Thought leadership | 08/13/2020
Bitcoin Televised: Crypto appearances on TV
Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies have come a long way since their creation. So much so that even Hollywood, football teams and celebrities have started to take notice! Mainstream media has been giving Bitcoin more and more airtime on TV, giving more exposure to the digital currency.
Did They Just Say Bitcoin?
Bitcoin has made a huge splash in the past ten years. It became the best-performing asset of the decade and spurred the entire cryptocurrency market that we know today. Sure enough, many have taken notice and it’s been featured in the news more times than we can count. It’s also gotten attention from many individuals: from investors to musicians… to Hollywood producers.
Cryptocurrencies have been piquing the interest of many script writers for either series or movies to the point where it started to feature in them. From either being a main topic of an episode to a small mention, Bitcoin and other crypto assets have managed to find their way on TV.
“Bitcoin for Dummies” – The Good Wife
It didn’t even take Bitcoin long to become the focus of an entire episode in a popular mainstream series. As early as the 15th of January 2012, the CBS’s hit series The Good Wife launched an episode called Bitcoin for Dummies, being the 13th episode in its 3rd season. In this episode, the protagonist tried to defend an individual who is refusing to reveal the identity of Bitcoin’s creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, in court. Sure enough, the episode itself discusses Bitcoin at many points, including subjects like mining and what using Bitcoin for purchases and it being a currency means.
Naturally this episode is purely fictional, but there are some interesting elements for debate found – especially for those unfamiliar with cryptocurrencies. This surely introduces a new audience to Bitcoin, back in the early days, and already showed the promise that Bitcoin had back in 2012.
The Focus of the Entire Movie – Crypto
That’s right, Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies have made it this far. Cryptocurrencies have been the main topic for Hollywood’s 2019 movie production Crypto. We’ll have to admit that it doesn’t portray our beloved digital currencies particularly well or positive, but it’s still a testament to how far cryptocurrencies have come along. There are few new technologies who receive a feature film revolving around them, yet cryptocurrencies have been able to establish such a strong name for themselves to make this happen.
“1 Million Dollars, Straight in Crypto” – Billions
Now, this is one that we at Ledger are particularly proud of. Unlike the previously mentioned, Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies aren’t the main theme of the episode. In season 3, episode 7 of Showtime’s hit series Billions, one of the main characters (named Axe) decides to reward someone with “1 million dollars, straight in crypto, in cold storage”. Now this didn’t happen to be just any cold storage…
It turned out to be our Ledger Nano S, starring in a critically acclaimed, popular show! We were so excited to see how our product – the best-selling hardware wallet in the market – featured in Showtime’s Billions!
This is also far from the only mention of cryptocurrencies in the series. For example, Axe equally used it to hide his secret trading profits. It’s pretty interesting to see a series that’s all about wealth and power would be featuring cryptocurrencies – it surely is a (fitting) statement on its own.
“Cameos”
Not all mentions of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have concerned a major plotline of an episode or movie. However, each single appearance will remind audiences of this incredible thing called Bitcoin.
Did you know that Bitcoin has been a returning guest on one of the most famous and the longest running cartoon in history, the Simpsons? It was first brought up in a small reference all the way back in December 2013 with Krusty mentioning his Bitcoin portfolio took a dive. This was before Bitcoin became known to mainstream audiences – and it has popped up on the Simpsons a few times since. It’s also had a tiny reference in Family Guy.
The list in series where Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have made small appearances is increasing by the day. From hit series House of Cards to The Bold Type, crypto is finding its way to our day-to-day media more often. There are countless more examples to be mentioned – and we’re excited each single time we hear the word “Bitcoin” or “cryptocurrency” mentioned.
So… What does this all mean?
On the surface, it might seem insignificant. The opposite couldn’t be more true, however. An enormous audience continues to hear the words “Bitcoin” and “cryptocurrency” more and more often thanks to it being televised in their favorite series. This can pique their interest and have them wanting to learn more about this new and upcoming technology. Eventually, this can bring a large group of newcomers to the crypto world. This is what happened for this Reddit user, for example. Quite simply: it’s free advertising for the promising prowess of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies.
Furthermore, Bitcoin and crypto assets being mentioned more often on TV is a testament to how far we’re getting in our goal towards mainstream adoption. Mainstream media is already talking about it, including series and movies created for entertainment purposes. Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies are even starring in TV commercials nowadays. Crypto assets being showcased there surely seems like it’s continuing its path to reaching mainstream adoption.
We’re thrilled to see how Bitcoin and the cryptocurrency market has developed both since its inception and since Ledger’s launch in 2014. Seeing it becoming more established and more mainstream surely underlines its powerful potential, continuously increasing its popularity.
We’re here to help individuals in keeping their precious Bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies secure through our devices. Sure enough, us featuring in Showtime’s Billions has been a statement on how far we’ve come as a company, and how important our devices have become to the crypto community. We’d like to thank everyone for being there with us throughout this journey. We’re committed to our community and will continue to improve upon what we’ve built.
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Disclaimer:
Ledger does not own any rights of the shows mentioned in this article. Through the links below, you can learn more about the rights, authors, cast and more for each: