We went live to unpack something that's been brewing behind the scenes—something a lot of you probably didn’t even know happened. It’s about how we handle PR submissions, listener feedback, and the very blurry line between crypto media and corporate influence. Spoiler: it involves a “boring” guest, a comment thread on Spotify, and a PR rep who wanted to control what we say. Here’s how it all went down.
How Clips Make It Into the Show
We get about 30+ PR pitches a day. We don’t charge anyone, we don’t promise promotion—we just offer a spot to include a short, pre-recorded clip if it adds value for listeners. That’s it. We make this clear in every email: don’t promote your company, speak like an industry expert.
Some PR reps get it. Others don’t. And that’s where this story starts.
The Comment That Caused the Meltdown
Liam—a longtime listener going all the way back to my Decrypt Daily days—left a comment under a recent episode. He said the guest was boring. I replied with a simple “Me too 😂.”
I didn’t even realize what clip he was talking about. I assumed it was a previous segment about ICP or some other coin. Turns out it was a segment from a guest episode that Kyle hosted that day while I was on the road.
Well, the PR company saw it. And they flipped out.
What They Asked Us To Do
They told us to delete the comment. We did.
They told us to stop replying to listeners. We didn’t.
They told us to only leave positive engagement. We refused.
We’re not going to let a PR agency dictate how we interact with our own audience. And honestly, we have more to lose from these guest clips than to gain.
Here’s the truth:
If a guest is boring, that hurts our show.
If the audio quality sucks, that hurts our show.
If the company turns out to be shady, that hurts our credibility.
All for what? Exposure for them, zero dollars for us.
Our Approach to Feedback
We reply to comments. We reply to emails. If we miss one, it’s not personal—it’s volume. But engaging with listeners is what keeps this show honest. If we mess up, we say so. If we get new facts, we change our opinions (just ask Kyle about his shift on Sui). That’s what makes us human. That’s what makes this podcast better than most shill-fests out there.
The Bigger Problem with Crypto PR
Too many PR companies:
Don’t prep their clients for interviews.
Don’t vet if the guest can speak clearly or has anything valuable to say.
Expect every media outlet to act like a marketing arm.
That’s not us.
We’re not here to prop up every project. We’re not here to sugarcoat the truth. And when we do include a guest clip, it’s because we think the topic might be useful—even if the delivery falls flat.
Journalism vs. Shilling
Let’s get this straight: we’re not journalists in the traditional sense. But we’re also not shills. We don’t take payments for favorable coverage. We don’t manipulate facts. We let the listeners decide what’s interesting—and they tell us every day in the comments.
My Take
This whole situation—whether it's a PR blowup highlights a core issue: transparency matters. We’re seeing how the sausage is made, whether it’s a two-minute clip from a startup or a PR firm paying influencers big $$$ to shill their crap.
We will always choose our listeners over our guests. Always. That’s our promise to you.
Happy HODLing, Everyone.
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