Earlier this year, Swiss economist and filmmaker Manuel Stagars released The Blockchain and Us documentary. In just 31 minutes, Stagars explores blockchain as a game-changer that he considers “the airplane of our time.”
The Blockchain and Us Documentary Review
Considering that blockchain technology has often been labeled “the next Internet,” Stagars provides a much-needed perspective on a topic that will only be receiving more attention in the future. Economist and filmmaker Manuel Stagars portrays this exciting technology in nineteen interviews with software developers, cryptologists, researchers, entrepreneurs, consultants, VCs, authors, politicians, and futurists from the United States, Canada, Switzerland, the UK, and Australia.
The Blockchain and Us Documentary Focuses on the Largest Disruption
During one of Stagars’ conversations, Alex Tapscott said, “Blockchain affects every industry like the steam engine did.”
Most cryptocurrency documentaries focus on the creation and rapid growth of Bitcoin – this is like focusing on one popular steam engine train. The Blockchain and Us goes one step deeper, looking at the disruptive blockchain technology that makes it all possible.
In this article, we’ll explore some of the most valuable insights shared through Stagars’ interviews with blockchain innovators and thought leaders, such as Taylor Gerring (co-founder of Ethereum), Guido Rudolphi (founder of Cryptocash), and Lars Thomsen (Chief Futurist of Future Matters).
Insights Learned from the Film
Stagars split The Blockchain and Us into eight different segments, helping to turn this somewhat-technical topic into a very digestible piece. Here a few of the highlights from the film.
On doing your own research
“By 2012, I did what I tell most people to do today: Turn off your phone, lock your door, and study this technology for a day. It’s the best advice I could give.” – Matthew Roszak, Co-Founder & Chairman, Bloq
On understanding blockchain
“For me, the blockchain has two main technical ingredients. One ingredient is cryptography. When I say cryptography, I really mean asymmetric cryptography. The other ingredient is so-called distributed systems. These are the two main things. If you understand them, you understand all the technical details of blockchain or Bitcoin.” – Roger Wattenhofer, Professor, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
On being more than a currency
“We found that [blockchain] meant a lot more than just another digital currency. As the blockchain became more influential in our thinking, we began to realize that it was a profound shift in how the Internet could be used to create new forms of value and how it could be used to enfranchise and include people in global finance.” – Rik Willard, Founder & Managing Director, Agentic Group
On disrupting the financial sector
“I think there’s going to be a lot of disruption – a lot of revolution – with respect to blockchain-based technologies. What that’s going to drive not is necessarily banks worrying about other banks being competitors. What banks worry about is the “bank of one”… The next generation of a banking network that’s a resident on a phone. It’s decentralized, distributed, and it’s based on a digital token, a digital asset that’s not issued by a bank or government.” – Matthew Roszak, Co-Founder & Chairman, Bloq
On the lasting impact of blockchain
“I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that this technology is going to affect everybody. I would say, in ten to twenty years, there won’t be a human being whose life is not impacted by this technology.” – Perianne Boring, President, Chamber of Digital Commerce
Watch The Blockchain and Us Documentary
You can watch The Blockchain and Us documentary in its entirety here:
Want to keep watching? Manuel Stagars has published the complete interviews on the film’s website. Interested in Stagars’ next project? His next film, “Digital Transformation,” will provide “an easy-to-understand global outlook on digital transformation and encourages a dialog about its potential promises and challenges.”
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