Dear Blockworks Community,
Since our inception in December 2017, our primary objective has been to create the premier source of cryptocurrency insights and information for investors and professionals worldwide. We are driven by the belief that cryptocurrency can enhance global prosperity by expanding access to assets, advancing transparency, and diminishing financial friction.
The cryptocurrency market is notorious for its extreme cycles. However, on stepping back, it becomes apparent that each year sees an increasing amount of value moving on-chain. We predict this trend will persist for decades, attracting an exponential rise in investors, founders, developers, and professionals involved with crypto. These participants will all require access to quality information to make informed investment decisions, build robust companies, and scale protocols. This need will continue to fuel an enormous market for crypto data, research, and insights.
Since our launch, Blockworks has been committed to providing this information. As the industry has expanded, so have we.
Our business model is straightforward. Our media channels deliver the crucial news and insights professionals and investors need to make informed decisions. Our events forge connections that drive the industry forward, bringing together executives, founders, investors, and developers to shape the crypto future. Our data and research equip professional investors with the tools they need to make intelligent investment decisions. Our newly established advisory business aids protocols in building more effective and resilient businesses.
Our revenues come from diverse sources, including ads and sponsorships, event ticket sales, advisory services, and access to our proprietary research and data platform.
The theory may seem simple, but execution is key—and execution in both media and software is challenging. The advent of social media and AI has revolutionized the way people consume news, pushing those unable to adapt to the brink. In recent years, many of our competitors have either folded or been forced to sell due to these pressures. Furthermore, developing software products without a robust distribution funnel often necessitates spending more than you earn to acquire customers, leading to reliance on VC funding—a phenomenon we internally refer to as the “VC hamster wheel.” We avoid these pitfalls by retaining control over the distribution layer and maintaining profitability.
Three months after Blockworks’ launch, Mike and I sought advice from a successful entrepreneur in his New York office. We asked how we could compete with established companies (CoinDesk, Cointelegraph), newcomers (The Block, Decrypt), and institutions (Bloomberg, WSJ). His advice was simple but resonant: In an industry as volatile and ruthless as crypto, survival is often the key to success. This principle has since become the cornerstone of Blockworks’ strategy.
We have always strived to run Blockworks differently from many of our competitors. Rather than pursuing unchecked growth, we have deliberately made decisions that sacrifice short-term expansion to maintain sustainability, or “default alive” status.
Thanks to our dedicated team, 2024 was our most successful year to date. We reached new heights in advertising and sponsorships, with Q4 2024 being our best quarter ever. Our Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) hit an all-time high, with over 100 enterprises, funds, and financial institutions now utilizing the Blockworks Research platform.
Looking ahead to 2025, we plan to become crypto’s default data and research platform, expand our House of Brands, attract top talent, host three of the industry’s best conferences, integrate our media and events more closely with our research and data, and help more protocols scale through our advisory business.
In reflection, building Blockworks over the past seven years has been less about monumental moments and more about consistent progress—putting one foot in front of the other and making sound, sustainable decisions each day. This approach enabled us to weather the Covid-19 crisis and bear markets of 2018-2019 and 2022-2023, and it will continue to guide us as we strive to build the best crypto media and information brand and platform in the world.
We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to our customers, employees,
