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Coinbase jumped back into Super Bowl advertising this year. The crypto exchange bought a spot during the 2026 game, ending a four-year absence from the event that costs companies millions for just thirty seconds of airtime. AI companies pretty much owned the show.
The crypto giant’s commercial stood out from all the artificial intelligence ads flooding the broadcast. While Google and Microsoft pushed their latest AI tools, Coinbase went with humor and a quirky storyline that didn’t mention blockchain once. Their marketing team wanted something different. “We wanted to bring a light-hearted touch to an otherwise tech-heavy atmosphere,” a Coinbase executive said. The ad cost them around $14 million according to company sources, but they’re betting big on mainstream visibility again.
Crypto ads vanished after 2022. That year was wild.
Back then, crypto companies threw money at Super Bowl spots like there was no tomorrow. FTX, Crypto.com, and others fought for viewers’ attention when Bitcoin was riding high. But the market crashed hard, and suddenly those expensive ads looked pretty stupid. Companies got cautious real fast. Some went bankrupt. Others just went quiet.
Binance took a different route this year. The world’s biggest crypto exchange skipped the Super Bowl entirely, focusing instead on partnerships and community stuff. Their CEO didn’t want to spend $7 million on thirty seconds when they could build relationships for months with that money. Smart move, maybe. Or maybe they’re missing out on reaching regular people who still don’t know much about crypto.
And the advertising landscape shifted big time. AI companies seized their moment, showing off chatbots and machine learning tools to over 115 million viewers. Microsoft’s ad featured their new AI assistant helping families plan vacations. Google showcased AI writing emails and organizing calendars. The message was clear: AI is here, and it’s useful for everyone.
But crypto’s comeback wasn’t just Coinbase.
FTX made news on February 8 with a different strategy entirely. Instead of buying expensive TV spots, they announced plans to fund educational programs about cryptocurrency investing. “Our focus is on empowering users with knowledge about crypto investments,” their CEO said. The company wants to rebuild trust through education rather than flashy commercials. Can’t blame them after everything that happened in 2022. More on this topic: Bitcoin MVRV Ratio Drops to March.
NBCUniversal charged a record $7 million for thirty-second spots this year. That’s up from $6.5 million in 2025, and way more than the $5.6 million companies paid in 2022 when crypto ads were everywhere. The network knows they’ve got leverage with viewership hitting a five-year high. Over 115 million people watched, making it the most-watched Super Bowl since 2021. Those numbers justify the crazy prices.
Smaller crypto firms stayed away completely. They can’t compete with Coinbase’s marketing budget, so they’re sticking to targeted digital campaigns instead. Makes sense when you’re trying to reach crypto enthusiasts rather than casual football fans. These companies are focusing on Reddit, Twitter, and crypto forums where their potential customers actually hang out.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau released data on February 9 showing digital ad spending jumped 20% in the tech sector. Traditional TV advertising is losing ground to online campaigns that can target specific audiences. But the Super Bowl remains special because it reaches everyone at once. You can’t replicate that massive, diverse audience anywhere else.
Kraken surprised everyone with a partnership announcement just before the game. The crypto exchange teamed up with an AI company to add smart analytics to their trading platform. CEO Jesse Powell said, “This partnership will enhance our platform’s capabilities and offer our users a more robust trading experience.” Seems like they’re trying to ride both the crypto and AI waves at the same time.
February 11 brought more analysis from the Advertising Research Foundation. Their report called out the unique challenges crypto advertisers face compared to other industries. Regulatory uncertainty makes it hard to know what claims they can make about returns or safety. Consumer skepticism runs deep after multiple exchange collapses and market crashes. Building trust takes time and careful messaging.
The foundation’s research showed crypto ads need to work twice as hard to convince viewers. People remember the crashes, the scandals, the celebrities pushing coins that went to zero. That’s why Coinbase went with humor instead of promising quick profits. They’re trying to seem approachable and trustworthy rather than predatory. This follows earlier reporting on Benchmark Cuts Coinbase Target as Crypto.
NBCUniversal executives were happy with the mix of advertisers this year. The network confirmed that crypto companies are welcome back as long as they meet compliance standards. But those standards keep changing as regulators crack down on misleading claims about digital assets.
Viewership numbers stayed strong throughout the game, with the crypto ads getting decent social media buzz. Whether that translates to new users signing up for exchanges remains unclear. The real test comes in the weeks after the Super Bowl when the marketing teams analyze conversion rates and customer acquisition costs.
Crypto companies spent roughly $50 million total on Super Bowl advertising this year, down from over $100 million in 2022.
The Federal Trade Commission announced new guidelines for cryptocurrency advertising just three weeks before the Super Bowl. Companies now face stricter requirements about disclosing risks and avoiding misleading profit claims. Several crypto firms had to revise their commercial scripts at the last minute to comply with the updated regulations.
Meanwhile, traditional financial institutions watched from the sidelines as crypto companies reclaimed some advertising territory. JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs have quietly expanded their own digital asset services but avoided any Super Bowl mentions of cryptocurrency offerings.
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