Indian cricket team coach Gautam Gambhir has landed in hot water after promoting crypto platform CoinDCX on social media without clearly saying it was an ad. The former MP and veteran cricketer, who was appointed as CoinDCX’s brand ambassador in November 2024, shared a promotional post on X that has since drawn sharp criticism from users and experts alike.
“They said crypto was a fad. Guess what? Over two crore Indians disagree,” Gambhir wrote on X on Tuesday, tagging CoinDCX. He also shared a video clip of a full-page newspaper jacket ad that featured him endorsing the crypto exchange.
The post quickly drew criticism, with people calling him out for not being clear that it was a paid promotion for the crypto company. A community note added by X users flagged the post, stating that Gambhir had “not made any disclosures despite appearing to be part of a paid CoinDCX campaign.”
Some users also pointed to his past posts, which similarly promoted the platform without the mandated disclaimer.
The backlash ranged from skepticism about the authenticity of the post, with some users speculating if his account had been hacked, to serious concerns over the ethics of crypto promotion without clear disclosures.
“Promoting betting and cryptocurrency… this is against public interest,” wrote one user on X.
“It’s not a secure platform. We expect better from you,” commented another user, referring to a recent news report about a security breach at CoinDCX.
The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) clearly says that if a celebrity or influencer is promoting something, especially in areas like crypto, finance, or health, they must add a proper disclaimer showing it’s a paid promotion. Not doing so can lead to action or public criticism.
CoinDCX says it has over two crore users in India, a number Gambhir also mentioned in his post. But with all the recent crypto scams, hacks, and unclear rules, people are now expecting more honesty and transparency, especially when big names are involved in promotions.
So far, neither Gambhir nor CoinDCX has said anything about the backlash.
Also Read: CoinDCX Resumes Withdrawals After $44 Million Hack: ET
