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We're thrilled to announce some big news for Decrypt: crypto journalist Daniel Roberts, Editor-at-Large at Yahoo Finance, is joining our team as Editor-in-Chief. In addition, Jeff John Roberts, longtime staff writer at Fortune and author of the newly released “Kings of Crypto: One Startup's Quest to Take Cryptocurrency Out of Silicon Valley and Onto Wall Street,” will come on board as Executive Editor.
Daniel and Jeff have been at the forefront of crypto journalism precisely because of their ability to tell big, important stories in ways that all readers can understand—which is what Decrypt’s mission has been from the start. That they join us from established, highly regarded media companies speaks to Decrypt being at the center of a new wave of media outlets that are coming to challenge the legacy financial press, just as the likes of BuzzFeed and Insider did a decade ago.
On the business side, we've got some great news, too: Veteran media and technology executive Alanna Roazzi-Laforet will be Decrypt's first-ever Publisher and Chief Revenue Officer. Alanna, whose career includes stints at the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), Accuen/Omnicom Media Group and Condé Nast, has most recently been working at ConsenSys on decentralized media and identity initiatives. (Decrypt is funded by Brooklyn-based incubator ConsenSys, but is editorially independent from it.)
We think that Alanna’s depth of experience in traditional media, coupled with her trailblazing work in digital and blockchain-based advertising, makes her uniquely qualified to lead Decrypt’s revenue drive.
Daniel, Jeff and Alanna are joining us at a perfect time. Decrypt generated 350 percent year-over-year growth during the past year, and will be read by more than 4 million people this month alone. The site launched in 2018 with a simple mission: to demystify the decentralized web.
The peerless Matt Hussey, a co-founder and Decrypt's first editor-in-chief, will be stepping away from editorial to join Alanna and serve as Head of Sales. He will be bringing his deep passion for all things crypto and blockchain to the new role, and will be responsible for converting the company’s stellar growth into a sustainable and future-thinking business model.
“I have been with Decrypt since its inception and while it’s difficult to leave the editorial side, I know that I am handing it over to extremely talented journalists, who will keep the mission on track,” Hussey said. “Decrypt is a new breed of publication, one which not only covers the Web3 world, but aims to become a key part of it. It’s thrilling to bring new ways of reaching audiences— that don’t come at the expense of readers—to brands and partners who have yet to imagine the numerous permutations that crypto and blockchain will take, making an indelible mark on industry, finance, education, and culture.”
Meet Daniel Roberts
Daniel Roberts, who starts his new role here in March, has been covering cryptocurrency since 2011 when he was at Fortune Magazine, and was one of the earliest journalists in the space. He joined Yahoo Finance in 2016 to lead the finance site’s crypto coverage, in addition to writing about tech, sport, and media. While there, he spearheaded two live cryptocurrency summits, hosted a daily live show and weekly podcast, and frequently broke news about the industry. He has also written for Time, Vice, Salon, The Guardian, The Paris Review, NPR, Air Mail, Entrepreneur, and The Daily Beast, among others. In addition, he is the coauthor of the 2013 book on famous young founders, "Zoom: Surprising Ways to Supercharge Your Career."
“I've been a fan of Decrypt since its launch in 2018, when we collaborated on an investigative piece about the SEC and token sales," Daniel said. "I love the site's clean design and good writing, and how Decrypt walks its talk with a token that rewards reader behavior. Now there is a clear and thrilling moment happening that cannot be ignored, with more mainstream interest and curiosity about this technology than ever before, and I don't think it's going to fade away. I'm eager to make Decrypt the go-to place for people to get clear, explanatory journalism that demystifies crypto."
Meet Jeff John Roberts
Jeff John Roberts—no relation to Daniel—has covered law, technology, and cryptocurrency at Fortune Magazines since 2015, writing notable features on Coinbase, Robinhood and cybercrime. Previously, he wrote about law and media at Gigaom (formerly PaidContent). His work has also appeared in a variety of other outlets, including BusinessWeek, Reuters, and the New York Times.
As executive editor, he'll be doing longer-form writing and taking deeper dives into the cryptoverse.
“The overlap between the world of crypto and traditional finance is increasing every day, and business readers are looking for media outlets to explain this convergence. Decrypt is doing that better than anyone else.”
Alanna has already joined us; Daniel and Jeff will start at the end of this month. This year is already shaping up to be an epic one.