BitConnect Interviews Director of “Banking on Bitcoin;” See Exclusive Movie Clip
BitConnect Interviews Director of “Banking on Bitcoin;” See Exclusive Movie Clip
With all of the recent exciting news about Bitcoin price and value over the holidays and New Year, we almost forgot that Bitcoin is getting a new feature film released this week called “Banking on Bitcoin.” It would appear that by sheer luck the timing of this new release couldn’t be any better, as Bitcoin is approaching a new all-time high in market value.
With a documentary feel and a cast that reads like the who’s-who of Bitcoin, we sat down with the director, Christopher Cannucciari, and discussed the genesis of this film about the world of decentralized digital currency.
Who was the driving force behind the film?
“The film began in late 2013 and for as much media coverage surrounding the rising price of Bitcoin, there was very little about how Bitcoin could interact with current financial institutions and national currencies. There were many who were looking into this and I wanted to give them a bigger voice. In those days it was easy to get caught up in the excitement of Bitcoin’s grand experiment, but we really had no idea if it would change money forever or die on the vine. Now we are seeing Cryptocurrency not only changing money but contracts, networks and so much more.”
“Along the way, we noticed that government organizations were becoming increasingly interested in Bitcoin and it was clear that Cryptocurrency would leave the hypothetical disruptive phase and truly begin to test the boundaries of what sovereign governments would allow. In some ways, the attempts at Bitcoin regulation have been negative, especially for new players. Despite this the fact that it has garnered so much attention from those in business and office, that Bitcoin has gained a certain permanence after weathering these and many other storms.”
What was the reason, the vision behind this film being made?
“I wanted to offer not only a snapshot of Bitcoin’s arrival to the public at large but preserve the history of this time through the eyes of those who were involved in taking Bitcoin from the computer to the public. People like Erik Voorhees, The Winklevoss Twins, and Nick Spanos were crucial for getting Bitcoin in front of people who would have otherwise been fearful of it.”
“I also wanted to follow through with the eventual response from the Government and the banks which Bitcoin had been invented to disrupt. The predictable regulatory response seemed enviable after the systematic demonization of Bitcoin through the Silk Road and BitInstant prosecutions, but what unexpected for us was from the banks. Rather than fight the technology meant to make them obsolete, the banks began to co-opt Bitcoin for their own ends.”
What is expected to come from this film? What is the end goal?
“There were two goals essential to making this film; firstly to document and preserve what I felt was the most crucial time period in Cryptocurrency, growth from enthusiasts and programmers to the wider public. Of course, this includes the big three Bitcoin press stories, Mt. Gox, Silk Road and the Satoshi Nakamoto hunt, but we wanted to use those moments to help a new audience look deeper at why Bitcoin has gained so much attention and how these events both hurt and helped Bitcoin’s growth.”
“The second goal was to help start the conversation about how disruptive we want our new technologies. Should we fight for more or less regulation of new powerful tools like Bitcoin? Should we call out the double standards of traditional banking versus banking with Bitcoin? And should be ok with currency controls or allow the public the chance to be in full control of untethered currency?”
Check out the interview with movie director “Banking on Bitcoin”.
“Banking on Bitcoin” stars Charlie Shrem, Gavin Andresen, Erik Voorheen, Barry Silbert, Cameron Winklevoss, Tyler Winklevoss, Benjamin Lawsky (BitLicense creator,) Alex Winter (‘Deep Web’ creator,) Nathanial Popper, Andy Greenberg and Paul Vigna. Here is an exclusive clip of the movie, which premiers on Friday, January 6th. Visit Gravitas Ventures for more release details.