Fact Check

Is the Teletubbies 'TubbyCoin' a Real Cryptocurrency?

Move over Dogecoin, TubbyCoin is here to deposit some hugs.

Published Apr 1, 2021

 (Wildbrain)
Image Via Wildbrain
Claim:
The children's show "Teletubbies" released a new cryptocurrency called TubbyCoin.

April Fools' Day 2022 is upon us, and Snopes is here to separate the truth from the hoaxes. Send us questions, read our fact checks, and be sure to support the fact-checkers!

On April 1, 2021, the Twitter account for the children's show "Teletubbies" made a surprising announcement: They were releasing a cryptocurrency called TubbyCoin.

The Teletubbies' TubbyCoin announcement was accompanied by a press release that provided some additional details about the new cryptocurrency, including, most importantly, that this was an April Fools' Day joke.

Michael Riley, chief brands officer of WildBrian, the Canadian media company that owns "Teletubbies," said that although TubbyCoin is not a real cryptocurrency, the company will be using this April Fools' Day joke to generate some real charitable donations.

Riley said:

I’d like to wish everyone a Happy April Fools’ Day! Although TubbyCoin is not really a cryptocurrency, our hope is that you’ll still enjoy sharing TubbyCoins with friends, family and anyone who needs a hug – all to bring some very real smiles to faces. And the part about WildBrain’s donation to charity is no joke. To help ensure kids have the assistance they need in these difficult times, we’ll be making a $5,000 donation to Kids Help Phone and adding one dollar to our donation for every TubbyCoin shared on social media up to a total of $10,000. So, share those virtual BigHugs!

Dan Evon is a former writer for Snopes.

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