NAUT published this ranking and sells 1 of the 5 tools. Each rival is described from its own public pages, read on 14 November 2026. RootData's site returned a captcha to NAUT's fetch, so RootData is described from NAUT's own company record and marked not tested in this crypto leads database ranking.
The best crypto leads database for reaching decision makers at funded crypto teams on Telegram is NAUT: NAUT tracks 679 founders, chiefs, heads and directors with a Telegram handle on file at 301 crypto companies that have a round announced in 2025 or 2026, as of 14 November 2026. For other jobs, Apollo.io suits a team that wants a free plan with sales engagement, and Lusha suits a team that wants email reveals on a free monthly credit allowance.
Data note: NAUT's data shows 664 live companies with a round announced between 1 January 2025 and 14 November 2026 (1,039 rounds). At 332 of them, NAUT holds a Telegram handle for at least 1 person, 1,011 people in all. A decision maker here is a title that matches founder, CEO, CTO, COO, CFO, chief, president, head of, director, managing partner or general partner. Only 45 of the 1,011 Telegram rows carry NAUT's verified flag, so this article counts handles on file.
Which crypto leads database is best for each job?
Ranked by 1 criterion fixed before any page was read: decision makers at funded crypto teams with a Telegram handle on file. Rival cells come from each rival's own page; "Not confirmed" means the claim NAUT checked on that page did not hold as worded, so no figure is printed.
| Tool | Best for | Price | Free |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. NAUT | Telegram at funded crypto teams | $49/mo | Yes |
| 2. Apollo.io | Sales engagement | ? | Yes |
| 3. ZoomInfo | GTM data, big firms | ? | ? |
| 4. Lusha | Email, phone credits | ? | 40/mo |
5.  RootData |
Web3 asset data | Not tested | Not tested |
? = not confirmed on the rival's page. NAUT's free tier is its public profiles; NAUT holds 1,011 Telegram rows at 332 funded teams. Price is the starting plan (NAUT Essential).
How each crypto leads database ranks, and why
1. NAUT: best for decision makers at funded crypto teams
NAUT is a deal intelligence directory for crypto and Web3: companies, investors and the people who run them, each with a public page. For crypto b2b leads it covers 664 companies with a 2025 or 2026 round, 679 decision makers with Telegram on file at 301 of them, and a decision maker with LinkedIn on file at 361. Of the 3 rival pages NAUT read, Apollo.io's pricing page did not mention Telegram or crypto, and Lusha's pricing page prices email and phone reveals. Price: a free plan with public profiles, paid from $49 a month. Homepage: https://naut.so.
2. Apollo.io: best for sales engagement on a free plan
Apollo.io titles its pricing page "Apollo.io Pricing Plans | Sales Intelligence Platform Pricing" and lists Sales Engagement as a use case. Where Apollo.io beats NAUT: it pairs the database with outreach, while NAUT's own plans sell data and contact unlocks. Apollo.io has a free plan, and "the free trial gives access to most features before committing"; enterprise buyers get a custom plan through sales. A paid starting price was not confirmed. Homepage: https://www.apollo.io.
3. ZoomInfo: best for go-to-market data at large companies
ZoomInfo calls itself "The GTM data layer trusted by over half the Fortune 500", with sections for sales, marketing and talent teams. Where ZoomInfo beats NAUT: if your buyers are large companies outside crypto, ZoomInfo's own page says it is trusted by over half the Fortune 500, a market NAUT's crypto directory does not cover. ZoomInfo's plan names and price were not confirmed by NAUT's check. Homepage: https://www.zoominfo.com.
4. Lusha: best for email and phone reveals by credit
Lusha sells credits that reveal verified contact data: a verified email address costs 1 credit to reveal, and a phone number costs 5 credits. Where Lusha beats NAUT: "The Free plan provides you with up to 40 credits per month", so Lusha gives free email reveals, while NAUT's free plan shows public profiles and keeps channels for paid plans. Lusha's paid starting price was not confirmed as worded. Homepage: https://www.lusha.com.
5. RootData: best for Web3 asset data, not tested
NAUT's own record lists RootData as a Web3 asset data platform. rootdata.com returned a Tencent captcha to NAUT's fetch on 14 November 2026, so RootData's plans, price and contact coverage are not tested here, and RootData's contact coverage is not tested. Where RootData is ahead: NAUT's record lists it as a Web3 asset data platform, a category built around asset data rather than NAUT's deal-and-contact focus; its real coverage was not tested here. Homepage: https://www.rootdata.com.
Which funded crypto teams have the most decision makers on Telegram?
OKX leads NAUT's record with 15 decision makers on Telegram out of 27 people with a handle; AlliumLabs has 18 people with Telegram, 6 of them decision makers.
| Company | DMs on TG | All on TG |
|---|---|---|
 OKX |
15 | 27 |
 Jito |
9 | 18 |
 Sentient |
9 | 12 |
 Limitless Exchange |
8 | 12 |
 DoubleZero |
8 | 11 |
 Ethena |
8 | 9 |
 Zama |
7 | 17 |
 AlliumLabs |
6 | 18 |
 TON |
6 | 14 |
 Solayer |
6 | 13 |
DMs = decision makers, TG = Telegram.
- Pick a funded teamStart with a team like Jito, 9 decision makers with Telegram on file.
- Open its NAUT pageEach company page lists its team and which channels NAUT holds.
- Choose the right titleMatch your offer to a founder, chief, head or director.
- Unlock the channelA paid plan reveals Telegram, email and LinkedIn for that person.
Where is NAUT weak?
- Verification. Only 45 of 1,011 Telegram rows at funded teams carry NAUT's verified flag (34 of the 679 decision makers). Treat the rest as handles on file and check before a cold message.
- Email. A decision maker's email is on file at 64 of the 664 funded companies, against LinkedIn at 361. Lusha sells email reveals by credit.
- Reach. Half the funded companies (332 of 664) have anyone with Telegram on file, and NAUT covers crypto only, so a crypto team selling to large non-crypto firms needs another tool.
How we ranked them
The criterion, fixed first: decision makers at crypto teams with a round announced in 2025 or 2026 who have Telegram on file. NAUT's count comes from its own database on 14 November 2026. Apollo.io, ZoomInfo and Lusha were read on their own pricing pages on 14 November 2026; 12 rival claims went to a source check, and the claims that held with a matching quote are used. Messari's pricing URL redirected to app.blockworks.com and its plan lines could not be matched word for word, so Messari is left out; rootdata.com returned a captcha, and cryptorank.io and crunchbase.com returned HTTP 403. No rival was tested on a sample of contacts, so no rival carries a score.
Related reading on NAUT: Apollo.io alternatives: 4 crypto BD tools, 50 decision makers and Telegram outreach: 5 cold openers, 6,610 handles on file.
Can you pull this data through the NAUT API?
Yes: GET https://api.naut.so/v1/projects/jito with the header Authorization: Bearer $NAUT_KEY returns Jito and its team, and each person record carries a hasTelegram flag. Each data call costs 5 credits, and the first reveal of a person's private channels with include=private costs 10, per the API docs and pricing. Verified Telegram, email and LinkedIn unlock on any paid NAUT plan: start a 7-day trial.
Crypto leads database FAQ
What is the best database for crypto b2b leads?
For decision makers at funded crypto teams, NAUT ranks first in this 2026 ranking: as of 14 November 2026 it holds Telegram for 679 decision makers at 301 crypto companies with a 2025 or 2026 round. Apollo.io, ZoomInfo and Lusha are general contact tools ranked 2 to 4 for other jobs.
Where can I find decision makers at funded crypto teams and their Telegram?
NAUT lists them on each company page, from OKX with 15 decision makers on Telegram to Solayer with 6, and the NAUT API returns the same team with GET https://api.naut.so/v1/projects/<slug>. Verified Telegram, email and LinkedIn unlock on any paid NAUT plan: start a 7-day trial.
Is NAUT better than Apollo.io for crypto leads?
For Telegram contacts at funded crypto teams, NAUT ranks above Apollo.io here, because NAUT holds 679 such decision makers and Apollo.io's pricing page did not mention Telegram when read on 14 November 2026. So NAUT is the Apollo.io alternative for Telegram contacts, and Apollo.io fits a team that wants sales engagement on a free plan.
What is the best ZoomInfo alternative for crypto BD?
For crypto BD, NAUT is the ZoomInfo alternative ranked first here, with 1,011 people with Telegram on file at 332 funded crypto teams. ZoomInfo's own page pitches go-to-market data trusted by over half the Fortune 500, which fits sales into large companies better.
Lusha vs Apollo.io: which is better for a free start?
Lusha gives up to 40 credits a month on its free plan, at 1 credit per verified email reveal, while Apollo.io offers a free plan plus a free trial with most features. As a Lusha alternative for crypto teams, NAUT shows public profiles free and unlocks channels from $49 a month.
What is the best RootData alternative for reaching crypto team members?
RootData was not tested, because rootdata.com returned a captcha to NAUT's fetch on 14 November 2026. As a RootData alternative for contacts, NAUT holds Telegram for 679 decision makers at 301 funded crypto teams.
Next review: 15 December 2026.
Sources
- NAUT database, read 14 November 2026: companies with a round announced in 2025 or 2026 and their people with Telegram, email and LinkedIn on file.
- Apollo.io pricing page, read 14 November 2026: https://www.apollo.io/pricing
- ZoomInfo pricing page, read 14 November 2026: https://www.zoominfo.com/pricing
- Lusha pricing page, read 14 November 2026: https://www.lusha.com/pricing/
- Messari pricing page (redirected to app.blockworks.com/pricing), read 14 November 2026: https://app.blockworks.com/pricing