UK's FCA Targets Meme Coins and Misleading Crypto Promotions

UK’s FCA Targets Meme Coins and Misleading Crypto Promotions

Updated: 29 March 2024

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In the exciting and often unpredictable world of crypto, meme coins have fascinated many people who jumped in in the hopes of getting rich quickly. Yet the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is cracking down on misleading promotions in this space. The FCA has issued a warning to financial influencers, or “finfluencers,” who might be sharing deceptive advice online, including endorsements of popular crypto memes. The regulator emphasizes that financial advice must be clear, fair, and not misleading, with violators facing severe penalties, including up to two years in prison, unlimited fines, or both.

FCA’s Warning to Crypto Influencers

Lucy Castledine, the FCA’s director of consumer investments, stressed the importance of legality in promotions, stating,

Promotions aren’t just about the likes, they’re about the law. We will take action against those touting financial products illegally.

Additionally, influencers are required to disclose any financial interests in the assets they promote, similar to any investment pitch.

The FCA has also noted that financial promotions communicated in chatrooms like Reddit and Telegram, often using memes to hype specific investments, are still subject to financial promotion restrictions. This applies to both public and invitation-only platforms, emphasizing that the popularity of meme coins and tokens in the crypto world does not exempt them from regulatory oversight.

Cryptocurrencies based on internet memes and trends are known for their extreme volatility and the rapid pace at which they can appear and disappear. While some investors may see significant gains, many others experience losses trading these assets.

The FCA is also offering advice to influencers considering promoting financial products, amid a backdrop of celebrities and famous athletes facing regulatory action in the US for endorsing cryptocurrencies on social media. Despite recent accusations of a rug pull involving PepeCoin, some influencers continue to support the meme coin. Jason Williams, a pro-Bitcoin influencer, reaffirmed his dedication to PepeCoin on Twitter, stating, “I’m a Pepe maxi. Pepe is fine and always will be.” This highlights the ongoing enthusiasm for meme coins, even amidst regulatory scrutiny and market volatility.