Share this article
SEC Goes After Crypto Investing With Game Show Inspired Spots
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is warning investors away from casual crypto speculation by using mock videos.
Updated May 11, 2023, 4:56 p.m. Published Jun 1, 2022, 8:19 p.m.
Cryptocurrency speculation is lumped in with other highly risky ventures in a series of new U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) videos meant to educate potential investors by comparing some investment choices with a game show.
"Investing is not a game,” says the voiceover in each of the public service spots released by the SEC on Wednesday. The videos caution viewers to do research before making choices with their money.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW
In one spot the mock host invites contestants of "Investomania" to choose from a classic game show board of options that includes a range of dubious investments. The possible selections include one square labeled “crypto to the moon,” mixed among others such as “stock tips from your uncle,” “meme stocks” and “tulip bulbs.”
In another, a contestant says, “I’ll take celebrity endorsements,” with a mock celebrity responding, “You should buy crypto, trust me – I’m an actor.”
This series appears to be the SEC’s answer to the recent proliferation of crypto advertising on television, including in such popular and expensive time slots as the commercial breaks during U.S. professional football’s Super Bowl .
“It’s as important as ever for investors to take time to educate themselves,” SEC Chair Gary Gensler said in a statement.
UPDATE (June 1, 2022, 10:42 UTC): Adds information on SEC site.
More For You
What to know:
- As of October 2025, GoPlus has generated $4.7M in total revenue across its product lines. The GoPlus App is the primary revenue driver, contributing $2.5M (approx. 53%), followed by the SafeToken Protocol at $1.7M.
- GoPlus Intelligence's Token Security API averaged 717 million monthly calls year-to-date in 2025 , with a peak of nearly 1 billion calls in February 2025. Total blockchain-level requests, including transaction simulations, averaged an additional 350 million per month.
- Since its January 2025 launch , the $GPS token has registered over $5B in total spot volume and $10B in derivatives volume in 2025. Monthly spot volume peaked in March 2025 at over $1.1B , while derivatives volume peaked the same month at over $4B.
More For You
U.S. Senate's Crypto Market Structure Bill Gets Messy as Calendar Weighs Down
The White House has shut down proposals, and lawmakers are circulating the Democrats' asks in what had been a close negotiation, revealing 11th-hour pressure.
What to know:
- Democrats shared a response to Republicans outlining their continuing priorities for a crypto market structure bill, which they said was intended to "reach an agreement and proceed towards a mark-up."
- The document laid out concerns with financial stability, market integrity and public officials' ability to trade and profit off of crypto, echoing concerns laid out in a framework Democrats shared in September.
- The Senate is running out of time in the Congressional calendar to hold a markup hearing — a key step toward progressing the bill — before 2025 ends.
Top Stories
