Privacy

Last updated: January 6, 2026

1.Introduction

This Privacy Notice applies to all personal information processed by CoinDesk, including its affiliates and subsidiaries (“CoinDesk,” “we,” “us,” or “our”).

It covers the information CoinDesk collects through the websites, mobile applications, electronic devices, all other products and services we provide, any other services that display this Privacy Notice, all of the associated content, functionalities, and advertising, and when you communicate with us by phone, email, or otherwise (collectively, the “Services”).

This Privacy Notice governs the Services regardless of how you access them. Services include, without limitation, the following websites: coindesk.com; data.coindesk.com; cryptocompare.com; consensus.coindesk.com; consensus-hongkong.coindesk.com.

For CoinDesk Trading (powered by Bullish), please refer to the Privacy Notice available on the Bullish website.

This Privacy Notice does not apply to information that you may submit to third-party websites or mobile applications that may link to our websites or be linked to on our websites. We are not responsible for the actions or privacy practices of third-party websites and applications; please consult those websites and applications directly to understand their privacy practices.

By accessing and using our Services, you signify your acceptance to the terms of this Privacy Notice. If you do not agree with or are not comfortable with any aspect of this Privacy Notice, you should immediately discontinue access or use of our Services.

This Privacy Notice explains:

  • The information we collect about you;
  • The lawful basis for processing your information;
  • How we use the information we collect from and about you;
  • How we share your information with third parties;
  • What happens with linked sites, advertisements and embedded video player;
  • How long we retain your personal information;
  • Cookies that we use or used by our service providers;
  • How we keep your personal information secure and the circumstances in which your information may be transferred to another country;
  • Your choices about how your information is used and shared;
  • The use of the Services by children under 13;
  • whom you can contact regarding this Privacy Notice;
  • changes to this Privacy Notice;
  • supplemental Privacy Notice for California Residents; and
  • supplemental Privacy Notice for residents of the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and United Kingdom.

2. Information we collect about you

We collect, process, and retain information from you and any devices you may use when you use our Services.

2.1. Information you provide us

We may collect information about you during your use of the Services, including but not limited to: name, mailing address, phone number, email address, picture, date of birth, payment information, registration information, social media and messaging platform handle, optional biographic and demographic information, professional and licensure information, information for wallets you create or connect via our websites, survey responses, and any other information that you voluntarily provide. This includes information that you share with us on third-party websites and platforms.

If you apply for a job on our websites, we may collect your name, contact information, resume/CV and cover letter, and information from your LinkedIn profile or website.

2.2. Automatically collected information

2.2.1 Device information

We receive and store certain types of information about the computer or devices (including mobile devices) you use to access the Services. For example we may use cookies, tagging and other tracking technologies to help enable us to enhance or personalize your online experience. This information includes computer and connection information such as statistics on your page views, traffic to and from our websites, referral URL, ad data, your IP address, device identifiers, transaction history, and your web log information. We may also capture other data, such as search criteria and results.

2.2.2. Location information

We may collect location and device information when you use our Services. This includes general details like your IP address or ZIP code, and more specific data such as GPS functionality from mobile devices used to access the Services.

We use this location data to deliver location-based Services, including tailored advertising and personalized content. Additionally, if you scan one of our QR codes, we will identify the associated event, venue, or business, thereby collecting information about your location at the time of the scan.

2.2.3. Information from social media

When you interact with us or use our Services on a social media platform, we may collect the personal information that you make available to us, including your account ID, username, and other information included in your posts. If you choose to log into your account with or through a social networking service, we and that service may share certain information about you and your activities. When you give us permission, we may also collect information from your social media account on your behalf.

2.2.4. Information from other sources

We may supplement the information we collect with information offline or from third parties, in compliance with applicable data protection laws.

3. Lawful basis for processing your information

We only process personal information where we have a lawful basis for doing so, such as the following:

3.1. Your consent

We will process your personal information based on the permission you have given us for a specific purpose. For instance, if you submit a general enquiry form, we will ask for your consent if we intend to use your personal information for any other reason. You always have the right to revoke this consent by contacting us at: [email protected].

3.2. Legitimate business purposes

We may also process personal information when we have a legitimate business interest in doing so. For instance, if we become aware of copyright infringements while our Services are being used, identifying the responsible parties is our legitimate business interest. We take due care to balance our interests against your right to privacy.

3.3. Contractual necessity

This is where we have to process personal information to meet our contractual obligations. For example, if you want to attend a Consensus conference, we would need to process your billing information.

3.4. Legal obligation

This is where we have to process personal information in order to comply with the law. For example, we process and retain customer invoice information to comply with financial regulations.

We may also rely on relevant exemptions under the relevant data protection legislations to the requirement to identify a lawful basis for processing.

4. How we use the information we collect from and about you

We use the information we collect from or about you for the following purposes:

  • For the purposes for which you provided it, such as to create your account;
  • To provide the products that you order or the services you request, including the newsletters;
  • To complete your payment and transactions;
  • To notify you about new functionalities of the Services, conferences, special offers, or events for which we collaborate or co-offer with a third party;
  • To help us administer contests, promotions, and surveys;
  • To run and administer our virtual and in-person conferences;
  • To personalize and continually improve our Services, including our websites;
  • To contact you with information that we believe will be of interest to you;
  • To process and respond to your inquiries and provide customer support;
  • To enforce the legal terms that govern your use of the Services;
  • To analyze and compile trends and statistics;
  • To associate your activities, customize content or tailor advertising across different devices and browsers that you use to access the Services (for instance, computers, tablets, mobile devices, applications and websites);
  • To post content provided by you;
  • For recruitment if you apply for a role via one of our websites;
  • To detect, investigate, and prevent activities that may violate our policies or be fraudulent or illegal.

5. How we share your information with third parties

We may share information we collect from or about you with third parties as described below.

5.1. Service Providers

We engage service providers to perform functions on our behalf such as: hosting, content syndication, content management, technical integration, marketing, analytics, customer service, fraud protection, security, payment processing, fulfillment, and shipping. These third parties may have access to information about you when needed to perform their functions. We have contracts in place with suppliers who process data to provide these services, and they can only use your information under our instruction.

5.2. Advertisers

We and our advertising partners use cookies to collect personal information and serve you with advertisements that we believe are relevant to you and your interests.

  • Business partners

We may share information that personally identifies you with business partners who provide products and services that we think you may be interested in.

  • Social media providers

Information will be shared with social media platforms where you log in to our sites via a social media account, or use components on our Services provided by social media platforms (e.g. if you choose to share our content via LinkedIn using one of the buttons on our websites).

  • Other users

Any information you share in public areas, including in your public profile, or on social sharing features, becomes public and anyone may take and use that information. Please be careful about what you disclose and do not post any information that you expect to keep private.

  • CoinDesk group

We share your information with other companies within the CoinDesk group to provide our Services. Sometimes services are provided between legal entities in the CoinDesk group, which may involve the processing of personal information by one entity on behalf of another.

  • Successors

We may change our ownership or corporate organization while providing the Services. We may transfer some or all information about you in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, acquisition, sale of assets, or any line of business, change in ownership control, or financing transaction. Under such circumstances, we will request the acquiring party to follow the practices described in this Privacy Notice with respect to previously collected information.

  • Law enforcement, legal process, and emergency situations

We may also use or disclose information we collect from or about you if required to do so by law or on the good-faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) conform to applicable law or comply with legal process served on us or our websites; (b) protect and defend our rights or property, our Services, or our users; (c) respond to a third party that alleges that you have infringed their intellectual property rights; or (d) act to protect the personal safety of us, users of the Services, or the public.

We may also share aggregated, non-identifiable information with third parties. Before sharing this information, we ensure that it cannot identify you as an individual. For example, we may release information about the size and growth of our audiences.

  • At your direction

Our Services may give you the ability to share certain information with other users or other third parties, such as by scanning your QR code. When you engage these features on our Services, you are authorizing us to share your information. Once shared, we have no control how those third parties will use or further disclose your information.


6. Linked sites and advertisements; embedded video player

6.1. Linked sites and advertisements

The Services may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of those third-party websites.

We work with third-party providers to offer content, products, services, and various functionalities through our Services. If you use Services or visit sites provided jointly with one or more of these third parties, and their brands are visible in connection with the content, products, services, or functionalities, we may disclose any information you provide or that is collected during your use of those Services with those providers.

6.2. Embedded video players and podcasts

We use the Connatix video player to display some of our video content in our Services. Connatix may collect usage data when you use, interact, or engage with Connatix in our Services. You can read about Connatix’s Privacy Policy as it relates to the video player here.

We use Spotify to display our podcasts. Spotify’s Privacy Policy is available on their website.

7. How long we retain your personal information

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Notice, unless a longer retention period is required by applicable law.

The criteria we use to determine the applicable retention periods include:

  • The length of time that we have had an ongoing business relationship with you (e.g., for as long as you have an account or subscription with us or keep using our Services);
  • Whether we have a legal obligation pursuant to applicable laws to retain the information (e.g., laws requiring us to keep transaction records for a certain period of time); and/or
  • Whether the information is relevant to enforcing our agreements, resolving disputes, site safety and security, and improving our websites’ functionalities.

8. Cookies and tracking technologies

We use tracking technologies such as cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to record your preferences, track the use of our websites, your interactions with our emails, and measure exposure to our online advertisements.

The cookies used on our websites and applications are divided into four general categories:

  • Necessary: cookies that are essential to make our websites usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation, access to secured areas of the website, and whether you have opted-out of certain non-necessary cookies.
  • Performance: cookies that help us understand how visitors interact with our websites by collecting and reporting about your device’s interactions.
  • Functional: cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation.
  • Marketing: used to track devices across websites to display ads that are relevant and engaging to our visitors to show you our ads on third-party websites.

We use third-party analytics services on our websites, including Google Analytics. These analytics service providers use cookies or other tracking technologies to help us analyze how users interact with and use our websites, compile reports about activity on websites, and provide us other services.

We work with third-party companies who also use these technologies to provide advertisements on our websites and other third-party websites. These third parties may use these technologies to collect information about you when you use our websites. They may collect information about your online activities over time and across different websites and other online services.

Some content, applications, and advertisements on our websites may be served by unaffiliated third parties. We neither have access to, nor does this Privacy Notice govern, the use of cookies or other tracking technologies that may be placed on your computer, mobile phone, or other device you use to access the Services by non-affiliated third-party ad technology, ad servers, ad networks, or any other non-affiliated third parties.


9. How we keep your personal information secure

We have appropriate technical and operational security measures in place to help ensure that your information is protected against unauthorized or accidental access, use, alteration, or loss. We use encryption technology to protect your personal information when you order products or services from us.

We operate a global business, so your personal information may be processed and stored outside the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Economic Area (EEA). For example, our global customer services teams need to access information about you in order to respond to your queries. We put in place safeguards, such as standard contractual clauses, to protect information that is transferred in this way.


10. Your choices about how information about you is used and shared

In many instances, you have choices about the information you provide and how we use that information. These choices are described below. California residents and data subjects in Europe have additional rights as set forth in the sections entitled “Notice for California residents” and “Notice for residents of the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and United Kingdom” below.

10.1. Marketing emails

By providing us with an e-mail address, you acknowledge that we may use your e-mail address to communicate with you.

You have the option to unsubscribe from our promotional and other marketing emails using the "unsubscribe" link within those emails. However, you cannot opt-out of receiving service-related communications, such as notifications about your account or transactions.

10.2. Text Messages

If you have opted-in to one of our text messages programs, you can opt-out at any time by replying “STOP” at any time.

10.3. Interest-Based Advertising Choices

You also have choices related to interest-based advertising. Many browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser’s settings to decline cookies if you prefer. Note that if you choose to remove cookies, you may remove opt-out cookies that affect your advertising preferences.

Many of the third-party advertisers that place tracking tools on our websites are members of programs that offer you additional choices regarding the use of information about you for advertising. You can learn more about the options available to limit these third parties’ use of your information by visiting the websites for the Network Advertising Initiative and the Digital Advertising Alliance.

Similarly, you can learn about your options to opt-out of mobile app tracking by certain advertising networks through your device settings. For more information about how to change these settings, see the support information for Apple, Android or Windows devices.

Please note that opting-out of participating advertising networks services does not mean that you will not receive advertising while using our websites or on other websites, nor will it prevent the receipt of interest-based advertising from third parties that do not participate in these industry programs.


11. Use of the Services by children

The Services are intended for general audiences, and are not directed to children under the age of 13.

12. How to contact us

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding our Privacy Notice or practices, please send an email at [email protected].

13. Changes to this Privacy Notice
We reserve the right to change this Privacy Notice at any time to reflect changes in the law, our data collection and use practices, the features of our Services, or advances in technology. Please check this page periodically for changes. Your continued use of the Services following the posting of changes to this Privacy Notice will mean you accept those changes.

14. Notice for California residents

This section is part of our Privacy Policy but applies only to residents of California, in compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, as amended and related regulations (the “CCPA”).

14.1. Collection and use of personal information

The general sections of this Privacy Notice describe the categories of personal information we collect, the categories of sources from which the information was collected, the business or commercial purposes (as that term is defined by the CCPA) for which the information is disclosed, and the categories of parties to whom we disclose the personal information.

Examples of these categories are identified below and discussed more generally in our Privacy Notice above:

Identifiers

  • Categories of information we may collect
    • Name, alias, postal address, unique personal identifier, online identifier, IP address, email address, account name, or other similar identifiers.
  • Categories of sources
    • This information is provided by you, automatically collected when you interact with our websites, or is provided by a third party.
  • Examples of uses
    • Providing the Services, including registration and customer service.
    • Fixing and improving the Services.
    • Facilitating payment.
    • Personalizing content and your experience.
    • Our marketing and third-party marketing and advertising purposes.
    • Bug detection and error reporting.
    • Security, fraud and legal compliance.
      Editorial uses.
  • Categories of third parties to which we may disclose that information for business purposes
    • Affiliates.
    • Service providers.
    • Other individuals or companies at your request.
    • Third parties relating to legal requests.
    • Third parties for sales of transfers of our business or assets.

Customers records

  • Categories of information we may collect
    • Name, address, telephone number, education, employment, or payment account number.
  • Categories of sources
    • This information is provided by you, automatically collected when you interact with our websites, or is provided by a third party.
  • Examples of uses
    • Providing the Services, including registration and customer service.
    • Facilitating payment.
    • Reviewing job applications.
    • Fixing and improving the Services.
    • Personalizing content and your experience.
    • Our marketing and third-party marketing and advertising purposes.
    • Bug detection and error reporting.
    • Security, fraud and legal compliance.
    • Editorial uses.
  • Categories of third parties to which we may disclose that information for business purposes
    • Affiliates.
    • Service providers.
    • Other individuals or companies at your request.
    • Third parties relating to legal requests, if required by law.
    • Third parties for sales or transfers of our business or assets.

Protected classifications

  • Categories of information we may collect
    • Account log-in, financial information, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, political opinions or disability.
  • Categories of sources
    • You, if you choose to provide to us.
  • Examples of uses
    • Providing the Services.
    • Processing employment applications.
    • Editorial uses.
  • Categories of third parties to which we may disclose that information for business purposes
    • Affiliates.
    • Service providers.
    • Other individuals or companies at your request.
    • Third parties relating to legal requests, if required by law.
    • Third parties for sales or transfers of our business or assets.

Commercial information

  • Categories of information we may collect
    • Records of products or services purchased, obtained, or considered, or other purchasing or consuming histories or tendencies.
  • Categories of sources
    • You, if you choose to provide to us.
    • Your use of our Services/automatically collected from you.
    • Affiliates.
    • Third parties (such as service providers).
  • Examples of uses
    • Providing the Services, including registration and customer service.
    • Fixing and improving the Services.
    • Facilitating payment.
    • Personalizing content and your experience.
    • Our marketing and third-party marketing and advertising purposes.
    • Bug detection and error reporting.
    • Security, fraud and legal compliance.
    • Editorial uses.
  • Categories of third parties to which we may disclose that information for business purposes
    • Affiliates.
    • Service providers.
    • Other individuals or companies at your request.
    • Third parties relating to legal requests, if required by law.
    • Third parties for sales or transfers of our business or assets.

Internet or other electronic network activity information

  • Categories of information we may collect
    • Browsing history, search history, and information regarding interactions with our Website or advertisements.
      See Cookies and tracking technologies section for more information about how we collect this information.
  • Categories of sources
    • You (through your device).
    • Advertising providers.
    • Analytics providers.
    • Cookies and tracking technologies
  • Examples of uses
    • Providing the Services, including registration and customer service.
    • Fixing and improving the Services.
    • Facilitating payment.
    • Personalizing content and your experience.
    • Our marketing and third-party marketing and advertising purposes.
    • Bug detection and error reporting.
    • Security, fraud and legal compliance.
    • Editorial uses.
  • Categories of third parties to which we may disclose that information for business purposes
    • Affiliates.
    • Service providers.
    • Other individuals or companies at your request.
    • Third parties relating to legal requests, if required by law.
    • Third parties for sales or transfers of our business or assets.

Geolocation

  • Categories of information we may collect
    • General or precise location information.
  • Categories of sources
    • You, if you choose to provide to us.
    • Your use of our Services/automatically collected from you (scan a QR code or check-in at location).
    • Third parties (such as service providers).
  • Examples of uses
    • Providing the Services, including registration and customer service.
    • Fixing and improving the Services.
    • Facilitating payment.
    • Personalizing content and your experience.
    • Our marketing and third-party marketing and advertising purposes.
    • Bug detection and error reporting.
    • Security, fraud and legal compliance.
  • Categories of third parties to which we may disclose that information for business purposes
    • Affiliates.
    • Service providers.
    • Other individuals or companies at your request.
    • Third parties relating to legal requests, if required by law.
    • Third parties for sales or transfers of our business or assets.

Professional and education data

  • Categories of information we may collect
    • Employer, title, professional license numbers, work history, and educational background.
  • Categories of sources
    • You, if you choose to provide to us.
    • Third parties (such as recruiters).
  • Examples of uses
    • Processing employment applications.
  • Categories of third parties to which we may disclose that information for business purposes
    • Affiliates.
    • Service providers.
    • Other individuals or companies at your request.
    • Third parties relating to legal requests, if required by law.
    • Third parties for sales or transfers of our business or assets.

Social media information

  • Categories of information we may collect
    • If you link your account or access the Services through a third-party connection or log-in, we may have access to any information you provide to that social network depending on your privacy settings, such as your name, email address, friend list, photo, gender, location, and current city; and information you provide to us directly through our pages on social networking and blogging platforms.
  • Categories of sources
    • You, if you choose to provide to us.
    • Social media networks, in accordance with your privacy preferences on such services.
  • Examples of uses
    • Providing the Services, including registration and customer service.
    • Fixing and improving the Services.
    • Facilitating payment.
    • Personalizing content and your experience.
    • Our marketing and third-party marketing and advertising purposes.
    • Bug detection and error reporting.
  • Categories of third parties to which we may disclose that information for business purposes
    • Affiliates.
    • Service providers.
    • Other individuals or companies at your request.
    • Third parties relating to legal requests, if required by law.
    • Third parties for sales or transfers of our business or assets.

Inferences

  • Categories of information we may collect
    • Information about your preferences, characteristics, predisposition, demographic info, attitudes, and favorites.
  • Categories of sources
    • Inferred by us: from data we hold about you.
  • Examples of uses
    • Providing the Services, including registration and customer service.
    • Fixing and improving the Services.
    • Facilitating payment.
    • Personalizing content and your experience.
    • Our marketing and third-party marketing and advertising purposes.
    • Bug detection and error reporting.
    • Security, fraud and legal compliance.
    • Editorial uses.
  • Categories of third parties to which we may disclose that information for business purposes
    • Affiliates.
    • Service providers.
    • Other individuals or companies at your request.
    • Third parties relating to legal requests, if required by law.
    • Third parties for sales or transfers of our business or assets.

14.2. Do not sale or share my personal information

If you are a California resident, the CCPA also provides you with a right to opt-out of the sale and sharing of your personal information. The definitions of 'sell' and 'share' are extremely broad under the CCPA, and may include sharing certain pieces of information with our advertising partners, such as cookie identifiers, geolocation and interactions with advertisements, for the purposes of showing you advertising that is relevant to your interests.

You can choose to block sharing of this data with advertisers. This means that we turn off some types of advertising based on information you have given us and your use of our sites, ensuring that our advertising partners do not receive this data. By opting out, you will stop receiving adverts that are targeted specifically to you; however, you will still see the same number of adverts on our websites.

You can opt-out using the Cookies Settings link at the footer of the website you are using. Alternatively, you can opt-out by using a designated opt out preference signal.

We do not knowingly sell the personal information of consumers under 16 years of age.

14.3. Other rights for California residents

If you are a California resident, CCPA may permit you to request that we:

  • Provide you with the categories of personal information we have collected or disclosed about you in the last twelve months; the categories of sources of such information; the business or commercial purpose for collecting or selling such information; and the categories of third parties to whom we disclosed such information.
  • Provide access to and/or a copy of certain information we hold about you.
  • Delete certain information we have about you.
  • Correct inaccurate information we have about you.

You or your authorized agent may submit a request to exercise these rights by using our Request for Information or Request for Deletion tool or sending us an email at [email protected]. We will require you to verify your identity before we can act on your request.

You have the right not to receive discriminatory treatment for the exercise of the privacy rights conferred by the CCPA.

Financial Incentives: We may run promotions from time to time and ask you to share personal information with us. We will always give you clear notice about these types of programs when you sign up, and participation is always voluntary. If you change your mind, you will be able to opt out, and if you do not participate, you will still be able to use our services.

California “Shine the Light” Rights: If you are a California resident, California law permits you to request certain information regarding the disclosure of your information by us and our related companies to third parties for the third parties' direct marketing purposes. To make such a request, please send us an email at [email protected].

15. Notice for residents of the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and United Kingdom

This section is part of our Privacy Notice but applies only to residents of the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. For purposes of applicable law, including Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation), CoinDesk is the controller.

15.1. Your privacy rights

You have certain rights under applicable law. These rights include:

  • To obtain information about the processing of your personal data and a copy of your personal data that we store;
  • To request that we update your personal data if it is inaccurate or incomplete.
  • To request the deletion of your personal data if it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected or if you withdraw consent and no other legal basis for processing exists.
  • To restrict the processing if you contest the accuracy of your personal data, if our processing is deemed unlawful and you oppose deletion, or if we no longer need the personal data but must store it to comply with our legal obligations.
  • To receive your personal data and to transfer it to another controller.
  • To object to our processing when we process your personal data based on legitimate interest.
  • To lodge a complaint about our collection or processing of your personal data with your Data Protection Authority (DPA).

If you would like to exercise rights, please use our Request for Information or Request for Deletion tool or send us an email at [email protected]. To verify your identity, we may require you to provide us with personal data prior to accessing any records about you. If you would like to file a complaint with your DPA, contact details for the DPAs in the EEA and UK are available at ec.europa.eu and for Switzerland at www.edoeb.admin.ch.

15.2. Your personal data

You are not required to provide all personal data identified in this Privacy Notice to use our Services or to interact with us offline, but certain functionality may not be available to you. If you do not provide your personal data, we may not be able to respond to your requests, perform a transaction with you, or provide you with marketing that we believe you would find valuable. We do not use automated decision-making without human intervention, including profiling, in a way that procedures legal effects concerning you or otherwise significantly affects you.