Cointelegraph is seeking a new buyer after its monthly traffic plunged sharply from 12 million to just over 700,000 visits. According to reports citing anonymous sources speaking to CoinDesk, the crypto media outlet, which employs more than 200 staff, is holding confidential acquisition talks while keeping bid amounts undisclosed.
The loss of over ten million readers stemmed from a series of technical issues over the past two years.
Wiped From Search Engines
The root cause of the roughly 80% decline in organic traffic stems from Google’s decision to issue a manual penalty in October 2025. This algorithmic sanction caused all Cointelegraph site links to temporarily vanish from search result pages, severing the primary entry point for daily visitors. Deprived of search engine visibility, the site’s influx of readers gradually dried up.
Analytics data from Similarweb clearly illustrates the downward trajectory. After recording 12 million monthly visits in December 2024, the site suffered steady audience losses, dwindling to just over 700,000 visits as of September 1, 2026.
Front-End Hack and Market Sentiment
In addition to losing its search engine visibility, the outlet’s web infrastructure was compromised. Hackers breached the site’s front-end systems in June last year. The technical attack coincided with a sluggish crypto market cycle, a downturn that naturally subdued audience appetite for industry news.
For the media company founded in 2013, exploring a sale of its core operations represents a second phase of restructuring. In July 2022, it offloaded its Middle East and North Africa (MENA) franchise to Luna Media Corporation.
Challenges for the New Owner
Ongoing negotiations will now determine the future of its global operations. The development highlights that a media brand’s stature and longevity offer no shield against algorithmic penalties. For any prospective buyer taking the reins, the primary objective will extend beyond bankrolling the remaining 200 employees - it will require restoring the domain’s standing in Google Search.
Reported via CoinDesk.
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only, not financial advice. Cryptocurrency assets are highly volatile and carry significant risk. Always do your own research (DYOR) and never invest more than you can afford to lose.
