In just the past few months, Cointelegraph has expanded its reach to a wide range of local markets throughout the world via the Cointelegraph Franchise Program.
From Greece to South Africa, the best local cryptocurrency and financial technology news now has a voice thanks to the largest media group in the cryptocurrency community.
Cointelegraph Franchises are headed not only by cryptocurrency enthusiasts but by entrepreneurs from all walks of life. A wealth of experience in finance, technology and other sectors means that no two Franchises are identical, and their teams are free to focus on the main sources of innovation in their local space.
Cointelegraph recently sat down with Bitalo’s Martin Albert, Director of Cointelegraph Germany, to get more information on his background and designs for bringing crypto and fintech news from Europe’s largest economy to the world stage.
In terms of Bitcoin, Germany has been something of a battleground. Its complex regulatory environment has seen names such as Localbitcoins withdraw from the market, while Munich-based Fidor Bank has even facilitated direct backed-up Bitcoin purchasing.
With such a dynamic environment, it seemed logical for Cointelegraph to highlight the continuing developments from the German market.
Cointelegraph: As an entrepreneur, what made you go into the online media industry and not any other? How did you come up with the idea of writing about cryptocurrency?
Martin Albert: I was always fascinated by the possibilities of the modern internet world. Anyone can publish any piece of information at practically no costs and accessible to nearly everyone on the planet. Quite like Bitcoin. Since I always wrote private blogs and had an own Bitcoin YouTube channel very early on I really thought it is a great idea to now write directly about Bitcoin.
CT: Gaining a wide yet loyal following can be difficult for an online media resource. What problems have you encountered and how did you overcome these?
MA: Bitcoin has a very special community and is therefore different in this regard. The community is highly motivated and most users have a high interest of being constantly informed and will at least screen-read many articles. Of course a high quality of the articles is the key factor.
CT: What made you decide to join the Cointelegraph network rather than strike out on your own? What are the advantages of being a Cointelegraph franchisee in a major European market such as Germany?
MA: Cointelegraph is a well-established brand in the Bitcoin community and enjoys a high reputation from the community and it is simply impossible to maintain all support work around a news site. We appreciate the help of Cointelegraph very much.
CT: With the Bitcoin market changing so frequently, media outlets are constantly evolving their focus. What do you intend to cover in future other than purely cryptocurrency?
MA: We would really like to focus on "the bigger picture" and go beyond a pure crypto news site. We would like to broaden the perspective and also report on current developments in the FIAT world and also comment on current political developments, even when there is no direct impact on Bitcoin directly visible.
CT: What advice would you give to those looking to set up a franchised media operation? Is there anything you yourself would have done differently, or mistakes by others in the industry you've been keen to avoid?
MA: Do not expect any quick results. Building up a trustworthy news outlet is hard work and requires patience and frustration tolerance
