Yes, Hostess Really Made Crypto-Themed Twinkies Called $TWINKcoin

I thought it was a hoax—and so did my boss, and his boss too. We field plenty of exaggerated, nonsensical claims in the crypto media space.

But this was not one of those: Hostess really has released limited edition, cryptocurrency-themed Twinkies.

Snack blogs and food publications recently lit up with reports of $TWINKcoin snack cakes, but why would Hostess create a crypto-inspired version of the 92-year-old American icon? And didn’t they realize “twink” has a very specific meaning in today’s vernacular?

In any case, a Hostess representative confirmed to Decrypt today that $TWINKcoin is real. But it’s not a cryptocurrency—just a limited-edition batch of circular, coin-shaped Twinkies.

They’re available in 10-packs for about $3.50 a box via the Popwild website. Some reports noted that $TWINKcoin Twinkies also would be sold at Walmart, but they’re not listed on the retailer’s website, and this reporter could not find them at multiple Chicago-area locations.

“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 Hostess representative told Decrypt via email.

In a bull market, the launch of $TWINKcoin might have been seen as a top signal, echoing such past moves as drink brand Long Island Iced Tea changing its name to Long Blockchain in late 2017, or toilet paper brand Charmin releasing NFTs at last year’s first peak of the NFT market.

“With more than 12,000 cryptocurrencies already in existence, $TWINKcoin is the first coin-shaped golden sponge cake of its kind,” the representative added. “And, what’s more, it’s a currency with a stable value—it’s always delicious!”

And who’s to say that’s not a better return than the next meme coin?