The incorporation of crypto into pop culture has recorded yet another notch in the belt with bitcoin being mentioned in the new season of the popular American TV show Billions.
Bitcoin Gets A Mention On Billions’ New Season
With most of the world in lockdown amid COVID-19, most people are just catching up on their favorite TV shows, popcorn in hand. On Sunday, the ruthlessly entertaining finance-centered drama “Billions” unveiled its fifth season. The Showtime hit series has managed to hook its audience over the years, its no wonder fans were anxiously awaiting the premiere of Season 5.
The latest episode of “Billions” features US Attorney Chuck Rhoades (played by Paul Giamatti) as he delves into the nature of bitcoin. In particular, Rhoades questions bitcoin’s intrinsic value, saying it is backed by nothing.
“…and for what? So your multitude of computers could solve some abstract math equations resulting in the mining of bitcoin? Worth millions right now would be – but backed by what? Nada, nix, zat.”
Notably, bitcoin critics have oft-times used this same argument to malign the nature of the OG cryptocurrency. The respondent then questions where the value of the US dollar comes from if bitcoin is backed by nothing.
After moving away from the gold standard, Rhoades claims that the US dollar is now backed by the military industry and the Federal government.
The cryptocurrency community welcomed the mention of bitcoin on Billions. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao suggested that it is a sign of adoption:
#Adoption https://t.co/6LgPb1griI
— CZ Binance(@cz_binance) May 4, 2020
The show’s co-creator, Brian Koppelman, noted that Ben Mezrich helped in writing the new season. Ben Mezrich, for those who are unaware, is the author of the best selling book “Bitcoin Billionaires” which documents the admirable growth of the brothers Tyler Winklevoss and Cameroon Winklevoss in the cryptocurrency industry.
For that reason, it is perhaps not a surprise that bitcoin made a guest appearance on the Billions show.
Hollywood Loves Crypto?
Prior to this, bitcoin has featured on other shows in recent years. In late February of this year, cryptocurrencies were mentioned in an episode of the American sitcom “The Simpsons”.
The episode entitled “Frinkcoin” featured Jim Parsons (best known for Sheldon Cooper in the Big Bang Theory) who explained the intricate nature of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, notably stating that crypto is the “cash of the future”.
Towards the end of the two-minute segment, the TV show’s creators tease that they know who the real Satoshi is, but they would not divulge that information.
Moreover, the topic of cryptocurrencies has appeared on other American TV shows including The Good Wife, House of Cards, Parks and Recreation, Altered Carbon, among others.
Going Mainstream
While it remains unclear how many viewers of the finance drama Billions show will rush to buy cryptocurrencies as a result of this mention, if at all, it does mark a huge stride in exposing crypto to the masses.
Evidently, cryptocurrencies are slowly establishing their presence in the film industry. This is likely to go on in the coming years, giving the burgeoning industry more mainstream exposure to millions of movie lovers all over the world.
