Cryptocurrencies outperform the S&P 500 in Q2, but Eastern European media continues to decline

The second quarter of 2025 saw a strong recovery in the global cryptocurrency market, with a 21,72% appreciation after an 18% decline earlier in the year. Cryptoassets outperformed even traditional indices like the S&P 500, driven by a combination of favorable institutional and regulatory factors—including increased adoption of ETFs, corporate Bitcoin acquisitions, and legislative advances in the United States.

In the field regulatory , the US repealed IRS guidelines that restricted investors and greenlit the Market Structure Bill. This easing of restrictions also benefited the adoption of stablecoins, accelerated by companies of all sizes and by Circle's historic IPO.

Despite market optimism, the media landscape in Eastern Europe followed a different trajectory. According to a report by Outset PR based on data, crypto-native media outlets in the region saw an 18,29% drop in traffic during the quarter, with only 36,9% showing growth. The majority of traffic (80,71%) was concentrated on just 17 sites, such as Comparic.pl, Bithub.pl e Forklog.com.

Concentrated traffic and regulatory resistance

Poland and Russia led the way in terms of traffic, accounting for over 82% of the region's crypto-native media traffic. Among generalist media outlets—which still dominate the total volume, with 894 million visits—75% of traffic was also concentrated in these two countries. Platforms such as Monitorfx.pl, for example, have shown exponential growth, indicating emerging opportunities even outside the crypto core.

The traffic structure reveals a significant reliance on direct access (45,20%) and organic search (42,47%) among crypto-native publishers. Paid traffic remained virtually non-existent, and access from social media platforms and AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity began to gain relevance, albeit modestly.

AI and algorithms reshape the landscape

Generative AI tools have emerged as a new avenue for content discovery. About 20,6% of crypto-native publishers and 41,8% of generalist publishers registered traffic originating from these platforms, albeit in low volumes. Publishers reported changes in audience behavior, with fewer clicks coming from searches and more passive views via AI summaries—a fact that raises concerns about the sustainability of editorial visibility in the medium term.

Furthermore, the enforcement of regulations like MiCA in the European Union, and local pressures in countries like Russia, Hungary, and Ukraine, have added layers of complexity. Publishers have cited loss of visibility, self-censorship, and infrastructure relocation as strategies to maintain an active presence amid restrictions.

With a recovering market and a changing media landscape, the second quarter of 2025 made it clear that the growth of cryptocurrencies does not necessarily translate into greater exposure from the specialized press—especially given an uncertain regulatory landscape and a new dynamic of content consumption driven by artificial intelligence.