Unbanked (2025)

"Unbanked" is a 2025 feature-length documentary directed by David Kuhn and Lauren Sieckmann that explores Bitcoin's potential to empower the unbanked population worldwide by enabling individuals to serve as their own financial institutions without intermediaries. Filmed across four continents over two years, the 85-minute film profiles users from diverse backgrounds, including a recycler in an urban area accepting cryptocurrency payments and communities in inflation-hit regions using it for remittances and savings. It features interviews with prominent figures such as Jack Dorsey, Michael Saylor, Meltem Demirors, Sigal Mandelker, and Erik Voorhees, discussing decentralization, financial inclusion, and critiques of traditional banking systems amid global economic instability. The production highlights real-world applications in Africa, South America, and Europe, while addressing environmental concerns and regulatory challenges, positioning Bitcoin as a tool for self-determination and hedging against fiat currency devaluation. Premiering on streaming platforms on October 31, 2025—the 17th anniversary of the Bitcoin white paper—it has garnered festival awards including Best Documentary at the Manhattan Film Festival and a Spotlight Award at the Harlem International Film Festival, with consideration for the 2026 Academy Awards.