Nikhilesh De is a cryptocurrency journalist who serves as the Managing Editor for Global Policy and Regulation at CoinDesk. His reporting concentrates on accountability within the digital asset industry, with a focus on regulation, policy, conflicts of interest, market structure, and government oversight. ^[1]​

Education

De attended Rutgers University, where he graduated in 2017 with a degree in Journalism and Media Studies. ^[2]​

Career

De began his career in journalism as a contributing writer at The Daily Targum from 2013 to 2014, covering science and campus-related topics. He was promoted to staff writer in 2014, where he wrote for the news and science sections and later oversaw the weekly science section. From 2015 to 2016, he served as a correspondent, reporting multiple stories per week and leading coverage of cybersecurity incidents affecting Rutgers University. He was then appointed news editor in 2016, managing the newsroom, supervising writers and editors, assigning stories, and overseeing production and layout. During this period, he conducted interviews with public figures and produced coverage that was picked up by regional and national media outlets. Alongside his reporting work, De also held internships in communications and web development at Rutgers University and external organizations, where he maintained websites, produced institutional content, and supported technical projects.

In 2017, De joined CoinDesk as a news, business, and regulatory reporter, where he established the publication’s first dedicated cryptocurrency policy and regulation beat. He covered institutional adoption of digital assets, regulatory developments, and breaking news, while also managing newsletters and contributing to podcasts. He was promoted to acting U.S. news editor in 2019, overseeing newsroom operations and supervising reporters, and later served as deputy editor for global macro coverage in 2020, supporting a team focused on regulation and blockchain policy. In 2017, he also briefly contributed to Dentists Money Digest, writing technology-focused articles, and worked as a correspondent for Targum Publishing. In September 2017, De became managing editor for global policy and regulation at CoinDesk, where he built and oversees an international team of reporters covering digital asset regulation. His responsibilities include editing investigative stories, managing policy-focused newsletters, coordinating coverage of major legal cases, and contributing to event programming. His editorial work contributed to CoinDesk receiving a Gerald Loeb Award in 2023. ^[2]

Interviews

BankruptcyFi

In a December 2022 appearance on the Scam Economy podcast with Matt Binder, De analyzed the collapse of crypto lender BlockFi and its ties to FTX. He explained how FTX had extended a 100 million settlement with the SEC and state regulators over high-yield products, and noted how company leadership continued to publicly reassure customers shortly before halting withdrawals. He discussed the broader risks of crypto lending platforms that offered unusually high yields, which were widely accepted in the industry despite warning signs, and described how exposure to failed firms such as Three Arrows Capital and Terra Luna deepened BlockFi’s losses. De also detailed how BlockFi lost access to roughly $355 million held on FTX, complicating recovery efforts, and compared its bankruptcy process to those of other crypto lenders, suggesting it appeared more structured. The conversation concluded with discussion of BlockFi’s ongoing court proceedings and Sam Bankman-Fried’s media appearances following FTX’s collapse. ^[4]

Crypto Journalism

In a September 2022 interview on Crypto Critics' Corner, De discussed his development as a cryptocurrency journalist, describing how his perspective shifted over five years from limited familiarity to a more skeptical and critical approach toward industry claims. He explained how CoinDesk differentiates itself through specialized reporting teams that focus on regulatory and policy issues, enabling deeper investigative coverage than many crypto-focused outlets. De addressed ethical considerations in reporting, including personal crypto investments and the importance of disclosure, as well as the challenges of access journalism in a space where participation can require token ownership. He also clarified CoinDesk’s compensation structure related to its parent company, noting that reporters receive stock appreciation rights rather than direct equity. The conversation covered the early-stage nature of U.S. crypto legislation, emphasizing that many bills serve to frame debates rather than pass into law. De advocated for mainstream media to assign dedicated crypto reporters to improve accountability and coverage quality and advised aspiring journalists to engage directly with online crypto communities to better understand the ecosystem they report on. ^[5]