The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned a series of adverts from cryptocurrency platform Coinbase on grounds they implied digital assets could help address the cost-of-living crisis. The regulator found that the messaging trivialised the risks of investing in high-volatility crypto products.
The banned campaign included a satirical two-minute video and posters displayed in high-footfall transport hubs. These used humour and comparisons to everyday financial pressures, ultimately suggesting crypto as a potential solution.
The ASA ruled:
“We considered that using humour to reference serious financial concerns, alongside a cue to ‘change’, risked presenting complex, high-risk financial products as an easy or obvious response to those concerns.”
Regulators enforce strict rules on financial advertising. They require clear communication of investment risks, especially when targeting audiences navigating challenges like rising prices or stagnant wages. By linking the company’s brand to these real-world economic issues without appropriate disclaimers, the ASA determined the adverts crossed this line.
For consumers, this ban underscores how regulators interpret commercial messaging in an era where emerging financial products intersect with everyday economic anxieties. Firms must carefully balance creative advertising with disclosures that protect less experienced investors from oversimplified portrayals of complex markets.
Author: Pishon Yip