Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Not since the invention of the Internet has there been such a disruptive technology as Bitcoin. Bitcoin's early pioneers sought to blur the lines of sovereignty and the financial status quo. After years of underground development Bitcoin grabbed the attention of a curious public, and the ire of the regulators the technology had subverted. After landmark arrests of prominent cyber criminals Bitcoin faces its most severe adversary yet, the very banks it was built to destroy.
Banking on Bitcoin is a competent but fairly standard documentary entry into the crypto-explanation genre. The narrative arc covering Bitcoin's origins, the cypherpunk ideology, and early regulatory clashes is engaging enough, though it doesn't dig much deeper than surface-level journalism. Talking-head interviews are adequate but unremarkable, and the cinematography is functional at best—typical documentary fare with screen recordings and stock footage. Its novelty lies in capturing a pivotal early moment in Bitcoin's public consciousness (2016 was still relatively early mainstream coverage), giving it some historical value, though the format itself is by-the-numbers. The ending feels inconclusive, which is partly the nature of an ongoing story but also a structural weakness leaving viewers without satisfying resolution.