“South Park” is back to roasting crypto in its recent episode, but digital assets like Bitcoin have been a pop culture punchline for a long time.
Analysis
“South Park” extended its running gag on cryptocurrency in a recent episode, taking aim at prediction markets, trading apps, US regulators and politicians tied to the industry.
Now in its 27th season, the animated series has built its reputation on unhinged satire of global events. Crypto has repeatedly taken some hits.
Not everyone enjoys being lampooned on TV shows — the White House recently its depiction of President Donald Trump in a relationship with Satan — but earlier crypto references were often embraced within the industry as proof of mainstream recognition.
Here are five moments when digital assets crossed into pop culture.
We got Kalshi in South Park before GTA 6
— Kalshi (@Kalshi)
Prediction market apps Kalshi and Polymarket make it to “South Park.” Source:
Bitcoin is the future as NFTs become diseases in “South Park”
“South Park” season 27 episode 5 is centered around prediction markets. It features a parody of Fox News reporting on Kalshi and Polymarket bets: Will President Trump and Satan’s baby be a boy or a girl?
Previous episodes featuring Bitcoin () include the 2021 post-COVID special aired on Nov. 25, where it’s a mainstream currency — but also a Ponzi scheme.
In December 2021, “South Park” mocked non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as a get-rich-quick craze. The special portrayed an adult Butters — who is a friend and classmate of the four main characters on the show — losing his mind over NFTs, with anyone who listened to him becoming infected and ranting about apes and overnight riches.
“The Simpsons” and “Big Bang Theory’s” Sheldon explains blockchain
In a February 2020 episode titled “Frinkcoin,” “The Simpsons” ran a segment explaining .
The bit was narrated by Jim Parsons — best known for playing Sheldon on “The Big Bang Theory” — who broke down the basics of how cryptocurrencies work. It made waves in the crypto community because it skipped the satire and took an educational approach.
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Over a year later, Bitcoin was featured in “The Simpsons” again. This time, the show .
Fortune didn’t favor Matt Damon’s Crypto.com ad
Hollywood actor Matt Damon starred in at the height of Bitcoin’s bull run, just weeks before the asset reached a then-record price.
“History is filled with almosts,” Damon declared. “With those who almost adventured, with those who almost achieved, but ultimately, for them, it proved to be too much.”
He then pointed to explorers and innovators as examples of human progress before concluding: “They calm their minds and steel their nerves with four simple words that have been whispered by the intrepid since the time of the Romans: fortune favors the brave.”
The camera then panned away from Damon, toward a cosmic backdrop with the Crypto.com logo. End of commercial.
Within weeks, Bitcoin hit a then-all-time high of about $69,000. But the following year brought notorious misfortune: the , and a brutal bear market.
By February 2022, crypto was back in South Park’s crosshairs in a post-COVID hour special. “What does Matt Damon say in that Bitcoin commercial?” asked Eric Cartman, the show’s selfish instigator. “Fortune favors the brave!”
“My dad said he listened to Matt Damon and lost all his money,” another kid replied.
“Yes, everyone did,” Cartman said. “But they were brave in doing so.”
Crypto’s Super Bowl takeover
In 2022, the Super Bowl drew the , as several digital asset companies spent millions on high-profile commercials.
Crypto.com doubled down on its “fortune favors the brave” campaign with basketball legend LeBron James. Trading platform eToro promoted itself with both a commercial and a halftime bingo card minigame.
But Coinbase bouncing around the screen. Viewers who scanned it enjoyed a $15 Bitcoin giveaway and sign-up promotion — a simple marketing campaign so popular it briefly crashed the app.
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FTX’s commercial, starring comedian Larry David, aged far worse. In the ad, David dismissed transformative inventions throughout history, like the wheel and the fork. The final bit of ingenuity was FTX, which he again rejected.
“It’s a safe and easy way to get into crypto,” someone told him.
“Ehhh, I don’t think so. And I’m never wrong about this stuff,” Larry replied. “Never!”
Words then appeared across the scene: “Don’t Be Like Larry.”
By November 2022, FTX had collapsed into bankruptcy after it was revealed that it had commingled user assets. Founder Sam Bankman-Fried is now .
In a February 2024 interview, David admitted he . He said he lost money after receiving part of his salary in crypto.
Elon Musk’s Dogecoin “hustle” on “SNL”
In 2021, Tesla CEO Elon Musk repeatedly tweeted about Dogecoin, each post sending the meme token higher.
Earlier that year, Tesla had , giving the industry a major stamp of approval from one of the world’s richest executives.
The frenzy peaked with Musk’s “Saturday Night Live” appearance in May 2021, which pushed Dogecoin () to an all-time high of $0.76 .
But the episode as Musk called Dogecoin a “hustle” during a skit, and by September 2022, the token had lost roughly 75% of its value against Bitcoin.
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