What Matters
For a crypto publisher earning commissions from links, the FTC’s core rule is simple: readers must be able to understand the financial relationship clearly and before that relationship can distort how they interpret the recommendation. “Affiliate link” by itself may not be enough. The disclosure should be clear, conspicuous and close enough to the recommendation or link that an ordinary reader is unlikely to miss the connection.
DN Evidence Block
Last reviewed: 15 November 2026.
Primary sources: FTC Endorsement Guides Q&A and FTC Disclosures 101.
Current FTC position used here: disclose material connections; make disclosures clear and conspicuous; place them with the endorsement; do not rely solely on platform disclosure tools; “affiliate link” alone may not tell consumers that the publisher earns commission.
Boundary: this is an editorial compliance guide, not legal advice. State law, sector-specific rules and non-US regimes may add obligations.
The Practical Rule for Crypto Affiliate Pages
Crypto publishers often combine editorial comparison, pricing information, referral links and risk commentary on the same page. That makes the commercial relationship easy to understate accidentally.
The FTC’s public guidance says an affiliate marketer should disclose the relationship to the retailer clearly and conspicuously so readers can decide how much weight to give the endorsement. The FTC even gives a plain-English example: a disclosure that explains the publisher gets commissions for purchases made through links in the post.
The important point is not the exact wording. It is whether the disclosure communicates the material connection in language the intended audience can understand.
What “Clear and Conspicuous” Means in Practice
| Control | Safer implementation | Common failure |
|---|---|---|
| Placement | Before or immediately alongside the first meaningful affiliate recommendation. | Disclosure buried in footer, About page or after a long review. |
| Language | “We may earn a commission if you sign up through links on this page.” | Only “affiliate link,” “partner,” “collab” or ambiguous shorthand. |
| Visibility | Readable text with normal contrast and font size. | Tiny grey text, collapsed disclosures or low-contrast styling. |
| Relationship to link | Reader can connect the disclosure to the paid recommendation. | Disclosure and link separated by enough content that the relationship is unclear. |
| Social media | Disclosure in the post itself, not only a profile or destination page. | Relying on a profile bio or a platform tool alone. |
| Video | Disclosure in the video; using both audio and visual presentation can improve notice. | Disclosure only in the description. |
Why “Affiliate Link” Alone Is Weak
The FTC’s Endorsement Guides Q&A specifically says consumers may not understand that the phrase “affiliate link” means the person placing the link gets paid for purchases made through it. A “buy now” button also does not explain the commercial relationship.
That matters for crypto because publishers often assume an audience already understands referral codes, partner links or rev-share. The FTC guidance says not to assume followers already know about brand relationships.
Disclosure Does Not Cure a False Claim
Disclosure solves the transparency problem around the relationship. It does not make unsupported claims acceptable.
The FTC’s influencer guidance also warns creators not to make up claims that would require proof the advertiser does not have. For crypto publishers, that means a clear commission disclosure does not excuse unsupported statements such as:
- “safest exchange” without a defined evidence basis
- “guaranteed yield”
- “risk-free bot”
- “audited” when no current audit has been checked
- “best returns” based only on vendor marketing
Product Reviews Need an Evidence Boundary
A strong crypto review should separate:
- documented facts — current pricing, permissions, custody model, public terms
- DN analysis — conclusions from those facts
- vendor claims — clearly attributed and not silently converted into DN findings
- commercial relationship — disclosed before the reader reaches the affiliate action
This structure protects both editorial trust and commercial clarity.
DN FTC Affiliate Disclosure Placement Checker
This is a planning tool, not legal advice. It flags obvious disclosure weaknesses against the FTC guidance summarized above.
A green result does not establish legal compliance; it only indicates that the obvious disclosure controls are present.
A Practical DN Disclosure Pattern
A useful publisher-level sentence is:
“Decentralised News may earn a commission if you register, buy or trade through links on this page. This does not affect our editorial rankings.”
That wording is not an FTC-approved script. It is simply more informative than “affiliate link” because it tells the reader what the economic relationship is.
What About Platform Disclosure Tools?
The FTC says platform tools can be useful, but they are not automatically sufficient. The regulator looks at placement, readability and clarity. The safest operational assumption is therefore to make the relationship clear in your own content even when a platform also provides a paid-partnership label.
What If the Publisher Is Outside the US?
FTC guidance says US law can still matter when it is reasonably foreseeable that content posted from abroad will affect US consumers. A global crypto site should therefore not assume that the publisher’s physical location removes US endorsement-disclosure exposure.
DN Operating Standard for Affiliate Articles
For DN-style commercial content, the safer workflow is:
- Confirm the platform is currently operational.
- Confirm the exact commercial relationship and current referral link.
- Place a plain-language disclosure before the first material affiliate CTA.
- Keep editorial scoring independent of affiliate status.
- Support claims with dated sources and distinguish vendor claims from DN findings.
- Re-check the relationship and page when terms materially change.
Not Legal Advice
The FTC Endorsement Guides are one part of the legal environment. Crypto-specific advertising rules, state laws, securities/commodities rules and non-US regimes can impose additional restrictions. This guide is an editorial control framework, not a substitute for counsel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do affiliate links need disclosure?
When a publisher earns commission or receives another material benefit, FTC guidance says the relationship should be disclosed clearly and conspicuously.
Is “affiliate link” enough?
The FTC says consumers may not understand that “affiliate link” means the publisher gets paid for purchases made through that link.
Can the disclosure go in the footer?
A footer-only disclosure is weak because the FTC emphasizes placement with the endorsement and says disclosures are likely to be missed when separated from the recommendation.
Do I need a disclosure if my review is unbiased?
Yes, if there is a material relationship. The FTC says the disclosure is still needed even when the creator believes the evaluation is unbiased.
Can I rely on a social platform’s paid-partnership label?
Not necessarily. FTC guidance says a platform tool alone does not guarantee that the disclosure is clear and conspicuous.
Does this apply to crypto publishers outside the US?
Potentially. FTC guidance says US law can apply when it is reasonably foreseeable that the post will affect US consumers.
Final Verdict
The safest affiliate disclosure is not the cleverest or shortest one. It is the one an ordinary reader understands immediately.
For crypto publishers, the commercial relationship should be visible enough that the reader never has to infer whether the recommendation might generate revenue for the publisher.
Primary Sources
