Nearly 66% of press releases between June and November 2025 were from projects flagged as high risk or fraudulent
A new industry report is urging crypto users to be more careful when reading press releases tied to blockchain projects. The study found that a large share of crypto announcements are linked to risky ventures or outright scams, raising concerns about how these releases influence market behavior.
According to crypto communications firm Chainstory, nearly two-thirds of press releases published between June and November 2025 came from projects flagged as high risk or fraudulent. The company reviewed close to 2,900 releases and assessed both the background of the issuers and the content being promoted. Product launches and token listing news made up most of the activity tied to risky projects.
Chainstory said projects were only labeled high risk when multiple warning signs appeared together. These included unrealistic return promises, vague disclosures, or recycled websites. Incomplete information alone was not enough to trigger a higher risk rating, according to the firm’s co-founder, Tal Shmuel Harel.
The report also highlighted how mass-distributed press releases can be used to bypass editorial scrutiny. When traditional media outlets decline to cover a project, teams can still push their message through syndication services. This approach favors quantity over substance and is more commonly used by questionable projects than established ones.
Exchanges were among the biggest users of press releases, especially for promotions tied to trading activity. However, Chainstory noted that search engines often suppress duplicate content, meaning only a small portion of these releases actually remain visible online.
Concerns around press releases influencing prices are not new. Past enforcement cases in traditional finance show misleading announcements are frequently tied to market manipulation. Similar patterns have appeared in crypto, where false or exaggerated claims have led to short-term price spikes before collapsing.
