Common Sense Media Review
By Amanda Nojadera
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Informative, engaging look at currency's origins and growth.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin
What's the Story?
Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer form of digital currency created by an unknown developer who's known as Satoshi Nakamoto. Using Bitcoin, transactions can easily be sent over the Internet and are recorded in a public ledger known as the Block Chain. THE RISE AND RISE OF BITCOIN, which premiered at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival, spans multiple years, tracing the currency's evolution from the first global Bitcoin transaction in 2010 (10,000 bitcoins in exchange for two Papa John's pizzas) through it's exponential growth in 2013. The film showcases the various ways that early Bitcoin users -- like 35-year-old computer programmer Daniel Mross, plus CEOs of Bitcoin startups, entrepreneurs, and investors -- have incorporated this revolutionary technology into their daily lives through Bitcoin mining, the creation of Bitcoin startups, and eventually its introduction into mainstream consumerism.
Is It Any Good?
The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin is an excellent introduction for those unfamiliar with the digital currency. While the documentary stresses the advantages of a decentralized system of banking, it doesn't hide Bitcoin's troubling association with the Silk Road (a now-defunct site that served as an online black market) and other illegal activities. Instead, the film shows how this online currency has continued to adapt and rise above its setbacks.
Although viewers may still have questions afterward, the use of animated visuals to explain how Bitcoin transactions work and interviews with some of Bitcoin's earliest users and pioneers provides a basic understanding of the currency's role in today's society. There isn't necessarily a conclusion to this documentary, but, then again, Bitcoin is still a growing form of technology that many hope will continue to thrive.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Bitcoin. How familiar were you with this form of currency before watching the documentary? Did watching increase your understanding of what it is and how it works?
Do you think that people should be able to control own their finances, instead of using a central authority like a bank?
After watching the documentary, what would you say are some of the advantages and disadvantages to Bitcoin?
What do you think the filmmakers hope to accomplish with their movie? Should documentaries be wholly objective, or is there room for opinion?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 3, 2014
- On DVD or streaming : December 19, 2014
- Director : Nicholas Mross
- Studio : Gravitas Ventures
- Genre : Documentary
- Run time : 96 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : February 20, 2026
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