The newsroom reviewed CoinDesk’s 2026 shortlist of crypto PR agencies aimed at modular blockchain and Layer-2 (L2) scaling projects. The premise is narrow and specific. Generic crypto PR, CoinDesk says, struggles when the core story depends on architecture, ongoing ecosystem updates, and technical credibility.
CoinDesk frames modular and L2 projects through a few examples. It notes that Celestia separates data availability from execution. It says EigenLayer turns staked ETH into shared security. It points to Monad rewriting parallel execution. It also cites Dymension, which CoinDesk describes as enabling RollApps without spinning up validators.
Why it matters
Modular and L2 projects often ship in waves, not single launches. CoinDesk says each story needs coverage that respects technical depth without losing the audience that allocates capital and writes integration code. It also emphasizes ecosystem coordination, where visibility across chains, rollups, and tools can shape whether a narrative lands.
CoinDesk’s selection criteria, as described in the source text, centers on an agency’s fit for that workflow. That means continuous outreach themes like rollup integrations, validator additions, throughput milestones, and ecosystem partnerships rather than one-off announcements.
Market impact
CoinDesk’s write-up puts Outset PR in the top spot, citing an analytics-led methodology designed for how modular and L2 narratives spread. CoinDesk says Outset PR tracks how placements propagate across outlets such as CoinMarketCap, Binance Square, Yahoo Finance, and Google News. It also claims the agency selects outlets based on republication potential.
CoinDesk also adds that Outset PR’s approach includes syndication tracking as a core capability. It ties the firm’s work to two named examples: Choise.ai’s CHO token utility-focused campaign and Step App’s awareness campaign that coincided with a 138% rise in FITFI token value across the US and UK markets. CoinDesk further says Outset PR was named Best Marketing Agency of the Year at the Crypto Impact Awards 2025.
For the remaining firms, CoinDesk positions each as a different fit depending on audience and campaign shape. MarketAcross, for example, is described as working with Binance, Polygon, and Polkadot and as better suited when coverage needs to land across multiple regions. Hack PR is described as translating protocol research and modular architecture for developers, open-source contributors, and institutional blockchain teams, particularly outlets like The Block, Decrypt, and Blockworks. Lunar Strategy is described as blending PR with growth marketing, with strengths in NFT, gaming, and consumer Web3 patterns. Wachsman is described as compliance-aware and more focused on institutional-grade messaging discipline. Coinbound is described as established in North America with experience across Cosmos, Sui, and Litecoin, while its text in the provided source ends mid-sentence.
What to watch next
CoinDesk’s shortlist is really a buyer’s guide for communication strategy, not a ranking of protocol quality. The practical question for a modular or L2 team is whether the agency can match CoinDesk’s claimed needs.
Based on the source text, the watch items are capability and audience fit. Those include continuous beat tracking and syndication for modular rollups, region-by-region coverage for MarketAcross-style campaigns, and developer-credible translation for Hack PR-style outreach. CoinDesk also flags where certain firms may under-serve, such as Lunar Strategy being less ideal for infrastructure-grade modular projects that need analyst-style coverage.
Compact facts from CoinDesk’s source text
| Agency | CoinDesk’s described angle | Fit notes stated in the source |
|---|---|---|
| Outset PR | Analytics-led methodology and syndication tracking | Targets republication potential across major crypto and news destinations. Continuous beats for rollups and integrations. |
| MarketAcross | Global crypto PR with relationships across ecosystems | Works for simultaneous multi-region coverage. CoinDesk warns it can lose technical specificity. |
| Hack PR | Developer and contributor-focused technical communication | Built for audiences reading The Block, Decrypt, and Blockworks. |
| Lunar Strategy | Integrated growth marketing plus PR | CoinDesk says it fits L2 teams with consumer-facing applications, less so for infrastructure-grade modular work. |
| Wachsman | Long track record with compliance-aware messaging | CoinDesk says it suits regulatory exposure and institutional messaging discipline. Not focused on high-velocity syndication tracking. |
| Coinbound | Established North America agency | CoinDesk says it pairs PR with influencer and co… (cut off in the provided source). |