TV Shows & Movies That Feature Cryptocurrency

While some of us have taken to cryptocurrency and its potential very quickly we are still very much early adopters and the majority of the world still has no clue it exists, let alone what it is or how to use it. Cryptocurrency information or well reliable information isn't always easy to find and for the average internet user, its easy to dismiss this industry and go about scrolling down your social media feeds or checking your emails.

Unless you're actually going to do the research and travel down the rabbit hole yourself there are not many touch points that could get you sucked in. Wel,l at least that has been the case so far when it comes to my personal experience and through that of freinds who share an interest in cryptocurrency.

Transition of cryptocurrency

Cryptocurrency has made one big transition already by moving out of being solely associated with transactions on the dark web to being an actual payment option for many digital services across the more mainstream web. This is not to say that you can purchase your Apple Music or Netflix subscription with it or purchase goods from just about any eCommerce site but we're getting there slowly.

Getting into the minds of a larger mainstream audience has been limited online due to the number of Scams, FUD, complexity and overall volatility of the industry of crypto alienating many from even exploring the concept.

Cryptocurrency in mainstream media

If you've turned on the news or listened to glorified moguls like Warren Buffet you've probably seen what a hatchet job they've pulled on crypto not to say its not completely deserved with all the nefarious acts we hear about daily.

So if the news isn't doing much to place cryptocurrency what about other forms of mainstream media like TV shows and movies?

Well, we've slowly seen it begin to trickle through to shows with pretty large followings in recent times and while not much its still something. The fact that I can list all these instances in one post speaks volumes regarding the exposure of cryptocurrency in mainstream media itself.

So which shows have had a "shilling" episode? Lets dive in and see!

Billions (2018)

In episode 3 of season 3 of Billions Bobby is forced to give up trading as he is under investigation. Knowing Axe his not going to let a silly thing like the US justice department get in the way of making a fortune. He starts to put together alternative plans to bypass his current legal limitations and asks to be paid in cryptocurrency

A snippet from episode 3 uploaded by @ssjsasha here

iZombie (2018)

In episode 9 of season 4 the episode called Mac-Liv-Moore we see Blaine hatch a master plan to sell a zombie cure to the highest bidder on the internet. He gets Donnie to eat the brain of a super genius and he sets up an online auction on the dark web and only accepts payment in cryptocurrency since its instant and untraceable.

Mr. Robot

Cryptocurrency is a consistent theme throughout Mr Robot as the central institution he aims to take down known as eCorp launched its own digital currency called eCoin. The show is littered with references to digital transactions, secure transactions and use on the dark web.

Last Week Tonight WIth John Oliver - (Season 5 - Episode 5)

On March 11, 2018, John Oliver had an episode dedicated to Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. John Oliver gave audiences a detailed introduction to the world of cryptocurrencies in this week’s episode of Last Week Tonight with a cautionary reminder of the pitfalls.

While the British did do a decent job of explaining what it was he was not too kind to EOS while he took Bitconnect to town as did most of the internet before him. However, he did leave us with one gem of a quote regarding crypto and it does like this

“Everything you don’t understand about money combined with everything you don’t understand about computers,” he said as a description.

For more on this episode check out my previous post here - John Oliver & Keegan-Michael Key Parody Carlos Matos & Bitconnect

The Big Bang Theory (2017)

The ninth episode of the 11 season of the American sitcom The Big Bang Theory is called "The Bitcoin Entanglement ". The episode aired on Thursday, November 30, 2017 and shows Sheldon trying to teach the guys a lesson after they cut him out of a potentially valuable Bitcoin investment many years ago as the guys frantically look for the laptop they used to mine their first Bitcoins on back in the day.

Silicon Valley

If there is one tech show that has pushed the idea of blockchain subtly its been Silicon Valley. When Pied Piper started out it was a compression company who wanted to shared data across millions of devices, um Blockchain yes!

Then they become a distributed data storage company, hello Sia and Storaj?

Then it became a distributed internet and computing power company, ring a. bell Substratum and Golem?

In season 5 episode 3 Gilfoyle speaks about how he has begun mining Bitcoin, a bit late in the day for that don't you think? But to each their own I suppose.

In season 5 episode 7 Peid Piper look to reject a series investment in order to raise money by doing an ICO and selling utility tokens for its service.

The Good Wife (2012)

In season 3 epsiode 13 called Bitcoin for Dummies, Alicia defends a man who claims to represent the person who created a new online currency against the Treasury Department, while Dana tries to play Kalinda against Will to help the DA's case against him.

Startup (2016)

Startup, and it's about cryptocurrency (sort of). A young woman in Miami has created her own new currency that her software completely controls, called GenCoin. Her digital money is closed source. It doesn't seem to run on a distributed ledger. She calls bitcoin a "cute idea" in the first episode.

The emergence of GenCoin, a brilliant yet controversial tech idea centred on digital currency becomes tricky as the idea that gets incubated on the wrong side of the tracks by three strangers who don’t necessarily fit the mould of “tech entrepreneurs” and a crooked FBI agent who will go to any lengths to take them down

Superfly (2018)

The movie is a remake of the 1972 blaxploitation film 'Super Fly'. The story follows an African American cocaine dealer who uses cryptocurrecny to take his empire to the next level and then tries to secure one more deal before getting out of the business for good. Will it be that easy? You'll have to watch it for yourself and find out

Trailer for Superfly

Keep it coming

Personally, I think it's great to see mainstream media explore the concept and bring it into the minds of a larger audience, to implant the first seed and initiate the discussion amount a wider population. It will only serve to insight curiosity and have more people entering the market as investors or contributors to the community

Have your say

What do you think of crypto in mainstream media? Have there been any mentions of it in other shows and movies that I may have missed? Let me know in the comments

Let's connect

For more cryptocurrency news or to hear my opinion on whats happening in the market feel free to follow me @chekohler