Building a brand isn’t always about profit. Sometimes, it’s about putting systems in place to make sure your content reaches its audience, even when Google threatens to take that traffic away.
For BeInCrypto founder Alena Afanaseva, long-term thinking beats short-term hacks. In today’s fast-changing media landscape, sustainability comes from strategy. At BeInCrypto, that means staying committed to quality, credibility, and trust, even as algorithms shift.
Speaking during a live podcast at Binance Blockchain Week, Alena shared insights on branding, media leadership, and the evolving relationship between AI, Google, and crypto journalism.
Watch the full podcast interview here to hear Alena’s complete perspective.
With 20+ years in finance, analytics, and digital media, she emphasized one key principle:
Personal Branding Starts from the Core, Not Visibility
Alena’s advice for founders is simple: start from the inside. Chasing virality or outsourcing your voice before understanding who you are rarely works. Authenticity is the foundation.
Key takeaways:
“If there is something fake in between, it’s not going to work.” Visibility should follow the creation of something real, not precede it.
Alena began in financial journalism and market analysis, publicly commenting on Bitcoin as early as 2014. Transitioning to crypto meant navigating uncharted territory:
“Nothing worked for digital assets at that time,” Alena notes.
Building BeInCrypto required creating a network from scratch and committing to disciplined, long-term strategies, even when short-term gains tempted others.
Our platform focused on trust and insight, not just clicks, a philosophy that was put to the test during the memecoin boom. While many publishers chased hype and promoted low-quality projects, BeInCrypto:
“We said no to millions of dollars because we realized it would kill the website long-term,” Alena explains.
This long-term focus kept BeInCrypto stable while many crypto media outlets lost traffic chasing spikes or gaming SEO.
Recent Google algorithm changes reinforced this strategy. According to Alena:
“AI isn’t the enemy; bad strategy is.”
At BeInCrypto, AI accelerates research and drafting without compromising quality, boosting productivity while maintaining trust.
Contrary to popular belief, AI isn’t killing the media. At BeInCrypto, AI tools:
As AI-powered search and discovery continues to grow, traditional PR tactics such as mass press release distribution, low-authority backlinks, and inflated media coverage no longer work. To be visible in ChatGPT or other LLMs, brands must focus on:
One meaningful mention from a credible source now outweighs hundreds of low-quality placements.
With 150 people across 50+ countries, BeInCrypto emphasizes culture, structure, and shared values. Editorial decisions, hiring, and strategy all reflect analytical thinking, integrity, and sustainability.
“If you build something for the long term, you need to be aligned with your core values and your DNA,” Alena emphasizes.
Want to hear Alena’s full insights? Watch the full podcast interview here.
