To tie in with a forthcoming Radio 4 series, comedian Sunil Patel has launched his own cryptocurrency.

The "crypto-entrepreneur" has launched SunilBux (SUX) in the hope of taking "the crypto space by storm."

The new coin, which was built after watching a series of YouTube tutorials, is currently available to trade on various decentralized currency exchanges.

Patel says: "SunilBux is my attempt to make a difference. Namely to make a difference to my bank balance. Live comedy isn't making the returns it used to. The future, as any man will tell you for over an hour at any party, is in cryptocurrency."

The comedian claims that early adopters of the new cryptocurrency will see "huge returns in both their financial status and emotional wellbeing" and he is even going as far as promising that owning the coin is proven to make people happier.

Commenting on the claim, he says: "Can I prove any of this? No. But you can't prove that it won't make you happier. I'm not a man of science. I'm a businessman."

The SunilBux token has been created as part of Patel's upcoming debut four-part BBC Radio 4 series, Sunil Patel: An Idiot's Guide To Cryptocurrency.

The series follows Patel as he travels to El Salvador, the only country in the world with bitcoin as an official currency, to find out how cryptocurrency works.

Each episode will follow the comedian as he attempts to get rich in the crypto space through a series of ill-fated ventures, including minting himself as an NFT and attempting a so-called Crypto-Heist.

The host also calls on experts and other comedians to help him on his journey "from rags to digital riches".

Patel comments: "I'm very grateful to Radio 4 for commissioning me to make this series. And I promise I haven't taken their money to create a crypto ponzi scheme. SunilBux is a legitimate coin that will genuinely make you 2 inches taller if you own it."

Sunil Patel: An Idiot's Guide To Cryptocurrency is produced by Daddy's SuperYacht Productions. Producer Benjamin Sutton says: "Working with Sunil on this series has been a real treat. Usually when you make a programme that's supposed to teach people something, you work with people who have deep knowledge and genuine insights. So in a way it's a refreshing change to have a host so clueless stumble their way through a topic."

Sunil Patel: An Idiot's Guide To Cryptocurrency will be broadcast Radio 4 in June.

When questioned about how to actually buy SunilBux, a spokesperson for the programme told British Comedy Guide: "If anyone is determined to buy SunilBux, they can WhatsApp Sunil for the details."