Crypto Rush Explores the Strange, Innovative Culture of Cryptocurrency Around the World
Newly Available on Vimeo OnDemand
Newly Available on Vimeo OnDemand
When Liliana Pertenava invested $2,000 in a small crypto-mining rig in 2017, she had no idea it would take her down a rabbit hole. That’s when she decided to learn more about blockchain (the underlying technology), its applications, and the culture that surrounds it.
Her curiosity led her to produce a 90-minute documentary called Crypto Rush, where she crosses three continents to interview some of the most influential people in the movement.
“Since I didn’t know much when I started, I was able to ask questions that could help laypeople understand what’s going on,” said Pertenava.
The film is available for streaming worldwide starting April 22, 2020.
“We decided to do an online release through Vimeo OnDemand because, with the COVID-19 situation, we wanted to give people an opportunity to view Crypto Rush at home, where they can be safe and watch it at an affordable price,” said Pertenava. “Also, since it’s a road movie, I hope to feed everyone’s wanderlust while the world is on lockdown.”
Pertenava’s day job involves communications and PR for tech companies, so she used her network of venture capitalists to vet potential interview subjects. Her contacts helped her identify movers and shakers involved in all aspects of the industry. This led Pertenava and her production team to the United States, Switzerland, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Korea, where she interviewed:
A pack of tech rebels living in a small cabin in the Swiss Alps, using cheap, hydro-electric energy to mine cryptocurrency while living like monks.
Industrious crypto-miner David Carlson in Seattle, Washington, who built the world’s largest crypto-farm, only to later go bankrupt.
Female-entrepreneurs working on blockchain projects in Shanghai, China.
Crypto-mining hardware producers and crypto-enthusiasts in Shenzhen, China.
Founders of PayPhil, a company in South Korea that uses blockchain technology to help migrant workers send money back home to the Philippines.
The co-founder of Blockstack, a New York City start-up working to create a decentralized internet based on blockchain technology, which would offer greater privacy. Note: If a decentralized internet sounds familiar, that might be because it was a major plot point in the final season of HBO’s Silicon Valley. In fact, Ryan Shea, the Blockstack founder featured in Crypto Rush, was an advisor to Silicon Valley and appears in the show’s credits.
Rahul Sood, CEO of UNIKRN, former head of Microsoft Ventures, who is building a cybersports betting platform with blockchain.
Head of IBM Digital Asset Labs Nitin Gaur.
Tony Lane Casserly, self-proclaimed “artrepreneur” from San Francisco, who recently tragically passed away.
Sherman Lee, co-founder of Raven Protocol, working on decentralized and distributed AI/ML training where speed is the key. Angel Investor. Author at Forbes, Huffington Post, and Hackernoon.
“Who are the people creating this brave new world of crypto?
Is cryptocurrency sustainable as a stand-alone currency?
What are its broader applications?
Could it someday change the world?
Crypto Rush travels the globe to find answers to these questions,
I wanted to emphasize the stories of people, especially women, taking part in these technological developments.” — Pertenava
Crypto Rush will be available for streaming through Vimeo on April 22, 2020, 11 AM ET/4PM BST/5 PM CEST: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/cryptorushmovie
10% of the funds gathered through streaming will be donated to organizations battling COVID-19, and organizations supporting female entrepreneurs.
About Liliana Pertenava:
Liliana is a founder of full-cycle communications agency Axxilion, former head of PR at Runa Capital, and serves as a mentor for the Techstars startup accelerator in Berlin.