Social media platform X has removed cryptocurrency from its list of prohibited industries for paid promotions, reversing a ban that had been in place since at least June 2024. The company also lifted restrictions on gambling promotions while adding pharmaceuticals, tobacco, weapons, and weight loss products to the prohibited list.
The policy change allows influencers to monetize crypto content under a new disclosure framework, impacting a sector previously restricted on the platform. This shift opens a significant advertising channel for the cryptocurrency industry while introducing stricter labeling requirements for compensated posts. Crypto analyst DeFi Ignas observed the policy change, noting that crypto was still listed as prohibited on Feb. 16. “Crypto is no longer listed under Prohibited Industries for paid promo on X,” DeFi Ignas stated. “The policy page changed recently. On February 16, it was still there”.
X rolled out a Paid Partnership framework requiring influencers to label all compensated content with a visible “Paid Partnership” tag. Nikita Bier, X’s Head of Product, stated the feature is designed to restore trust. “Undisclosed promotions hurt the integrity of the product and lead people to distrust the content they read on X,” Bier said. Under the updated rules, influencers are responsible for ensuring posts comply with applicable laws, including FTC regulations on endorsements.
Failure to disclose paid promotions can trigger automated warnings, with repeated violations risking account suspension. X’s policy distinguishes between Paid Partnerships and its formal X Ads program, meaning content restricted under one channel could be permitted through the other. The crypto community split on the update, with some welcoming clearer compliance paths and others raising enforcement concerns.
Analyst Benjamin Cowen warned that many crypto influencers would need to change business models away from undisclosed promotions. “90% of crypto influencers now need to find a new business model,” Cowen stated. User Rune questioned whether the platform can distinguish between organic enthusiasm and paid shilling, predicting a “massive ban wave” on Crypto Twitter. “Who can tell the difference between someone promoting a token without being paid and someone who is being paid to promote it?” Rune wrote.
The update leaves crypto marketers adapting to a landscape where transparency is built into the platform itself.
