Thus far, cinema has been a powerful medium used to demystify complex topics ranging from feminist discourse (Barbie) to touching on DNA and cloning (Jurassic Park franchise). However, whenever we see tech on the big screen, it’s always the standard frantic keyboard mashing or a hacking mainframe on the character’s monitor.
Despite there being an opportunity to portray this more accurately, filmmakers go for the image that tends to further shroud tech in mystery. A very specific example of this is the boogeyman portrayal of crypto and blockchain, with it often being shown as a tool for evil. With the rapid expansion and adoption of crypto in recent years, many feel now is the perfect time to fix this on-screen portrayal.
The New Rules of Digital Security
Picture any heist movie where the target is money. When the heist group is drawing up their plan, there is a mutual understanding (between the audience and the characters on screen) that a huge vault needs to be infiltrated. For modern heist films (anything released within the last 2-3 years), would it not be unrealistic to expect large sums of cash to still be kept in a huge bank vault? Instead, significant sums of money would now be kept in secure banking accounts or digital wallets. With cryptocurrency specifically, the best wallets now offer self-custody storage, strong safety controls, and support multiple blockchain ecosystems.
The best Sui wallet in 2025 is a good example of this, where there are no KYC (Know-Your-Customer) requirements, so users can anonymously store and trade their tokens. This provides better privacy and is less burdensome from an administrative standpoint. In addition, users have complete control of their virtual assets at any given point, which films could easily portray when focusing on a crypto or money heist.
Showcasing the importance of a seed phrase and how it quite literally is the key to a crypto wallet could completely change how audiences view this tech. As opposed to a character randomly button-mashing, they can be shown trying to find this seed phrase or finding vulnerabilities in the wallet software and highlighting how virtually impossible it is to crack such wallets.
The Cinematic Blockade and Current Tropes
In looking at film tropes surrounding crypto, one thing becomes quite clear: it is always portrayed in a negative light. The 2016 Vietnamese film, Bitcoin Heist, is often praised for its focus on the more technical side of crypto and its ambitious target of heisting a digital currency. In this film, crypto is shown as a tool for the villains to further fund their crimes, but it does not delve too deeply into the other facets of this tech. Simply put, if a film has any plot revolving around crypto, it is either a villain’s slush fund, affiliated with the dark web, or addressed as an abstract concept.
There is a missed opportunity for filmmakers to showcase crypto and blockchain in a positive light. Instead of using it as a narrative device to further crime, it could be shown as a means of tracking and apprehending a bad guy. Cryptocurrencies operate on a blockchain that acts as a transparent ledger of each and every transaction that was made. In theory, if you were to commit a crime using crypto (or even steal crypto), this ledger can lead authorities straight back to you.
In contrast, cinema reduces a powerful, transparent tool to a concept that is mysterious, difficult to understand (due to a lack of explanation), and associated with crime.
Humanizing the Code By Using Blockchain as the Script
From a filmmaker’s point of view, writing about a group heisting a crypto wallet might not be as exciting as them robbing a bank. However, various elements of crypto could act as a dramatic narrative device while simplifying the mechanics so it is easier for audiences to grasp. Circling back to the blockchain ledger, showcasing a heist where the group thinks they have escaped unscathed would be great, but then there is a plot twist. The protagonist uses the blockchain to check for transactions and pursues the perpetrators, showcasing that crypto can also be used for good.
Smart contracts are another great plot device. Simply put, certain functions are programmed into an automated agreement that will ensure those actions are executed per the set out instructions. An interesting angle could be a smart contract set in place for a high-stakes occurrence (a ransom payment or property transfer) triggered by a particular action. For example, the trigger could be a timer, a digital signal, or even a specific code that could drive tension and create drama. Although these functions would not be explored in depth (to avoid boring the audience), they would still shed much light on how exactly blockchain works.
NFTs and Digital Ownership
This idea could be explored further by focusing on other forms of decentralized tech, such as the emergence of NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) and digital ownership. With these phrases becoming more prominent in media, adverts, and news, it only makes sense to provide a fun, uncomplicated explanation. NFTs are more than just JPEGs, acting as a symbol of official ownership that can be tracked and verified, making it possible to fully own digital assets even if intellectual property rights are more complex in some cases. Think of this as similar to the documents proving your house or your car is truly yours, or a certificate showing you completed a course.
Naturally, NFTs would hold a lot of weight, especially if the asset in question is of great value to the owner. Translating this to the big screen could see a character receiving a family heirloom that turns out to be an NFT instead of a necklace or book. Perhaps this NFT is stolen, and the character suffers significant emotional turmoil as the value of this digital asset is unmatched. By taking this approach, it becomes easier for audiences to sympathize with the character on screen and understand that in a digital age, it is not always a physical object that holds value.
Another way to humanize blockchain and NFTs is to create a story where this tech is used in a way that connects people. Picture a struggling musician who is passionate about music and is trying to make it big despite the hurdles they might be facing. To set themselves apart from other artists, they use NFTs to connect with fans, offering unique albums that the fan has complete ownership over. A later moment could even show them realizing they have complete sovereignty over their work, as NFTs make it impossible for their art to be stolen.
