Privacy Policy

Effective Date: September 1, 2025
Last Updated: September 1, 2025

1. Introduction

DeFi University ("we," "us," "our," or the "Site") operates a blog and newsletter at defiuniversity.xyz focused on cryptocurrency and decentralized finance education. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you visit our website, subscribe to our newsletter, or interact with our content.

Our site is powered by Ghost.io, an open-source publishing platform. This Privacy Policy applies to all visitors and subscribers of our Site and is incorporated into our Terms of Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

We collect minimal information that you voluntarily provide:

Newsletter Subscription:

• Email address
• Name (optional)
• Subscription preferences
• Email engagement data (opens, clicks)

Member Account (if applicable):

• Email address
• Name (optional)
• Password (encrypted)
• Profile information (optional)
• Subscription tier (free or paid)

Communication Data:

• Contact form submissions
• Email communications with us
• Comments on articles (if enabled)
• Feedback and suggestions

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our Site, we automatically collect:

Technical Information:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)
• Screen resolution
• Referring website or source
• Time zone

Usage Data:

• Pages and articles viewed
• Time spent on pages
• Date and time of visits
• Click patterns
• Scroll depth
• Newsletter engagement metrics

2.3 Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our Site uses minimal cookies to:

• Remember member login sessions
• Track anonymous usage statistics
• Improve site performance
• Analyze content popularity

Types of cookies we use:

• Essential Cookies: Required for site functionality (Ghost.io session cookies)
• Analytics Cookies: Google Analytics (if enabled) for understanding site usage
• Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences

We do not use advertising or marketing cookies for retargeting.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information for the following limited purposes:

3.1 Content Delivery

• Send newsletter emails to subscribers
• Provide access to member-only content
• Deliver important updates about the blog
• Respond to your inquiries

3.2 Site Improvement

• Analyze which content is most popular
• Understand reader demographics
• Improve site navigation and user experience
• Optimize content strategy

3.3 Communication

• Send newsletters (only to subscribers)
• Respond to contact form submissions
• Notify about important changes to the Site
• Send transactional emails (password resets, subscription confirmations)

3.4 Legal and Security

• Comply with legal obligations
• Enforce our Terms of Service
• Protect against spam and abuse
• Maintain site security

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data based on:

• Consent: For newsletter subscriptions and optional data collection
• Legitimate Interests: For site analytics, security, and improvement
• Contract Performance: For paid member subscriptions (if applicable)
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws

5. How We Share Your Information

5.1 We DO NOT sell your personal information

5.2 Service Providers

We use the following third-party services:

• Ghost.io: Our publishing platform provider
• Email Service Provider: For newsletter delivery (e.g., Mailgun, integrated with Ghost)
• Analytics: Google Analytics for site statistics (if enabled)
• Content Delivery Network (CDN): For faster content delivery
• Hosting: Ghost(Pro) or self-hosted infrastructure

These providers process data according to their own privacy policies and only for the purposes of providing their services.

5.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information when required to:

• Comply with applicable laws or regulations
• Respond to valid legal requests
• Protect our rights or property
• Prevent illegal activities

5.4 Business Transfers

If our blog undergoes a transfer of ownership, subscriber information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change.

6. Data Security

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your data:

• SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmission
• Secure storage of subscriber information
• Regular security updates to Ghost platform
• Limited access to personal data
• Password protection for member accounts

However, no method of internet transmission is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Data Retention

We retain your data as follows:

• Newsletter Subscriptions: Until you unsubscribe
• Member Accounts: While account is active and for 30 days after deletion
• Email Communications: Up to 2 years for customer service purposes
• Analytics Data: Aggregated data retained for up to 2 years
• Server Logs: Typically 30-90 days

8. Your Rights and Choices

8.1 Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Correction: Update inaccurate information
• Deletion: Request removal of your data
• Unsubscribe: Opt-out of newsletters at any time
• Portability: Export your subscription data
• Object: Object to certain data processing

8.2 How to Exercise Your Rights

Unsubscribe from Newsletter:

• Click the "unsubscribe" link in any newsletter email
• Manage preferences through your Ghost member account
• Email us at hello@defiuniversity.xyz

Other Rights: Contact us at hello@defiuniversity.xyz with your request

8.3 Cookie Management

You can control cookies through:

• Your browser settings
• Browser extensions for blocking tracking
• Opting out of Google Analytics: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout

9. Third-Party Links

Our blog posts may contain links to external websites, DeFi protocols, or resources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party sites. Please review their privacy policies before providing personal information.

10. Children's Privacy

Our Site is not intended for children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are under 18, please do not subscribe to our newsletter or create an account.

11. Email Communications

11.1 Newsletter

When you subscribe to our newsletter, you consent to receive:

• Regular newsletter emails with blog content
• Updates about new posts and features
• Educational content about DeFi and cryptocurrency

11.2 Transactional Emails

We may send non-marketing emails for:

• Subscription confirmations
• Password resets
• Important site updates
• Responses to your inquiries

11.3 Email Tracking

Our newsletter emails may contain tracking pixels to measure:

• Open rates
• Click rates
• General engagement

You can disable image loading in your email client to prevent tracking.

12. International Data Transfers

Your data may be transferred and processed in countries other than your own, including where Ghost.io and our service providers operate. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for such transfers.

13. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

California residents have additional rights under CCPA:

• Right to know what personal information we collect
• Right to deletion of personal information
• Right to opt-out of sale (we do not sell personal information)
• Right to non-discrimination

To exercise these rights, contact: hello@defiuniversity.xyz

14. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, you have additional rights under GDPR:

• Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority
• Right to withdraw consent
• Right to data portability
• Right to restriction of processing

Contact: hello@defiuniversity.xyz

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify subscribers of material changes via:

• Email notification
• Prominent notice on the Site

The "Last Updated" date reflects the most recent revision.

16. Contact Information

For questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices:

DeFi University
Email: hello@defiuniversity.xyz
Website: https://defiuniversity.xyz

For technical issues related to Ghost platform: Please note that Ghost.io maintains its own privacy policy for platform services at https://ghost.org/privacy/

17. Data Protection

While we strive to protect your information, please be aware:

• No internet transmission is completely secure
• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials
• Public comments or forum posts may be visible to other users
• Content sent via unencrypted email may not be secure

18. Affiliate Disclosures

Our blog may contain affiliate links. When you click on these links and make a purchase, we may receive a commission. This does not affect the price you pay and helps support our content creation. We only recommend products and services we believe in.

By using DeFi University, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.