Machine Translation of Stories

Context

At CoinDesk, we had established ourselves as a trusted cryptocurrency news source in English-speaking markets, but our global reach wasn't matching our ambitions. We needed to expand beyond English to serve the growing worldwide interest in cryptocurrency. This project focused on how we could authentically connect with diverse global communities while maintaining our editorial standards.

Challenge

We faced both technical and editorial hurdles. Beyond implementing a translation system, we needed to preserve our journalistic integrity across different cultures and languages. The cryptocurrency landscape varies significantly across regions, with different terminology, adoption patterns, and regulatory environments. We needed to make our content relevant to readers experiencing crypto through completely different cultural contexts while maintaining business growth.

Approach

I started with data, analyzing cryptocurrency holdings and transaction patterns across various regions to understand how different communities engage with digital assets. This research revealed distinct patterns of crypto use and information needs in different markets.

Based on these insights, I designed a translation architecture that used different services based on language families—Google Cloud Translate for Latinate languages and DeepL for Eastern European and Asian languages—since each had different strengths for specific language groups.

Working with our engineering team, I led the development of a system to automatically translate and publish content while preserving site structure and SEO value. We created a specialized translation glossary for cryptocurrency terminology, collaborating with language experts to ensure technical terms made sense in each target language.

Outcomes

The results were impressive, with traffic growing 70-120% week over week for each new language we introduced. Our content began reaching previously under-served communities worldwide, expanding our global influence while providing valuable information to new audiences. This initiative significantly contributed to both our mission of spreading cryptocurrency knowledge and our business growth objectives.

Key Takeaways