Google allows spot Bitcoin ETF ads; BlackRock, VanEck among sponsored links Google allows spot Bitcoin ETF ads; BlackRock, VanEck among sponsored links
The search company has once again rolled back its restrictive ad policies.
2 min read
Updated: Feb. 1, 2024 at 12:03 am UTC
Cover art/illustration via CryptoSlate. Image includes combined content which may include AI-generated content.
Google has begun to permit advertisements featuring U.S. spot cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) as of Jan. 29.
The company’s restricted financial products policy page now reads:
“Google allows ads promoting cryptocurrency coin trusts targeting the United States, as long as the advertiser has successfully registered under Section 12 of the Exchanges Act using form 10-12g. Reporting requirements … and any other local legal requirements must also be complied with. Advertisers must also be certified with Google.”
Third-party reports indicate that some asset managers have already begun to advertise their ETFs with Google. One X post from WatcherGuru shows that BlackRock and VanEck spot Bitcoin ETFs now appear as sponsored links in Google search results. Another post from BITCOINLFG® indicates that sponsored links for Franklin Templeton’s product appear in those results.
An update from December indicates that the policy takes effect today, Jan. 29, 2024, and has been planned for more than a month.
The same page defines crypto coin trusts as “financial products that allow investors to trade shares in trusts holding large pools of digital currency.”
That definition clearly includes various spot Bitcoin ETFs that regulators approved on on Jan. 10. Additionally, because the definition does not name Bitcoin or any other particular cryptocurrency, it will presumably allow for ads related to spot Ethereum ETFs if such a fund gains approval in the coming months.
Google currently permits other crypto ads
Google largely banned cryptocurrency-related advertising circa 2018 but has gradually undone those restrictions in recent months and years.
In June 2021, the company updated its policy to permit ads for some crypto exchanges and wallets in the U.S. but maintained a ban on initial coin offerings (ICOs) and aggregation or comparison services. In July 2022, it extended similar rules permitting exchange and wallet advertisements internationally.
In August 2023, Google began to allow advertisements for blockchain-based NFT games that do not include gambling features. The company’s current policy also indicates that advertisements for hardware wallets are permitted.
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Author 
Mike Dalton
Before transitioning to crypto writing in 2018, Mike studied library and information sciences. Currently, he resides on Canada's West Coast.
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Bitcoin, a decentralized currency that defies the sway of central banks or administrators, transacts electronically, circumventing intermediaries via a peer-to-peer network.
Google LLC is an American multinational technology company that is most commonly known for its search engine that was founded by Sergey Brin and Larry Page in 1998.
BlackRock
BlackRock, synonymous with global asset management, is an American multinational investment management corporation based in New York City.
VanEck
VanEck is a global investment manager with offices around the world, including New York, Australia, China, Germany, Netherlands and Switzerland.