Banking on Bitcoin: Five times crypto has featured in pop culture    

Netflix and cryptocurrency are about to write chapter two of their love story with a documentary on altcoins. The new film is expected to focus on several leading names from the crypto and blockchain space.

Enthusiasts believe this is an excellent opportunity to increase awareness and encourage adoption. This, they hope, will reflect in the price of cryptocurrencies.

The streaming giant became the first to document blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies on film in 2016 when it launched “Banking on Bitcoin“. The documentary focused on Bitcoin and its history, with a heavy focus on incidents and fraud. Still, it’s a useful resource for people who want to learn more about blockchain technology and cryptocurrency.

Pop culture’s shift to crypto

Netflix was the first to make a documentary on cryptocurrency, but it’s not the only one looking to familiarise the public with digital coins.

Since Bitcoin hit the spotlight, many artists and filmmakers have tried to introduce cryptocurrency to the public. From songs and documentaries to some of the most popular series running on television, Bitcoin seems to be gaining exposure – much to the delight of the crypto community.

Mentions in popular culture aren’t always accurate, however, and many producers continue to associate digital currencies with cybercrime.

Here are five times cryptocurrencies have featured in pop culture.

1) The Simpsons

The Simpsons mentioned Bitcoin for the first time back in 2013, which is long before the Netflix cryptocurrency film. This series is known as being a barometer for American culture, so the Bitcoin mention indicates that the population had some knowledge of the digital currency as far back as 2013.

In the “Clown in the Dumps” episode, Krusty the Klown blames his bad luck on the Bitcoin markets for being broke. Later on, the show mentioned Bitcoin again. In another episode, there’s a billboard saying “Send me your lunch money online! – Accepting Bitcoin”. The reference is a joke, but it highlights how widespread Bitcoin had already become.

2) The Big Bang Theory

This popular series had an entire episode built around Bitcoin in season 11. At that time, Bitcoin had reached the $10,000 milestone, and the filmmakers decided to dedicate 19 prime-time minutes to digital coins.

After the first wave of enthusiasm from the crypto community, people started to notice too many misconceptions in the episode. It was pretty obvious that producers didn’t have a clue about what Bitcoin was and how it worked. Almost all the facts in the show were erroneous in real life.

3) Grey’s Anatomy

Bitcoin made it to the Grey Sloan Medical Hospital as well. In 2017, the winter finale of the most popular medical drama in history brought ransomware and Bitcoin to a large public audience.

The episode saw the hospital dealing with a cyber-attack, with screens showing “We own your servers. We own your systems. We own your patients’ medical records”. The attackers requested 4,932 Bitcoin (about $20 million when the episode was shot, almost $47 million at the moment).

4) Family Guy

This is yet another Bitcoin allusion that shows how little people actually know about cryptocurrency outside the crypto world. Still, it brings Bitcoin in front of people of all ages and backgrounds, making it start to become a part of our everyday lives.

In season 14, Peter Griffin suggests Bitcoin could be the solution to his family’s financial problems. The statement is wrong in so many ways. People who learn about Bitcoin from TV may be lured into believing that cryptocurrency is a safe investment, regardless of their knowledge or spending habits. With the rampant volatility in the cryptocurrency markets, nothing could be further from the truth.

5) Silicon Valley

Season 5 of Silicon Valley focused on cryptocurrency, ICOs, and the benefits of Bitcoin. Gilfoyle’s PowerPoint explaining cryptocurrency might be one of the most accurate ever to go live on television.

This time, people at home got access to more accurate details about cryptocurrency and how it can disrupt traditional payment systems.

Netflix and cryptocurrency: Changing minds on Bitcoin?

Going back to Netflix and cryptocurrency, the new documentary about altcoins could do more than all these inaccurate mentions put together. The producers have interviewed an impressive list of names for this documentary.

Speculators are saying that the film will include people like Ethereum founder Vitalik Buterin, Bitmain founder Jihan Wu, and NEO co-founder Da Hongfei, among other names in the crypto industry.

If these rumours are correct, the documentary will be enlightening and might change the way people see Bitcoin and cryptocurrency in general. It’s going to show the world that there’s more to it than cybercrime, scams, and the possibility of getting rich overnight.