Draft:DL News

= DL News =

DL News is an independent news site with a focus on in-depth reporting and investigations in the cryptocurrency, decentralised finance, and web3 industries.

The company is a subsidiary of Llama Corp, the parent company of DefiLlama.com, a cryptocurrency data aggregator. DL News is headquartered in Dubai.

History
The company began staffing its newsroom in late 2022, hiring ex-Bloomberg Trista Kelley as its Editor-in-Chief. DL News initiated a soft launch in December 2022 with the publication of an interview with Andre Cronje. , a developer in DeFi. The publication launched officially on January 31, 2023.

News
DL News is a daily publication that focuses on original reporting, long-form features, profiles, and investigations. It is not a breaking news outlet.

DL News has reported several exclusive and breaking-news pieces about major events in the digital currency industry. On March 24, 2023, DL News published an exclusive video of Terraform Labs CEO Do Kwon being escorted to jail following his arrest for alleged passport violations in Montenegro. DL News' coverage of Do Kwon's incarceration was cited by several publications in the following weeks.

Other examples include coverage of suspicious financial transactions following the collapse of FTX, entrepreneur Mark Cuban getting hacked, and blockchain firm Polkadot's 'hunger games' staff retreat amid mass layoffs.

DL News also reports extensively on figures, companies, and protocols in the niche decentralised finance (DeFi) space. Coverage includes protocol launches, conflicts and internal disputes within online decentralised communities, and hacks and exploits.

Reports and investigations by DL News have been cited by Bloomberg, Fortune , Market Insider , CNBC , the European Crypto Initiative , The Block , The Street , Blockworks , Unchained, Milkroad, Web3 is Going Great , Mark Cuban , and Ben McKenzie

Investigations
DL News has undertaken a number of investigative reports and interviews including:


 * India COVID Crypto Relief Fund - DL News investigated the execution and impact of Vitalik Buterin’s $1b donation to the India Crypto COVID Relief Fund.
 * Waves Protocol hack - DL News reported on the security breach and hack of Waves Protocol in April 2022, and conducted an in-person interview with founder Aleksander Ivanov in Dubai.
 * Harmony blockchain’s internal issues - DL News investigated the Harmony ecosystem, revealing internal issues such as fund mismanagement and negative workplace culture, informed by discussions with former staff.
 * Pig butchering scams - DL News uncovered a sophisticated pig butchering scam where a crypto firm engaged in insider trading to defraud millions of dollars from investors.
 * Texas Bitcoin mining farm - DL News reported on the environmental and social implications of a Texas-based Bitcoin mining operation causing disturbances among local residents.

Newsletters
DL News publishes three weekly newsletters: The Roundup, The Decentralised, and The Guidance.


 * "The Roundup" recaps the top stories of the week.
 * "The Decentralised" gives a weekly update in the world of DeFi.


 * "The Guidance" provides updates of regulatory events across jurisdictions involving cryptocurrency and DeFi.

DL Research
Launched in November 2023, DL Research is the commercial arm of DL News. It offers customised reports, intelligence, and white-label content for clients, as well as newsletters and event sponsorship.

Events
DL News was a media partner for ETHDenver 2024 and co-host of APCO EU Public Affair's and Web3 Foundation’s “Web3: Women Spark Debate” event.

On March 21, 2024, DL News hosted its first event, "An Evening with DL News: The Future of Crypto in Europe," in Brussels, Belgium. Speakers included Director of Eurointelligence Wolfgang Munchau, European Commission adviser Peter Kerstens, and Blockchain for Europe secretary general Robert Kopitsch.

Awards
DL News became the first crypto publication to have won a World Association of News Publishers award, when it took top prize in the "Best Trust Initiative" category in December 2023.

News editor Eric Johannson was named one of the 30 most prominent fintech reporters in the UK by British PR firm MVPR in March 2023.

In March 2024, DL News became Great Place To Work certified.