CoinDesk generated around $20 million in revenue through the first seven months of 2018. It's also profitable. Less than three years ago the business was sold for just $500,000, but that was before cryptocurrencies and blockchain went mainstream. A significant portion of its revenue comes from its expanding events business. Its annual Consensus conference had 8,500 attendees in 2018, up from 625 in its 2015 debut.