UK bans Coinbase promotional video from airing, deeming it an 'irresponsible financial ad'

The UK’s advertising regulator has banned the airing of a major Coinbase promotional video on YouTube and streaming platforms after judging it to be an “irresponsible ad.” The decision cited the lack of sufficient explanation of investment risks while portraying cryptoassets as a solution to financial hardship.

According to Cryptonews.com on the 28th (local time), the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said it received a total of 35 complaints about the two-minute Coinbase ad released last summer and concluded it breached advertising rules. As a result, the video can no longer be served as an advertisement on YouTube and major streaming services.

The ad in question depicts the UK as a place suffering from surging prices, job losses and a housing crisis, satirically juxtaposed with scenes of workers singing “everything is fine.” The video ends only with the line “If everything is fine, don’t change anything,” and contains no direct mention of cryptoassets or Bitcoin, nor any risk warning.

The ASA determined that by using humor to portray severe economic pressures—such as rising living costs and housing issues—the ad implied cryptocurrencies as an alternative to the existing financial system. The regulator noted there was a risk of presenting “complex, high-risk financial products as if they were an easy solution.”

Outdoor ads installed in subway and train stations were also barred from being reposted for the same reason. The materials were assessed as stoking social anxiety by emphasizing housing difficulties and wage stagnation.

Coinbase pushed back strongly. The company argued that UK consumers now have a far higher level of understanding of digital assets than before, and that equating Bitcoin with gambling is unfair. Coinbase said the ad did not encourage socially irresponsible behavior or propose a specific solution, adding that the characters were not portrayed as financially vulnerable.

Brian Armstrong, Coinbase’s chief executive officer (CEO), called the decision censorship, saying, “If you can’t say it, there is a core of truth in it.”