Coinbase's 'Don't change anything' campaign banned — satire that trivialised crypto risk

In August 2025 Coinbase ran a UK campaign across VOD platforms and posters in high-traffic areas including London underground and rail stations. A satirical film showed working adults singing 'everything is just fine' while homes fell into disrepair, and three posters repeated the joke in negative space: 'HOME OWNERSHIP OUT OF REACH', 'EGGS NOW OUT OF BUDGET' and 'REAL WAGES STUCK IN 2008', each ending with 'IF EVERYTHING'S FINE DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING' beside the Coinbase logo. Thirty-five complainants challenged the ads.

Coinbase, the UK's largest FCA-registered crypto exchange, argued the campaign was obviously exaggerated satire reflecting real economic hardships: it carried no call to action and suggested no specific solution, the characters were financially stable, and crypto was not like alcohol, tobacco or gambling — HM Treasury had rejected gambling-style regulation in 2023. The company pointed to its onboarding assessment, 24-hour cooling-off period and risk warnings as evidence it took responsibility seriously.

The ASA upheld the complaint on 28 January 2026 under CAP Code rule 1.3 (social responsibility). Consumers would read the phrase as sarcastic, implying things were not fine and that Coinbase offered an alternative to traditional finance. With crypto 'largely unregulated and high risk' — only 12% of UK adults own cryptoassets despite 93% awareness — presenting it as an answer to cost-of-living pressures trivialised the risks. The ads must not appear again.