Trailer for Unreleased TV Drama Highlights Digital Currency’s Seedier Side

Digital currency may be set to play a prominent role in a TV drama called “StartUp”, set to debut on streaming service Crackle this fall.

AccessTimeIconApr 20, 2016 at 9:16 p.m. UTC
Updated Mar 6, 2023 at 2:58 p.m. UTC
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A new trailer for a TV drama called “StartUp” suggests the upcoming series to appear on Netflix-competitor Crackle will feature a heavy emphasis on “digital currency”.

Starring notable actors including Fargo’s Martin Freeman and The OC’s Adam Brody, "StartUp" centers around an idea for an "unregulated digital currency" and includes content that may sound familiar to those used to hearing product pitches from the bitcoin community.

As seen in the trailer, the series, set in Miami, focuses on actress Otmara Marrero (who plays Izzy Morales, the head of a digital currency startup called GenCoin) and actors Edi Gathegi (a gang leader named Ronald Dacey); Martin Freeman (portraying FBI agent Phil Rask); and Adam Brody (an investor with something to hide).

Of particular note are voiceovers that suggest that the GenCoin digital currency is "untraceable" and "unregulated", as well as lines from characters that seem to highlight the value propositions of the technology.

No mention is made as to whether GenCoin is built on a blockchain-based network. Similarly, no mention of bitcoin is made.

Still, the similarities are already drawing comment from the bitcoin community due to the prominent and negative connotations to digital currency and its connection to crime. More positive value propositions for digital currencies are included in the trailer.

For example, when Morales gives the pitch for the GenCoin startup, she states:

"50% of the world’s population doesn’t have a bank account, but almost all of them have a cell phone. That’s GenCoin."

Later, Brody’s character is seen defending the digital currency from criticism that no one will use the technology, while Morales calls the currency "the future of crime and the future of commerce".

The 10-episode series is scheduled to debut on Crackle this Fall.

View the full trailer below: 

Image via YouTube

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