Coinbase CEO Responds to UK Television Ban on Crypto Advertisement

UK commercial television networks refused to air Coinbase’s new advertisement. The two-minute musical spot titled “Everything Is Fine” was rejected for being political and potentially misleading.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong responded on X, saying the ban reinforces the ad’s message that Britain’s financial system “isn’t working for so many people.” He argued that silencing the campaign would amplify its call for reform through cryptocurrency.

The advertisement was released online on July 31 and shows leaking homes, high grocery bills, and trash-filled streets. It ends with the line “If everything’s fine, don’t change anything at all” before suggesting viewers consider digital assets as an alternative.

London agency Mother created the campaign with director Steve Rogers. This marks Coinbase’s first major UK advertising push and was scheduled to run on streaming platforms and billboards throughout August.

The Advertising Standards Authority assessed that the ad could mislead viewers and lacked proper risk warnings. This follows a 2021 ruling that stopped a previous Coinbase promotion for unclear risk disclosures.

Armstrong called comparing crypto to gambling “a very outdated view” and said “censorship will only accelerate the spread of information.” He posted that the banned ad “has sparked quite a reaction” and added, “If you can’t say it, then there must be a kernel of truth in it.”

Coinbase opened a London office in February 2025. The company lists the UK as its largest market outside the United States. The firm has previously clashed with UK regulators, particularly when the ASA blocked a Coinbase wallet advertisement in 2021 for insufficient risk warnings.

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