The landscape of encrypted media in Western Europe will change significantly in Q1 2025 as MiCA and algorithm updates reshape the industry.

In the first quarter of 2025, the crypto media in Western Europe entered a noticeable adjustment phase. As the soft implementation of MiCA began to reshape content boundaries—especially regarding what constitutes promotion—publishers also faced algorithmic turbulence from Google's March core update and the constantly changing discovery standards across various platforms. Many media outlets focused on Crypto Assets appeared unprepared for these shifts due to a lack of Compliance readiness, structural rigor, and the content governance now expected in a regulated discovery ecosystem, resulting in a decline in their influence. However, a small number not only held above but also experienced growth. We analyzed the performance of 133 publications in Western Europe in the first quarter of 2025, including 87 crypto-native media and 46 general media. We broke down the content shown by the data—and how some outstanding platforms found new ways to win the visibility game in crypto media.

According to data from the platform, we found that during the period from January to March 2025, 82% of crypto native publications experienced a decline in web traffic. Total traffic dropped from 26.57 million visits in January to 22.85 million in February, and then fell to 22.22 million in March—a cumulative decrease of 16.3%. This is not a one-time anomaly. It marks a turning point shaped by overlapping forces: the soft launch of MiCA enforcement, the evolving definition of promotional content, Google's core algorithm update in March, new platform content standards, and search behavior influenced by macroeconomic uncertainty.

Among the 87 analyzed crypto-native publications, traffic distribution follows a sharp power law curve—revealing how a few outstanding platforms dominate visibility: distribution of crypto-native traffic in Western Europe, Q1 2025.

This pronounced concentration highlights the growing visibility gap: access to credible narratives is increasingly filtered through a few structurally resilient channels. While MiCA is applicable regionally, traffic and media influence remain concentrated in specific geographical areas: the core traffic center of Western European crypto media in the first quarter of 2025.

Markets with a mature compliance culture and a strong editorial ecosystem can better maintain visibility in the post-MiCA environment, while other markets lack scalable platforms that can withstand regulatory and algorithm changes.

In the first quarter of 2025, integrated media significantly outperformed crypto-native platforms. Among the 46 non-crypto-specific publications studied, total traffic reached 106.25 million visits—more than four times that of the total for crypto-native websites. Notably, 19 media outlets focused on finance consistently exceeded 1 million visits per month, accounting for 95.29% of the total traffic for integrated media. Their advantage may stem from greater editorial depth, thematic diversity, and technological infrastructure, enabling them to adapt more easily to changing markets and compliance requirements.

A key factor driving this dominance is the visibility of Google Discover. According to data, only 29.89% of crypto-native websites qualify for the Discover list, and only 22.99% of websites have consistent visibility. In contrast, 32.61% of comprehensive platforms maintain a stable presence on Discover—providing them with a structural advantage in traffic acquisition. As Discover increasingly favors structured, compliance, and authoritative content, comprehensive media are better positioned to capture algorithm preferences and maintain long-term influence in the post-MiCA ecosystem.

The media is the way Crypto Assets tell their story. And as the expectations of platforms, regulatory bodies, and users increase, visibility may increasingly depend on structure, clarity, and responsiveness. Crypto Assets always evolve under pressure – so does the information ecosystem around it. The first quarter of 2025 may mark the beginning of a new phase: a phase that is filtered not only by coverage but also by resilience and preparedness. This environment is no longer determined solely by quantity, but rewards trust, transparency, and the ability to remain relevant as standards change. If this trend continues, then the media that adapts today may become the benchmark for future Crypto Assets storytelling.