In 2010, Assen Yordanov from Bivol.bg received a Leipzing Media Award,[5] which is meant to "honor journalists, publishers, authors and institutions from all over the world who dedicate themselves to ensuring and developing the freedom of the press by demonstrating willingness to take risks, strong personal commitment, persistence, courage and democratic conviction.
The conversations allegedly show influence peddling, illegitimate pressure on the judiciary by Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, media mogul and politician Delyan Peevski and General Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov, corruption, and moral degradation of the courts, including sex against career promotion.
"[20] While working on their investigation in September 2018, journalist from Bivol Dimitar Stoyanov and Attila Biro from RISE Project Romania were detained by Bulgarian authorities.
[26] In 2018, Bivol.bg gained access to the Panama Papers under an agreement with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and subsequently published a story about the offshore company Viafot which is attempting to acquire a key asset of Bulgaria's defense industry, namely the arms producer Dunarit.
Atanasov was subjected to pressure because he exposed the existence of a special secret unit "directly subordinate to General Prosecutor Sotir Tsatsarov, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and controversial businessman, media mogul and lawmaker Delyan Peevski.
"[30] Atanasov revealed that "the members of the special unit can’t pursue cases based on their own judgment, but must work according to Tsatsarov’s orders and instructions, otherwise they face salary reduction, disciplinary proceedings and work overload.”[31] The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project has reported that "Atanasov took a TV crew to show them trash containers at the Sofia Investigation Office filled with shredded business contracts and documents from interrogations, including the collapse of Corporate Commercial Bank, the fourth largest private lender in Bulgaria.
"[31] In 2019, Bivol interviewed a second investigator, Radiana Abdulova, who confirmed there was a special unit at the Prosecutor's Office which whitewashes politicians and attacks critics and opponents of the government.
[32] In 2019, Bivol.bg contributed to shedding light on suspicious deals of Bulgaria's political and administrative elite in the so-called Apartment Gate scandal which reached international media such as The Financial Times.
[33] Bivol.bg reported on a suspicious transaction by the Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Combating Corruption Anton Slavchev (jurist) who failed to declare the full price of his apartments and a glass-paneled terrace of 244 square meters.
[39] In 2018, Bivol published their investigation describing how the Libyan tanker BADR was hijacked in Bulgarian waters by suspicious private enforcement agents with forged documents.
[42] In October 2020, Bivol warned that Hristo Kovachki continued to burn dangerous waste in the Bobovdol thermal electric power station despite concerns.