language crypto sites (about 26% of that segment) posted net traffic gains in Q1, according to Outset PR.
In particular, niche publishers with strong compliance practices thrived: Crypto Valley Journal, CoinJournal DE, and Blockchainwelt all recorded double-digit growth metrics. Notably, CoinJournal’s success was helped by its parent group (Investoo Group), which merged several German sites and invested in SEO, showing how a “compliance-driven, performance” strategy can pay off even amid regulatory headwinds.
Smaller multilingual publishers made gains too. France-based crypto news site Market Periodical expanded by launching content in multiple EU languages. After rolling out German, French, and Spanish editions, its traffic jumped rapidly. Similarly, Dutch sites like Beste Bank and Coinmarketcap.nl rebounded in March thanks to strong local SEO and cross-border audiences.
These winners appear to share traits: clear risk warnings and licensed-entity disclosures, high-quality original analysis, and often a niche or multilingual focus. As one industry summary put it, “the trend of early adopters, which focuses primarily on compliance, languages, and high-quality content, continues to expand”.
In practice, this means investing in expert journalism (not short AI-generated blurbs) and tailoring content to local markets is the key to success. Crypto PR teams can learn from these successes: sites that made editorial pivots or joined larger compliant media groups generally weathered the downturn best.
Mainstream Outlets Dominate Crypto Reach
Another bright spot is the sheer scale of mainstream finance and tech media. These generalist outlets are far less vulnerable to crypto-specific shocks. In Western Europe, top finance/tech sites with crypto sections collectively drew 106 million visits in Q1, more than four times the total of all crypto-only sites (26 million).
Over half (54%) of these mainstream platforms actually gained traffic early this year, thanks to robust domain authority and broader content angles. By contrast, only about 18% of crypto-specialist sites saw any traffic growth.
This has big implications: just 13 “top-tier” crypto or crypto-friendly publications accounted for 78% of all crypto news readership. The seven very largest (including BTC Echo, CryptoInsiders, Bitcoin Magazine, Cointribune, and Newsbit’s NL/DE editions) each surpassed one million monthly visits and together claimed 60% of total traffic. The mid-tier six (500K–900K visits each) added another 18%.
Most of media consumption in Western Europe is through big, established crypto outlets
For crypto brands and PR teams, this means a tiered media strategy is essential, according to Outset PR. Top outlets are still the go-to for mass reach and credibility and there is logic to this. If brands want to attract eyes, they must partner with those that can deliver results.
But mid-tier and niche sites shouldn’t be ignored. They can be more flexible for thought leadership or region-specific news. In fact, some lower-traffic crypto blogs are now being used to boost SEO and local engagement, especially in hybrid markets.
And the dominance of mainstream media suggests it pays to lean on large financial/tech publishers when possible, they reach investors and general audiences, and they remain visible even during flat markets or regulatory shifts.
Opportunities and Next Steps
The Q1 correction in no way signals an end to crypto media in Western Europe, rather it is a warning that outlets must evolve. Key growth opportunities include:
- Compliance-First Content: Ensure every article has clear risk disclaimers and licensing information. Outset PR data shows that once publishers added “disclaimers and legal fine print,” some rebounded strongly.
- Avoid Vague Investment Language: In practice, this means vetting content closely for MiCA compliance and steering contributors toward transparent reporting.
- Multilingual Publishing: Expand beyond one language or country. The biggest traffic drivers were platforms that reached multiple European markets (e.g. Newsbit in NL/DE, InvestX in English/French). The Market Periodical’s success with local domains is a blueprint: publishing in German, French or Spanish can significantly widen your audience.
- High-Quality Original Content: Focus on unique analysis, explainers, or investigative stories. Websites that relied on aggregating news or using AI content got hit by Google’s algorithm change. In contrast, outlets that deepened coverage of crypto use cases like decentralized finance or payments were able to keep audiences engaged. Think long-form articles or expert interviews that can’t be easily duplicated.
In summary, Western Europe’s crypto media landscape is reshuffling, not disappearing. Regulatory enforcement and SEO shifts have trimmed excess and penalized sloppy content – but they’ve also cleared space for better-focused outlets. With adoption on the rise, the overall picture isn’t dark. As one report concludes, “the rules have changed” and the media must adapt, but those who invest in compliance, quality and localization can still grow.
With WesternEurope’s crypto audience now concentrated in a few key hubs (Germany, France, Netherlands), smartly navigating languages and platforms will be the best path toward that “light at the end of the tunnel.”
Source: https://bravenewcoin.com/insights/crypto-media-slump-across-western-europe-but-opportunities-ahead