Crypto-Native Media in LATAM Collapses as Mainstream Takes Over

New Outset PR’s Q2 Media Report Reveals Just 28% of Crypto-Native Outlets Saw Growth in LATAM

Latin America’s crypto-native media landscape experienced a sharp downturn in the second quarter of 2025, with traffic collapsing by 54% quarter-on-quarter to 8.19 million visits. This marked the steepest decline since Outset PR began monitoring the region, despite growing adoption of digital assets across the continent. The report, based on traffic data from 55 crypto-focused media outlets, highlights a significant divergence between rising crypto usage and the shrinking influence of native media.

The decline in crypto-native traffic was stark compared to the performance of mainstream outlets with crypto coverage. While crypto-native sites struggled, mainstream media added nearly 20 million visits in Q2, growing by 7.98% quarter-on-quarter. Generalist publishers accounted for 263.2 million visits in Q2, while crypto-native outlets contributed just 8.19 million. The report attributes this to the broader reach and domain authority of mainstream media, which continue to capture more visibility in AI-driven discovery platforms and search engines.

The report further notes that only 28% of crypto-native outlets recorded quarter-on-quarter growth, with 72% experiencing traffic declines. In contrast, 29% of mainstream publishers saw gains. The concentration of crypto-native traffic remained highly centralized, with just one outlet—CriptoNoticias—maintaining an average of 448,380 monthly visits in Q2. This marked a sharp contraction from Q1, when six outlets exceeded the 400,000 monthly visit threshold. The remaining outlets were categorized as mid-tier and long-tail, with combined traffic contributing 83.57% of the crypto-native segment.

Brazil dominated the crypto-native media landscape, accounting for 61.78% of traffic, followed by Mexico (18.34%) and Colombia (8.57%). However, the Dominican Republic showed signs of artificial inflation, with traffic from the country surging in April before sharply declining in May and June. Argentina led in mainstream crypto coverage, with 56.1% of traffic, followed by Brazil (29.78%) and Mexico (12.03%).

Engagement metrics further revealed disparities among crypto-native publishers. For example, Crypto-Economy demonstrated strong performance, with an average session duration of 6.54 minutes and a bounce rate of 38.6%. In contrast, Criptoeconomia had a significantly higher bounce rate of 87.3% and an average session duration of just 0.17 minutes, highlighting the limitations of small-base growth. These findings underscore the importance of not only measuring traffic volume but also engagement depth to gauge the effectiveness of crypto-native media.

The report also highlights the growing influence of social platforms on crypto-native media. X (formerly Twitter) accounted for 42.21% of social referrals, followed by Facebook (13.3%) and YouTube (10.04%). Interestingly, LinkedIn outperformed Instagram in the region, with 8.07% of traffic attributed to the professional platform. While social media contributed just 6% of total traffic for crypto-native outlets, it played a critical role in real-time information dissemination.

Structural challenges facing crypto-native media include regulatory pressures, funding constraints, and the disruptive impact of AI-driven content discovery. Editors in Brazil reported declining Google traffic, forcing outlets to adapt their editorial strategies to align with AI user intent rather than traditional keyword optimization. The report also notes that high interest rates in Brazil have discouraged venture capital investment, leaving many outlets underfunded and reliant on international content.

As crypto adoption in Latin America continues to rise—driven by stablecoin adoption, P2P platforms, and institutional investments—native media outlets must evolve to remain relevant. The report suggests that without innovation in distribution, engagement, and visibility strategies, crypto-native publishers risk being overshadowed by mainstream competitors.

Source:

[1] LATAM crypto media traffic halved QoQ despite adoption growth, Brazil drives 62% of the audience - Outset Report (https://www.outsetpr.io/blog/latam-crypto-media-traffic-halved-qoq-despite-adoption-growth-brazil-drives-62-of-the-audience---outset-report)

[2] Crypto-Native Traffic In LATAM Plunged 54% QoQ While Mainstream Added 20M Visits (https://www.benzinga.com/markets/cryptocurrency/25/09/47506066/crypto-native-traffic-in-latam-plunged-54-qoq-while-mainstream-added-20m-visits)

[3] LATAM crypto media traffic halved QoQ despite adoption ... (https://www.fxstreet.com/cryptocurrencies/news/latam-crypto-media-traffic-halved-qoq-despite-adoption-growth-brazil-drives-62-of-the-audience-202509051537)