Here’s all of the Easter eggs in VanEck’s bitcoin teaser

VanEck, following Bitwise and Hashdex, released a bitcoin teaser for a commercial on X Friday

article-image

VanEck modified by Blockworks

share

Bitcoin ETF commercials have been all the rage this week. The latest one to grace the small screen, from fund manager VanEck, is chock full of bitcoin Easter eggs. VanEck is one of more than a dozen firms trying to get a spot bitcoin ETF out the door.

Loading Tweet..

The setting for the ad takes place in Pubkey, a New York-based bitcoin bar. Pubkey teased in a post on X that people could head to “the NOOK” in the bar to find some leftover swag.

“Just some tea-ser. All Bitcoiners in NYC need to make the pilgrimage to Pubkey if they haven’t checked it out yet,” VanEck posted in a follow-up tweet. 

The commercial includes a number of bitcoin references, from the obviously displayed Bitcoiners Coffee from Lightning Koffee to a stack of 11 issues of Bitcoin Magazine. 

A VanEck spokesperson confirmed to Blockworks that the skeleton to the left of the TV is named Tony Skeletonia. Pubkey owner Thomas Pacchia bought the figure with bitcoin in 2014.

Read more: As bitcoin ETF saga hits possible homestretch, here’s what to watch for

“He holds a single rose petal for Ross Ulbricht,” Pacchia said. Ulbricht is currently serving a double life sentence without parole for his role in creating the Silk Road online marketplace. 

There’s a sign with “buy bitcoin” written on it. This is a reference to an audience member in the back of a 2017 hearing who held up a similar sign behind now-Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. Yellen, at the time, was the chair of the Federal Reserve

Below the sign are two playing cards, a 2 and a 7. The cards are the worst hand in poker, and appear in reference to how many people have found bitcoin after being dealt a rough hand, according to VanEck.

There’s also a Real Bedford football club sticker. The team, chaired by crypto podcaster Peter McCormack, has been using bitcoin to turn the football club around. In late December, the club even offered Satoshi jerseys on its website. 

The ad ends with the words “born to bitcoin.”

A VanEck spokesperson told Blockworks that the commercial is actually a teaser for a longer ad, yet to be released.

It is the latest from potential ETF issuers, and follows Bitwise and Hashdex — which have each released their own advertisements over the last month.

Read more: New Bitwise ad reflects expected bitcoin ETF marketing blitz

Each company has taken a different approach. Bitwise employed the most interesting man in the world, actor Jonathan Goldsmith. Goldsmith is best known for his Dos Equis ads. Bitwise has a few variations of the ad already floating around social media.

“You know what’s interesting these days?” Goldsmith asks the camera. “Bitcoin.”

Loading Tweet..

Hashdex’s newest ad, released on Dec. 28, shows an old clip of two people discussing the rise of personal computers towards the end of the last millennium.

“Understanding disruptive innovation takes time,” the ad tells viewers. “Bitcoin’s time has arrived.”

Loading Tweet..

Neither ad, however, includes as many bitcoin-specific references as VanEck’s. In preparation for the first ether futures ETFs, the company has launched a more crypto-native campaign called “Enter the Ether.”

Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Eric Balchunas and James Seyffart believe that the US Securities and Exchange Commission is looking to possibly approve ETFs in the week leading up to Jan. 10. There’s a firm deadline on Jan. 10 for the SEC to give Ark 21Shares an answer on their proposal.


Start your day with top crypto insights from David Canellis and Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter.

Explore the growing intersection between crypto, macroeconomics, policy and finance with Ben Strack, Casey Wagner and Felix Jauvin. Subscribe to the Forward Guidance newsletter.

Get alpha directly in your inbox with the 0xResearch newsletter — market highlights, charts, degen trade ideas, governance updates, and more.

The Lightspeed newsletter is all things Solana, in your inbox, every day. Subscribe to daily Solana news from Jack Kubinec and Jeff Albus.

Tags

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 18 - 20, 2025

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

Brooklyn, NY

TUES - THURS, JUNE 24 - 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

recent research

Unlocked Advisory-min.png

Research

This report distills Blockworks Advisory’s research on incentive programs and their analysis, offering a foundation for designing future initiatives and advancing industry-wide standards. By highlighting key lessons and methodologies, we aim to empower protocols to make informed, data-driven decisions.

article-image

Will investors take a 10% lower return to get access to a regulated investment wrapper?

article-image

Brian Armstrong called out the hire of Gurbir Grewal, who had been the SEC’s enforcement division director since 2021

article-image

Certain senators will be interested to learn about Atkins’s private sector business interests, specifically those related to crypto

article-image

Innovative smart debt and collateral features are fueling Fluid’s rise to $1.2 billion TVL, reshaping the Instadapp brand

article-image

Crypto’s liquidity engine is now worth over $300 billion

article-image

Bitcoin Jesus is arguing that the Department of Justice’s tax fraud charges are “unconstitutional”