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!