Last year, there were a relatively small number of people and investors who took the chance to try trading money, products, and services using Bitcoin and Ethereum. Today, celebrity endorsers, mainstream athletes and celebrities like Floyd Mayweather and Paris Hilton have been seen in various ICO advertisements.
In fact, in May 2017 a huge, unconventional advertising billboard was seen by the public. It was dark and mysterious, with a glitch-like animation and the rotating wireframe logo of EOS.
It was during that same month that Block.one announced the EOS, a platform for decentralized software, in New York.
Targeting ordinary people
While Block.one CEO Brendan Blumer said that the advertisement was targeted at developers who want to attend the EOS Conference in June, it seems like it also attracted the curiosity of the wider public. Further, Blumer said that the advert did not mean to canvass investment.
Meanwhile, cryptocurrency advertisements are also seen across different cities in the West. These ads are targeting ordinary people, persuading them to invest. More and more financial institutions, as well as trading platforms, are trying out Bitcoin and Ethereum for the first time.
Trend is both a giant bubble and genuine breakthrough?
Due to the number of advertisements and endorsements of cryptocurrency, not to mention the growing number of investors, detractors argue whether the world is in a giant bubble or a technological revolution.
Simon Taylor, co-founder of 11: FS, a fintech consultancy in London, said
"This is both one of the most ridiculous bubbles in history and a genuine breakthrough. And as a genuine breakthrough, it's a breakthrough because there are new ways to fund and monetize the building of infrastructure that is shared, and that to me is really exciting."