In order for real crypto enthusiasts to have a good rest during the New Year holidays, we offer you a list of documentaries about Bitcoin and blockchain technology . We tried to select only the best and current paintings.
Blockchain and Us
- Year of release: 2017
- Duration: 31 minutes
- Director: Manuel Staggars
The documentary “Blockchain and We” was very warmly received by both critics and the crypto-community. He is rightfully recognized as one of the highest quality documentaries about the blockchain and bitcoin. The film received several awards at major film festivals around the world: in particular, it was shown to the participants of the Davos Economic Forum.
The short tape is a huge plus. The author managed to lay down the history, content and effect of the blockchain technology on the economy and society in just half an hour (which is at least an explanation of the technology in 3 minutes). So this is a real find for newbies.
Lightning Labs founder Elizabeth Stark, co-author of the book The Blockchain Revolution Alex Tapscott and Blockstream Chief Engineer Christian Decker are among the heroes of the tape.
Director Manuel Staggars is no stranger to technology. Before “Blockchain and we,” he had already made a documentary film about the Fintech industry in his native Switzerland, and this year he released a picture about the digital transformation of society. Apparently, the topic of Bitcoin came to his liking, since the second part of the documentary was announced at IMDB.
As if imitating the subject of his research, the full version of the film is available on its official website . In the same place all interviews are published separately (with English subtitles). In addition, based on the movie Staggars opened and still leads the equally popular in the community podcast about the blockchain .
“Bitcoin bet” (Banking on Bitcoin)
- Year of release: 2016
- Duration: 1 hour 23 minutes
- Director: Christopher Canucciari
If you want to see the full-length “Hollywood blockbuster” about Bitcoin, then feel free to turn on “Bitcoin Bet”. As in the case of the "Hollywood" movie, one of the main advantages of this film is in the caste. The film contains interviews of almost all the stars of the blockchain industry that need no introduction: Charlie Schrem, Eric Voorhees, Gavin Andresen, David Chaum, Winklevoss brothers, Nathaniel Popper. There is another aspect: the movie is made very high quality and richly filled with graphics.
The plot of the film is also truly Hollywood. The authors trace the history of Bitcoin since its inception, affecting key dramatic stories, such as the defeat of the darknet-marketplace Silk Road and the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange Mt.Gox. Toward the end, the authors consider the most popular theories about who is hiding under the name Satoshi Nakamoto. One of the most interesting moments of the film is the story about the creator of BitInstant, one of the first Bitcoin exchanges, Charlie Schrem, who was convicted of contact with Silk Road and spent about two years in prison.
Do not turn off the film on the credits: here is the shooting of the scene, where Craig Wright made the first “confession” to the camera about what Satoshi Nakamoto supposedly is.
It is important that the authors do not repeat the mantra about the new "asset", but, on the contrary, emphasize the social significance of Bitcoin for the poorest inhabitants of the Earth. Here Bitcoin is not a new “asset class”, but rather the answer (if not revenge) of a group of hackers to Wall Street firms, largely responsible for the 2008 global economic crisis. Bitcoin is also shown as an attempt to "fix" the financial system.
Bitcoin – shaping the future (Bitcoin —shape the future)
- Year of release: 2017
- Duration: 45 minutes
- Director: Li Yun Qi
It is a Chinese film about China and for the Chinese public (it was first shown at the Shape the future conference in Hong Kong). However, it should be viewed by anyone who wants to learn more about a country that has a significant impact on the industry. After all, the history of Bitcoin in China is full of paradoxes and, at first glance, incomprehensible to an outside observer.
On the one hand, the authorities banned the holding of ICOs and put a lot of restrictions on trade in crypto assets. On the other hand, the Chinese government is generously financing blockchain projects. In addition, China remains the leader in cryptocurrency mining capacity, and it also became home to many of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges:
Despite the fact that many sites were forced to move their headquarters abroad due to strict state policies, they left offices in the PRC through which they continue to cooperate with the authorities (for example, in the autumn, the Communist Party cell was opened in the Huobi office).
The picture was produced by the Chinese company BitKan in collaboration with Bitmain and Huobi. Accordingly, the main characters of these companies appear in the frame every now and then: Cihan Wu, Leon Lee and others. In addition, the interview was performed by representatives of other well-known companies from China, in particular, the mining pool ViaBTC and the leading news site BTC123.
It is curious that the film was made in the “noir” style, its characters are interviewed at night, highlighted only by working computer monitors. Perhaps in this way the authors wanted to support the image of hackers that is widespread in popular culture. The face of one character is not even shown, and his voice is artificially changed. In general, the picture makes an impression.
Magic Money: The Bitcoin Revolution
- Year of release: 2018
- Duration: 55 minutes
- Director: Tim Delmastro
The main idea of this film, unlike others, is the influence of Bitcoin on the daily life of people around the world and the use of cryptocurrency instead of Fiat. Actually, the whole film looks like one big sermon of Roger Vera. Anyone who has ever met with his statements, will understand what is at stake. Ver is the main supporter of the use of cryptocurrency as cash to pay for any purchases and services. He is confident that in this way cryptocurrency will take power over finances from the “broken” governments and bankers and “return” it to ordinary people. And he repeatedly repeats this thesis throughout the film.
In addition to Roger Vera, the main characters of the film were the famous trader Ton Weiss and expert Trace Meyer.
Ordinary businessmen from various countries: USA, Japan, Mexico, Morocco confirm the thesis about the need to use Bitcoin as a means of payment throughout the film. This is especially true for poor countries, many of whose residents have not yet been able to use the simplest banking services, and now have received something more perfect and widely available in the form of bitcoin. This, again, encourages merchants to change terminals for bank cards for long addresses of bitcoin wallets.
But the Bitcoin revolution goes far beyond the bounds of finance – in fact, this is an expression of public distrust of traditional institutions, and now we have a monetary system where trust (like intermediaries) is simply not required, according to the authors of the movie “Magic Money”.
State vs. bitcoin
- Year of release: 2018
- Duration: 52 minutes
- Director: Alexander Bezzubtsev
A Russian documentary that was recently released in October. It explores the ambiguous relationship of cryptocurrency and authorities in different countries. The authors of the cinema were not lazy and recorded interviews with speakers not only from Russia, but also from other countries.
Certainly it will be interesting for compatriots to hear and see firsthand the participants of the national blockchain industry: co-founder of the EXMO cryptocurrency exchange, Ivan Petuhovsky, BeEasy project director Alexander Bespalov, HashFlare business development director Edgar Bers, and the creator of the LavkaLavka store chain, Boris Akimov, who managed to release the team in Russia, who managed to release in Russia. legal crypto asset.
The general conclusion of the tape is: “the Bitcoin revolution” has already taken place, and its legalization is only a matter of time. Officials and legislators are cumbersome, but they have no other way out, especially since more and more people own Bitcoin every day, and among them "there are quite a few bankers and government officials, including those who are currently developing legislation." Although there remains at least one unsolved problem – how to collect taxes in cryptocurrencies.
In addition to legalization, there is also the issue of introducing distributed registry technology into the “real” economy, and here recognition from big business is important. In essence, it has already taken place: in the film, the viewer will find many examples of major world companies that have already integrated bitcoin, cryptocurrency, or at least blockchain technology.
It is recommended to watch everyone whose confidence in Bitcoin has been shaken due to the recent fall in the market.
Bonus: Living inside a Chinese mining farm
After the last collapse of the cryptocurrency market, news began to appear about the mass sale by Chinese miners of their equipment to weight. Indeed, China has the largest mining facilities, and this is such a massive undertaking that the plot came into focus on the Vice TV channel, famous for founding an entire school of documentary films.
In this case, this is not about the film, but rather about a long report lasting 10 minutes. Although it was shot in 2014, it still remains an opportunity to open the door to the huge, but sufficiently closed blockchain-community of China.
The hero of the story is the director of a 3000 miner farm located in Dalian province. According to him, the capacity of the farm at that time was 20-25 bitcoins per day. The frame shows not only the farm manager himself, but also her employees – ordinary Chinese, who during lunch breaks from equipment checks eat noodles and play computer games. The musical component is also on top – periodically in the background music plays, composed of the sound of miners.
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