It’s not unusual for Hollywood to get things wrong, really, really, wrong. And cryptocurrency serves no exception.

From ‘highschool’ students that are well into their 30’s and the tradition of creating angsty, violent, or tech-filled films that are in no way related to real life, Hollywood has a history of getting some things a bit wrong. If you’ve ever found yourself saying “Ugh, the book was so much better” you may be well aware of just how far off base TV and movies can get.

Cryptocurrency offers no exception to this historical trend of blunders, as most of mainstream Hollywood’s film and TV industry just can’t quite seem to get crypto right. However, as a bitcoin trader, you’ll be pretty familiar with just how far off base they can get. Even if you’re new to the market, spending just a few days on platforms like Bitvavo can easily showcase just how ridiculous these premises are. But, if you’re still questioning what bitcoin is about in the first place, it may be time to turn your attention to the low-budget documentary genre. Because they seem to want to get it right.

Remember the Time When…

Further proof that mainstream media seems to have a bone to pick with bitcoin- seemingly determined to put digital currency in the worst light possible.

TV’s Family Guy Decided to Get Rich Quick?

Peter Griffin, the baboon of a father figure presented in TV’s Family Guy has never been portrayed as any sort of iconic beacon of good intentions. The character, if anything, is an excellent example of “what not to do” when it comes to life. This was showcased in an episode in which Peter suggests that investing in Bitcoin would be a way to absolve the family of all their monetary problems, to which he quickly follows up with a disgruntled “I don’t know”, showing that once again, Peter genuinely has no clue what he’s talking about.

2015 Film Deep Web Convinced Us All Users Are Criminals?

While it was a documentary about the very real, and very illegal “Silk Road”, Deep Web gave the impression that the Dread Pirate Roberts (the real-life leader of the underground crime syndicate) was an allegory for all crypto users. Which is more than just bad press, it’s simply not true. While bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies offer criminals an avenue to fund illicit activity- it’s not any more likely to occur than the abilities afforded to criminals by fiat systems.

TV’s Big Bang TheoryLose Their Bitcoin?

In season 11, episode 9, entitled “The Bitcoin Enlightenment”, the boys recall investing heavily in bitcoin during the days when it wasn’t worth even one cent. Realizing that the price had skyrocketed and remembering too late their veritable treasure trove of tokens, they set off on a haphazard hunt for a laptop that doesn’t actually exist. While this isn’t exactly unheard of- the way the show presents bitcoin is entirely wrong. As it’s not the account or wallet containing the bitcoins that matter- but the private keys that access it. Had the boys simply been able to recall the keys (which using Sheldon’s eidetic memory should have been a piece of cake), the blockchain would have had their back and their money, safely awaiting their return.

Documentaries That Got It [Mostly] Right

These documentaries may be low-budget- in fact, some were financed purely by bitcoin- but what they’re saying is on point. Here’s three of the best documentaries to watch if you’re curious about how bitcoin actually works. 

Magic Money: The Bitcoin Revolution (2017)

Magic Money explores some of the more philosophical applications of bitcoin, suggesting real use case scenarios in which digital currencies could change societies for the better. Using testimonies from investors and developers to explain what bitcoin is, how it works, and how it could possibly create a better financial future for us all.

Inside Job (2010)

A film not just about bitcoin itself, but instead a documentary dedicated to revealing that the financial industry defrauded the American investor, and how the 2008 financial crisis was indeed avoidable. Which is why many believe bitcoin came into existence in the first place- essentially creating a currency system that was beyond these types of manipulations. Inside Job is an excellent, albeit possibly accidental, argument supporting why cryptocurrencies should not only exist but could possibly become a better than fiat global system.

Trust Machine: The Story of Blockchain (2018)

One of the newest documentaries about bitcoin and how it behaves in today’s markets Trust Machine focuses on blockchain itself, rather than just the story of bitcoin. Showing the use case scenarios of blockchain-driven cryptocurrencies functioning as fiat in countries where inflationary monetary policy have all but shutout citizens of their own economies.