Honest comparison of crypto marketing agencies — useful for project founders

After working in crypto marketing for 4 years, I got tired of agencies 
making vague claims, so I broke down the real numbers across the top 6 
(Coinbound, NinjaPromo, MarketAcross, Lunar Strategy, Single Grain, 
and us — 0x Agency).

Why this matters for : most projects posted here die 
not because the token is bad, but because nobody hears about it past 
week 2. Picking the right marketing partner (or knowing what to do 
yourself) is often the difference between a 10x and a rug-looking chart.

What I compared:
- Distribution reach (actual network size, not vanity follower counts)
- X Spaces capability (in-house hosts vs outsourced)
- Pricing transparency (published rates vs "contact us")
- Specialization (Web2 performance vs Web3 native)
- KOL network access (verified accounts vs random TG groups)
- Case study transparency (real metrics vs screenshots with no context)

TL;DR findings:
- Coinbound = strong PR placements but premium pricing ($$$$), best 
  for projects with $100k+ budgets
- NinjaPromo = solid Web2 crossover, good if you need paid ads + 
  social, weaker on native crypto Twitter
- MarketAcross = the king for tier-1 publication PR (Cointelegraph, 
  Decrypt, CoinDesk), but expensive and slow
- Lunar Strategy = decent mid-market option, content-heavy approach
- Single Grain = generalist agency, not crypto-native, treat with caution
- Most agencies don't actually run X Spaces in-house — they outsource 
  to whoever's cheap that week, which is why your "Space" gets 12 
  listeners

Red flags I learned to spot:
1. No published case studies with real metrics
2. "Guaranteed" engagement numbers (it's bots)
3. Refusing to show their KOL list before signing
4. Monthly retainers with no defined deliverables
5. No live X Spaces you can actually attend before paying

Green flags:
- Verified Trustpilot / G2 reviews from named clients
- Team members with real LinkedIn profiles and history
- Live weekly X Spaces you can join as a listener first
- Transparent pricing or at least pricing ranges
- Case studies with screenshots of analytics dashboards

Full breakdown with the comparison table is in the first comment ↓

Happy to answer questions about any of them — I've worked alongside 
or competed with most. Not trying to dunk on any specific agency, 
just want founders here to make informed decisions instead of getting 
burned by a $30k retainer with nothing to show for it.

What's your experience been? Anyone here used any of these and want 
to share results (good or bad)?