The Legislative Move
In early 2018, cryptocurrency market faced an unexpected regulatory force: coordinated advertising bans imposed by social media platforms. Starting with Facebook in January, followed by Twitter in late March and Google announcing June implementation, these decisions created a de facto regulatory framework that fundamentally altered how crypto projects could reach audiences.
By April 1, 2018, cryptocurrency market had been reeling. Bitcoin had fallen from near-$20,000 highs to around $6,844, Ethereum dropped below $400 for first time since November 2017, and total market cap shrunk from over $800 billion to approximately $263 billion—a 70% loss in three months.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
facebook banning crypto ads while zuck was secretly planning libra. the irony writes itself
zuck banning crypto ads in january 2018 then announcing libra in june 2019. you literally cant make this up
Luca B. January 2018 ban then Libra announcement June 2019. Zuck saw the space as too competitive and wanted to clear the runway first
the libra pivot was so transparent. ban competitor ads, launch your own coin 18 months later
Facebook banned crypto ads in January 2018 right when BTC was crashing from 20k. kicked the entire industry while it was already bleeding out
70% market cap wiped in 3 months and then google and twitter pile on with ad bans. coordinated suppression or just bad timing?
BTC at 6844 and the entire market at 263B. that was the bottom of the ad ban cycle and nobody knew it. the projects that survived that period built actual communities not ad campaigns
EOS raising 4B during the ad ban proves the ban was cosmetic. big players raised through SAFTs and direct deals while small projects got choked out
70% market cap wiped in 3 months and then Google and Twitter piled on with ad bans. coordinated deplatforming under the guise of consumer protection
70 percent wiped in 3 months. facebook banning crypto ads in january 2018 was the knife, google and twitter following was the funeral. ETH under 400 from nearly 1400
Facebook banning crypto ads in January 2018 then announcing Libra in June 2019 is still the most blatant anticompetitive move in tech history that nobody talks about
Reka F. banning competitor ads then launching Libra 18 months later is textbook anticompetitive behavior. FTC should have investigated but crypto wasnt a lobbying priority
google lifted their ban eventually but the damage was done. icos that survived 2018 did it despite these platforms, not because of them
BTC going from 20k to 6844 while Google and Twitter piled on ad bans was brutal. 70 percent market cap gone and then platforms cut off marketing channels
EOS raised $4B during this ban period through other channels. the ad bans hurt small projects but big ones just bought their way in
zuckwatch_ EOS raised 4B during the ad ban through direct sales. the ban hurt retail investors who lost the ability to discover projects early while institutional money kept flowing
ad_spend_rat_ EOS raising 4B during the ad ban proves the ban only hurt retail discovery. institutional money kept flowing through direct channels while retail lost access to early stage projects
EOS spending $4B on marketing and Block.one still delivered a chain that nobody uses. the ad ban didnt kill ICOs, the products killed ICOs
ico_graveyard EOS spent 4B on marketing and the chain is a ghost town. the ad ban didnt kill ICOs, the products killed ICOs. brutal but accurate
ico_graveyard Block.one spent 4B on marketing instead of building. ad ban was irrelevant for EOS, the product was always the problem
the ad bans actually helped. forced projects to build communities instead of buying Facebook ads for shitcoins. the projects that survived 2018 had actual discourse
Mads H. bans forced actual community building is a hot take but accurate. the projects that survived 2018 had Discord cultures not Facebook campaigns
$263B market cap from $800B in 3 months. the ad bans were a kick while already down. BTC was finding its floor around $6.8K regardless