Let me tell you a short story.

I was sipping my coffee, browsing the web, looking for fresh perspectives on passive income strategies in the crypto world. You know, something simple, educational, and well-structured. As a crypto copywriter, I like to keep up with what big players teach newcomers.

And what better place to learn than Binance Academy, right? 

Big mistake.

I opened the article: "A Beginner's Guide to Earning Passive Income With Crypto" (last updated in September 2023).

Honestly, I expected solid guidance. But instead, I ran into a wall of nonsense.

Mining as Passive Income? Really?

The very first suggestion they make is "Mining." According to Binance Academy:

"Cryptocurrency mining involves using specialized computer hardware to solve complex mathematical problems..."

Sure, technically, this is true. But then they say this is a way to earn passive income. Hold up.

Let’s get real.

Mining involves:

• Buying (and maintaining) expensive equipment.

• Paying high energy bills every month.

• Constantly monitoring temperatures, hash rates, downtime.

• Competing with massive industrial operations in China, the US, or Russia.

• Navigating technical updates, fork risks, and hardware obsolescence.

Passive? NO WAY! NO WAY!

It’s like leaving broken glass on a playground and hoping no kid steps on it. Binance isn’t a blog run by some teenager in his basement — it’s one of the most powerful crypto brands on the planet.

And yet their Academy reads like no one’s checked the shelves in years. If this is what they’re serving to beginners — the most impressionable and eager-to-learn readers — then we’ve got a problem.

Either they don’t know better (which is scary), or they don’t care (which is worse). Educational content should protect, not mislead.

What Passive Income Really Means

In finance, passive income refers to money earned with minimal ongoing effort. Think:

• Rental income

• Royalties

• Dividends

• Earnings from a business where you're not actively involved

In the crypto world, the closest things to true passive income are:

1. Staking – Locking your tokens to support a blockchain and earn rewards.

2. Lending – Loaning your crypto to others and earning interest.

3. Liquidity Providing – Supplying crypto to a decentralized exchange and earning fees.

4. **Yield Farming – Moving assets between DeFi platforms to maximize returns (semi-passive at best).

These options can be automated. Set it up once, monitor occasionally. No power bills, no overheating GPUs.

"But It's for Beginners...It´s not a BIG DEAL"

Even worse, Binance labels the article as "Beginner" level. That means they're educating first-timers — people who trust what they read.

And that’s exactly what makes this so laughable.

You can't call mining “passive income” — not in 2023, not in 2012, not even in the Stone Age when Satoshi might’ve mined blocks with a chisel.

Mining has never been passive. Not when you needed a laptop, not when you built a rig the size of your fridge, and definitely not when your electric bill started looking like a luxury car payment.

Let’s be real: You’ll end up sweating in a room hotter than Satan’s sauna, babysitting your overheating GPU, wondering why your “passive” plan feels like a third job with no health benefits. 

The article was updated in September 2023. No excuse.

Big brands have big responsibilities.

Misinformation like this misguides curious minds and damages the credibility of the entire crypto space.

Can Brands Afford to Get This Wrong?

No, they can't. Especially not a company that:

• Manages billions in daily trading volume.

• Has launched countless educational campaigns.

• Claims to be the leader in global crypto adoption.

If your blog mislabels basic concepts, users will assume your platform does the same. Your content is your voice — and if your voice is confused, so are your users.

Yes, content errors happen.

But when it’s 2023 and you’re still calling crypto mining a passive income strategy?

That’s a BIG red flag.

How to Avoid These Mistakes

If you're a Web3 startup, crypto platform, or fintech brand publishing educational content — do yourself (and your audience) a favor:

• Hire a crypto-savvy copywriter who understands the difference between staking and sweating.

• Run a content audit on your blogs and guides. You’d be surprised what’s hiding in there.

• Respect your beginners. They’re your future whales.

Binance Academy still has valuable content — but this? Not one of their finest moments.

If you're reading this and wondering whether your content has a few hidden time bombs... I’m here to help.

👉 Need a quick audit of your articles to make sure you're not spreading outdated or misleading info?

👉 Or want crypto content that actually educates and builds trust with your audience?

Let’s talk.