Crypto-vs.-Reality
Saheli Majumder Ambwani
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The UK’s advertising watchdog just stepped in to stop Coinbase. On January 28, 2026, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned a series of ads from the crypto giant. The reason? They were called “irresponsible.” The ads used the UK’s cost-of-living crisis to sell crypto. Regulators say that is a major no-no.

The main issue was a two-minute musical video. It showed people singing “everything is just fine” while their houses literally fell apart. It featured rats in the streets and rising food prices. At the end, it said: “If everything’s fine, don’t change anything.” This was paired with the Coinbase logo. The ASA says this trivialized the real risks of crypto. It made a high-risk investment look like a simple escape from money troubles.

It wasn’t just a video. Coinbase put up posters in the London Underground and train stations. These posters mentioned things like “eggs now out of budget” and “real wages stuck in 2008.” Again, the message was clear: traditional money is failing, so you should change to crypto. The problem? None of these ads had a clear risk warning. UK law requires these warnings because crypto is volatile. You can lose everything.

Coinbase isn’t staying quiet. They say the ads were satire. They wanted to start a conversation about the “broken” financial system. CEO Brian Armstrong even defended the message. He argued that the ban proves their point. But the ASA didn’t care about the artistic intent. They focused on the vulnerable people seeing the ads during a hard economic time.

This ban shows that the UK is getting even tougher on crypto firms. You cannot use fear or social stress to sell digital assets anymore. For Coinbase, it’s a public relations headache. For everyone else, it’s a reminder. Crypto is an investment, not a “fix” for your grocery bill.