When Brands Go Blockchain: The Crypto Coins Nobody Asked For
Ah, the golden age of crypto hype—when every brand thought, “Why not launch a coin?” Enter the hall of fame of corporate crypto flops.
First up: PepsiCo’s PepCoin. It wasn’t exactly a coin, more of a rewards system dressed in blockchain buzzwords. The result? Confused snackers and a forgotten landing page.
Then there was KodakCoin, launched by a company that thought blockchain could save it from the digital photography apocalypse. It aimed to protect photographers’ rights. It ended protecting no one, especially investors. The SEC stepped in. Spoiler: it’s not thriving.
We can’t forget Burger King’s WhopperCoin in Russia. Yes, you could earn crypto for eating Whoppers. The world didn’t ask for blockchain-backed fast food, but Burger King delivered—then ghosted. The token’s value dropped faster than cold fries.
And of course, Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona FC fan tokens—fun in theory, volatile in reality. Great if you’re a die-hard fan. Not so great if you thought you were investing in the next Bitcoin.
The lesson? Just because you can mint a coin doesn’t mean you should. Especially if your business model is based on soda, burgers, or nostalgia.
Crypto is wild. Corporate crypto is… something else.
