Lights, Camera, Action! An Anthology of Feature Films about Bitcoins

In 2009-2010 cryptocurrency was mentioned only on specialized sites for cryptography, but now it is the hottest talk of the town, discussed in TV shows and even featured the films.

Cinema-men always know what's hot and what's not. They follow trends, and now the latest thing is Bitcoin.

Let's see how the moviemaking industry has exploited the growing popularity of cryptocurrencies.

The Good Wife - the first appearance

According to the crypto community's wide-spread belief, the first mention of bitcoin in fictional films goes back to 2012, in The Good Wife, which was a CBS legal procedural drama about a lawyer Alicia Florrick played by Julianna Margulies. In one of the episodes of the show, Alicia helps to protect a programmer who invented a new digital currency against the Treasury Department. That was the first time when moviemakers referred to the legal and political aspects of a cryptocurrency.

Bitcoin in TV shows

After that, bitcoins were mentioned in many TV shows, including Mr. Robot, iZombie, and The Blacklist. Oddly enough, in the Almost Human series (2013-2014), cryptocurrency was kept on huge USB sticks, but on the other hand, the crypto community was pleased that the writers inserted a phrase stating that there's no way to track bitcoins. Also, crypto enthusiasts were very much encouraged by the mention of bitcoin in The Simpsons, since this show has become famous for its successful predictions of future trends and events, like the crisis in Greece and the presidency of Donald Trump.

Bitcoin Heist  - crypto hackers come to the spotlight

If we turn from TV series to feature films, then it's worth recalling one of the first movies where the story develops around digital assets. It's Bitcoin Heist, released in 2016 and, which is somewhat curious, filmed in Vietnam. Its plot centers on a team of high-profile hackers who became a part of the international manhunt of a criminal wanted by Interpol.

Coronation Street - Bitcoin in a soap opera

Back to the present, we still can come across cryptos here and there. Most recently, the world's oldest UK soap opera, Coronation Street, also introduced a story with the fictional crypto asset, Whipcoin, involved. The episode tells a story of a guy who frantically tries to remember the password to his long-forgotten investment in whipcoins because their value has dramatically increased since then. However, when he eventually recalls it, the whipcoins' price again falls to zero, which should be acknowledged as a very pressing issue for the current crypto market due to its excessive volatility.

Crypto - hand in hand with Hollywood stars

Recently, A-list actor Kurt Russell featured in a new movie called Crypto, which tells the story of a young anti-money laundering agent investigating a fraud case. Crypto's producers promise their film to be "a thriller in the vein of The Firm and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," but with the focus on crypto. "Cryptocurrency has captured the attention and imagination of consumers and entrepreneurs all over the world but has never been explored in film in such a nuanced and exciting way," says one of the film's producers, Jordan Yale Levine.

IMDb lists the movie as being in post-production but says nothing about the release date.

Bottom line

The feature film industry reacts to social demand as much as it reflects the life we live in. A camera catches what's popular, what's relevant and what's exciting for a wide audience. The increasing presence of cryptocurrencies indicates that virtual assets are now a part of our lives.