Crypto exchange Coinbase has made a high-profile return to the Super Bowl, four years after its viral QR code commercial, this time leaning into nostalgia with a karaoke-style ad inspired by the Backstreet Boys.
The one-minute spot, aired during the biggest sporting event in the US, featured animated on-screen lyrics from the boy band’s 1997 hit “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)”, with no actors or heavy visuals, just text, music and branding.
Singing > watching.
So we got millions of people watching the Big Game to sing along with us.
Oh, and we put it on the world’s largest LED screen @SphereVegas. pic.twitter.com/dYqBkEy41g
— Coinbase 🛡️ (@coinbase) February 9, 2026
Nostalgia-driven ad aims to unite crypto audience
Coinbase’s chief marketing officer, Catherine Ferdon, said the ad was designed to create a shared cultural moment and reflect how far the crypto community has come.
The campaign marks Coinbase’s first Super Bowl appearance since 2022, when its minimalist, bouncing QR code commercial went viral. That ad offered new users $15 worth of Bitcoin and was so popular it briefly crashed Coinbase’s website after reportedly drawing 20 million visits in a single minute.
Mixed reactions spark online debate
Reactions to the latest ad were sharply divided across social media. Some viewers criticized the timing and tone, especially amid recent market volatility and heightened political scrutiny of the crypto industry.
Coinbase leaned into the controversy, responding on X that public debate was proof the ad succeeded. “If you’re talking about it, it worked,” the company wrote.
Others shared more visceral reactions. Some claimed rooms erupted in boos when the Coinbase logo appeared, while Axios reporter Andrew Solender said viewers near him responded with loud groans. On the other hand, Ethereum Foundation engineer Chase Wright noted that many at his watch party sang along and laughed once they realized it was a Coinbase ad.
Defending the campaign, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said most people barely pay attention to commercials. “It takes something different to break through,” he wrote, arguing that memorability, not universal approval, was the goal.
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