Crypto for Twink(ie)s

After some speculation from smaller niche food blogs and bemused onlookers, the snack brand confirmed that image of the crypto-inspired coin-shaped golden cream-filled sponge cakes is very much a real thing. The $TWINKcoin Twinkies will reportedly be available through select retailers for $3.50 per 10-pack box. Apart from the branding, it looks like the connection to cryptocurrency is purely a superficial one with no plans to mint a special coin or tie the snack cakes to any existing forms of crypto like an NFT, etc.

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What probably turned even more heads than the inexplicable crypto-gimmick was the 92-year-old snack brand's decision to go with the name "$TWINKcoin" given its contemporary connotations. As anyone that has even the most basic knowledge of queer slang knows, "twink" has an entirely different connotation (even if it ironically is derived from the same cream-filled treat). It's painfully obvious that the thought did not cross any of the marketing execs at Twinkies HQ's minds otherwise they would have rolled them out last month when every other corporate conglomerate had slathered their logos in a thick layer of rainbow paint.

“Inspired by the recent headlines and discussion of cryptocurrency, we saw an opportunity to release a new take on fan-favorite Hostess Twinkies, to create the best investment consumers can make to satisfy their snacking needs,” a representative for Hostess told Decrypt. “With more than 12,000 cryptocurrencies already in existence, $TWINKcoin is the first coin-shaped golden sponge cake of its kind and, what’s more, it’s a currency with a stable value — it’s always delicious!”

Photo courtesy of Hostess Brands