• Content & points of criticism
  • Criticism 1: They could have gotten a lot more out of it. More substance. More context.
  • Criticism 2: There is a lack of concrete impact stories, and the circular economy aspect is left out.
  • Criticism 3: From here on, the film feels repetitive – lots of statements, little new information. Lots of ‘Bitcoin circle jerk’.
  • Personal highlights
• Conclusion:

Last month, I visited the beautiful Swiss National Museum in Zurich – a stylish backdrop for the long-awaited premiere of DIRTY COIN: THE BITCOIN MINING DOCUMENTARY. Organised by Jonas Zeier from Zeisch GmbH. And best of all, I even won my ticket! Many thanks to the Bitcoin Association Switzerland (spoiler: ticket purchase with Bitcoin? Unfortunately not. Beer with Sats? Not either. But hey, I was there for the film).

DIRTY COIN – 3 out of 5 ⭐⭐⭐✰✰

Image from @76245...6eb7b

Wait a minute… Only 3 stars? Yes, indeed. The documentary definitely could have been better. But first, the positives:

The film is an important step in educating people about Bitcoin. The old narrative that ‘Bitcoin boils the oceans and consumes as much electricity as Denmark’ is thoroughly debunked here. The community – especially the mining scene – provides studies, practical examples and clever concepts that show that there is another way.

One big caveat: the important work of people like @8fec4...ac212 ? Unfortunately, he wasn’t mentioned at all. What a shame!

Photo by Greenpeace

§Content & points of criticism

Producer and director @02a02...45aad gets off to a strong start – with Alex de Vries and his infamous 2018 thesis: bitcoin’s-growing-energy-problem .

The film effectively demonstrates how this non-peer-reviewed thesis was widely cited, from the media to governments, without anyone ever questioning it critically or examining the existing points of criticism. Much of the information was incomplete or had long since been refuted, but unfortunately, the film does not explore this in depth.

§Criticism 1: They could have gotten a lot more out of it. More substance. More context.

Then it’s off to Africa: local energy providers in rural villages are building mini power plants because Bitcoin miners like @03fbf...467f6 #Gridless are buying 100% of their surplus energy. This suddenly makes power supply profitable. Accompanied by beautiful camera work. Really powerful.

But: How exactly this improves people’s lives remains unclear. There are no real before-and-after examples, no details on local development. We can only guess.

§Criticism 2: There is a lack of concrete impact stories, and the circular economy aspect is left out.

Later on, it gets a bit… meh. Mining projects in Finland, Texas, Utah, even in landfills are presented. But without any real depth. Mostly CEOs spouting Bitcoin phrases.

§Criticism 3: From here on, the film feels repetitive – lots of statements, little new information. Lots of ‘Bitcoin circle jerk’.

A short clip shows someone in El Salvador running a miner on old cooking oil – cool! But here too: hardly any details, no critical voices, no challenges or economic figures. He just makes over $200 a month in profit.

The last part of the film seems a bit rushed, as if the budget was tight or the camera batteries were empty.

§Personal highlights

Despite criticism: It was nice to see so many familiar faces on screen. People I had the pleasure of meeting on my Bitcoin journey:

Elly Pembroke @e0024...ef644 (X: @EllyPembroke)
Erik @32da0...77442 (X: @EuroDale) – What happens in Prague stays in Prague…
Laura @0114b...95776 (X: @Laurastacksats) – Ciao bella!
Rikki @8b321...acdb7 (X: @Rikki6ixx) – Ciao bello!
Jeff Booth @83e81...d964b , Tone Vays, the entire @3cc83...1b56d team and many more.

I look forward to meeting more people. Bitcoin isn’t just Number Goes Up – Bitcoin is us.

§Conclusion:

If you have the chance, watch the film. It’s an important work for educating people about Bitcoin – but with noticeable untapped potential. That’s why I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

⭐⭐⭐✰✰

Available to rent today for Sats on https://geyser.fund/project/dirtycointhecontroversybehindbitcoinmining/rewards/view/2da58dd2-e60a-4176-ba4b-8b86c9a74733 Yay!

@b6dcd...e5ee7