The highly-anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) trailer took an unexpected turn when an anonymous leaker embedded a Bitcoin buying advertisement, creating a viral moment for the cryptocurrency.
The leaker, operating under the Twitter handle “Gta6trailerleak,” unveiled the first official trailer for GTA 6 a day ahead of Rockstar Games’ scheduled release. Although the leaker’s account was swiftly banned, the trailer had already begun circulating, prompting Rockstar to officially release the trailer earlier than planned.
The leaked trailer, still viewable on other Twitter accounts, provided gamers with a sneak peek into the upcoming open-world action game. Notably, the words “BUY $BTC” were prominently displayed, bringing the leading cryptocurrency to the attention of potentially millions of enthusiastic gamers. The official trailer, in contrast, did not feature the pro-Bitcoin message.
While Rockstar Games may not have appreciated the unplanned leak, Bitcoin enthusiasts seized the viral moment as a positive development for the cryptocurrency. Some users expressed their amusement and appreciation for the unexpected Bitcoin promotion.
Colin Hong, an investor associated with Standard Crypto, tweeted, “They took down the [account] lmao but the GTA leaker shilled our bags. God’s work.” Another account named Wall Street Bitcoin praised the leaker as a “legend” and considered it a message the world needed to hear.
Udi Wertheimer, a Bitcoin influencer and co-founder of the Taproot Wizards project, applauded the trailer’s extensive reach and used the opportunity to highlight the impact of mainstream Bitcoin marketing. He noted, “Yesterday, we saw the best mainstream Bitcoin marketing campaign in years. Millions of gamers couldn’t stop talking about it. Two-min video, more effective than 10,000 hours of laser-eye podcasts.”
Grand Theft Auto 6 was officially unveiled shortly after the trailer leak, with a release date set for 2025 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Bitcoin’s recent surge, reaching above $44,000 for the first time in 20 months, coincided with the leak. The cryptocurrency’s price has risen by 25% in the last 30 days, currently standing at $43,980, according to CoinGecko. While Bitcoin’s upward momentum has been linked to the anticipation of a U.S. approval for a Bitcoin spot exchange-traded fund (ETF), there is no apparent correlation between the GTA 6 trailer leak and a significant price movement in Bitcoin on Monday.
