In a major policy reversal, social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has removed cryptocurrency and gambling from its list of prohibited industries for paid promotions, ending a ban that had been in place since at least June 2024. The entire financial products category, which also includes loans and investment services, was deleted from X's advertising policies. Analyst DeFi Ignas first noted the change, stating, "Crypto is no longer listed under Prohibited Industries for paid promo on X. The policy page changed recently. On February 16, it was still there."
The platform's new Paid Partnership framework, effective immediately, now requires any influencer or brand promoting cryptocurrency to clearly disclose the arrangement. All posts created as part of a Paid Partnership must carry a specific "Paid Partnership" label. Nikita Bier, X's Head of Product, explained the rationale: "Undisclosed promotions hurt the integrity of the product and lead people to distrust the content they read on X. This new feature will allow you to comply with regulations, but more importantly, it enables you to be transparent with your followers." Influencers are responsible for ensuring their content complies with applicable laws, such as FTC endorsement regulations.
The policy update has drawn a mixed reaction from the crypto community. Some users celebrated the return of legitimate crypto marketing avenues. However, prominent analyst Benjamin Cowen warned of a significant shift, stating, "90% of crypto influencers now need to find a new business model that does not just involve them pretending to like a project they were paid to promote, allowing them to dump their allocations on the people that trusted them." Others, like user Rune, expressed concern that the rules could lead to a broad crackdown, fearing "a massive ban wave on Crypto Twitter" as the platform enforces the new disclosure mandate.
This move aligns X with broader global regulatory trends, such as the UK's FCA rules and the EU's MiCA regulation, which emphasize transparency in crypto marketing. The platform will enforce the policy through automated keyword scanning, enhanced advertiser verification, user reporting tools, and a public Transparency Center. While labeled ads may see an initial dip in engagement rates, the change is seen as a step towards legitimizing crypto advertising on a major social media platform, providing brands with a clearer, legal path for campaigns while aiming to protect users from misleading promotions.
