Bitcoin on TV: How shows like South Park influence crypto

“South Park” extended its moving gag connected cryptocurrency successful a caller episode, taking purpose astatine prediction markets, trading apps, US regulators and politicians tied to the industry.

Now successful its 27th season, the animated bid has built its estimation connected unhinged satire of planetary events. Crypto has repeatedly taken immoderate hits.

Not everyone enjoys being lampooned connected TV shows — the White House precocious condemned its depiction of President Donald Trump successful a narration with Satan — but earlier crypto references were often embraced wrong the manufacture arsenic impervious of mainstream recognition.

Here are 5 moments erstwhile integer assets crossed into popular culture.

We got Kalshi successful South Park earlier GTA 6 pic.twitter.com/659PZHoAqb

Prediction marketplace apps Kalshi and Polymarket marque it to “South Park.” Source: Kalshi/Paramount+

Bitcoin is the aboriginal arsenic NFTs go diseases successful “South Park”

“South Park” play 27 occurrence 5 is centered astir prediction markets. It features a parody of Fox News reporting connected Kalshi and Polymarket bets: Will President Trump and Satan’s babe beryllium a lad oregon a girl?

Previous episodes featuring Bitcoin (BTC) see the 2021 post-COVID peculiar aired connected Nov. 25, wherever it’s a mainstream currency — but besides a Ponzi scheme.

Bitcoin dipped aft Nov. 25, but that was apt owed to the emergence of a caller coronavirus variant alternatively than “South Park.” Source: CoinGecko

In December 2021, “South Park” mocked non-fungible tokens (NFTs) arsenic a get-rich-quick craze. The peculiar portrayed an big Butters — who is simply a person and classmate of the 4 main characters connected the amusement — losing his caput implicit NFTs, with anyone who listened to him becoming infected and ranting astir apes and overnight riches.

“The Simpsons” and “Big Bang Theory’s” Sheldon explains blockchain

In a February 2020 occurrence titled “Frinkcoin,” “The Simpsons” ran a conception explaining cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.

The spot was narrated by Jim Parsons — champion known for playing Sheldon connected “The Big Bang Theory” — who broke down the basics of however cryptocurrencies work. It made waves successful the crypto assemblage due to the fact that it skipped the satire and took an acquisition approach.

Related: Who’s successful the moving to go the adjacent CFTC chair?

Over a twelvemonth later, Bitcoin was featured successful “The Simpsons” again. This time, the amusement predicted that BTC would emergence to infinity.

Fortune didn’t favour Matt Damon’s Crypto.com ad

Hollywood histrion Matt Damon starred successful Crypto.com’s October 2021 commercial astatine the tallness of Bitcoin’s bull run, conscionable weeks earlier the plus reached a then-record price.

“History is filled with almosts,” Damon declared. “With those who astir adventured, with those who astir achieved, but ultimately, for them, it proved to beryllium excessively much.”

He past pointed to explorers and innovators arsenic examples of quality advancement earlier concluding: “They calm their minds and alloy their nerves with 4 elemental words that person been whispered by the intrepid since the clip of the Romans: luck favors the brave.”

The camera past panned distant from Damon, toward a cosmic backdrop with the Crypto.com logo. End of commercial.

Within weeks, Bitcoin deed a then-all-time precocious of astir $69,000. But the pursuing twelvemonth brought notorious misfortune: the Terra collapse, cascading bankruptcies and a brutal carnivore market.

Bitcoin’s twelvemonth pursuing Matt Damon’s Crypto.com commercialized successful 2021. Source: CoinGecko

By February 2022, crypto was backmost successful South Park’s crosshairs successful a post-COVID hr special. “What does Matt Damon accidental successful that Bitcoin commercial?” asked Eric Cartman, the show’s selfish instigator. “Fortune favors the brave!”

“My dada said helium listened to Matt Damon and mislaid each his money,” different kid replied.

“Yes, everyone did,” Carman said. “But they were brave successful doing so.”

Crypto’s Super Bowl takeover

In 2022, the Super Bowl drew the attention of the full crypto world, arsenic respective integer plus companies spent millions connected high-profile commercials.

Crypto.com doubled down connected its “fortune favors the brave” run with hoops fable LeBron James. Trading level eToro promoted itself with some a commercialized and a halftime bingo paper minigame.

But Coinbase stole the amusement with a QR code bouncing astir the screen. Viewers who scanned it enjoyed a $15 Bitcoin giveaway and sign-up promotion — a elemental selling run truthful fashionable it concisely crashed the app.

Related: Elon Musk and crypto: 6 times ‘Dogecoin’s CEO’ rocked markets

FTX’s commercial, starring comedian Larry David, aged acold worse. In the ad, David dismissed transformative inventions passim history, similar the instrumentality and the fork. The last spot of ingenuity was FTX, which helium again rejected.

Words past appeared crossed the scene: “Don’t Be Like Larry.”

Turns retired David was close astir FTX. Source: Jack Raines

By November 2022, FTX had collapsed into bankruptcy aft it was revealed that it had commingled idiosyncratic assets. Founder Sam Bankman-Fried is present serving a 25-year situation sentence.

In a February 2024 interview, David admitted helium regretted taking portion successful the commercial. He said helium mislaid wealth aft receiving portion of his wage successful crypto.

Elon Musk’s Dogecoin “hustle” connected “SNL”

In 2021, Tesla CEO Elon Musk repeatedly tweeted astir Dogecoin, each station sending the meme token higher.

Musk was sued successful 2022 for allegedly manipulating Dogecoin’s price, but the suit was dropped successful 2024. Source: Elon Musk/TradingView

Earlier that year, Tesla had disclosed a $1.5-billion Bitcoin purchase, giving the manufacture a large stamp of support from 1 of the world’s richest executives.

The frenzy peaked with Musk’s “Saturday Night Live” quality successful May 2021, which pushed Dogecoin (DOGE) to an all-time precocious of $0.76 ahead of the broadcast.

But the occurrence backfired for investors arsenic Musk called Dogecoin a “hustle” during a skit, and by September 2022, the token had mislaid astir 75% of its worth against Bitcoin.

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