Bitwise’s latest Ethereum ad can be minted as an NFT

Digital asset manager Bitwise released its first spot Ether ( ETH ) exchange-traded fund commercial on Thursday, allowing non-fungible token (NFT) enthusiasts to mint the 39-second clip on Ethereum.

“Capture a piece of crypto history: the 1st national TV spot minted as an NFT,” Bitwise claimed in a June 20 X post.

Bitwise themed the ad on Ethereum, operating 24/7 while “big finance” sleeps, seemingly taking inspiration from an Apple ad comparing Mac computer devices to PCs in the early 2000s.

The Bitwise ad consists of a dialogue between a casually dressed, younger man representing Ethereum and an older man in a nightgown with business attire underneath (representing “Big inance”) who is hopping into bed at the close of trading hours.

“You’d want a little shut-eye too if you’ve been moving billions around the world," says Big Finance rather proudly. 

“Well, actually, I do.” the Ethereum man replies. "Stablecoins, NFTs, loans, people can access me 24/7 [...], but look, everyone's different. You should get some rest,” he says as he tucks "Big Finance" into bed. 

Unlike Big Finance, Ethereum doesn't clock out at 4 p.m. pic.twitter.com/0gCJi3wlXp

— Bitwise (@BitwiseInvest) June 20, 2024

Bitwise described the ad as a "piece of history."

1,198 mints of the 39-second clip have been made so far from 530 unique minters, according to the Zora Network, an Ethereum layer-2 solution focused on artists and brands.

According to Bitwise, 50% of the NFT proceeds will go to Protocol Guild, a collective funding mechanism created by Ethereum core contributors.

The remaining 50% will go to the ad’s two actors, Jamie Kaler and Michael Tacconi.

Protocol Guild, Kaler and Tacconi have earned a combined $1,865 or 0.53 Ether from the NFT mint so far.

Related: Spot Ethereum ETF 'fee war' begins as Franklin Templeton discloses fees

Last month, Bitwise and seven other firms had their 19b-4 applications approved to list spot Ether ETFs by the United States Securities and Exchange Commision on May 23.

Bitwise amended its S-1 registration statement on June 18 to include a potential $100 million investment into the Bitwise Ethereum ETF upon its trading launch.

S-1s are the last filing that must be approved by the SEC before the Ether products can launch.

They may launch as early as July 2 , according to Bloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas.

VanEck recently  released its own spot Ether ETF ad, which it unveiled within an hour of the SEC approving the 19b-4 filings.

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