Last updated on 10th January 2024
It’s likely that over the past couple of years or so, you’ve probably heard someone talking about cryptocurrency.
It’s a subject which elicits some strong opinion, with as many people advising against buying it as there are advising that you invest your life’s savings and gamble on its price rising.
It’s a hot topic at the moment – and not everyone understands it. And as a result, we’ve seen an influx of cryptocurrency videos designed to define, explain and simplify concepts like ‘bitcoin,’ and ‘blockchain’ – and plenty more to boot!
Contents
What is cryptocurrency?
Deep dive time – a cryptocurrency is simply a digital currency which exists electronically. It doesn’t have a central issuing authority, is unregulated, and there are no governmental or organisational structures in place deciding how much currency is produced, how it gets distributed, or whether it has any intrinsic value.
With us so far? Good. But if cryptocurrency doesn’t have a central issuing authority and is unregulated, how does it exist at all? How is it protected? Where does its value come from?
Let’s take Bitcoin as an example, which is the first known successful cryptocurrency: transactions are completed on a peer-to-peer network known as the ‘blockchain‘, which records every Bitcoin transaction ever made.
And because the blockchain is decentralised, its ledger is constantly updated by volunteers known as ‘miners‘, who are incentivised by the possibility of being awarded bitcoins every time they solve a piece of code and update the ‘books’.
These miners have to solve a formula for each new entry in order to prove that the transaction and code they are encrypted with match. Why? Because each transaction is encrypted with a code which proves its validity (hence cryptocurrency), and each bitcoin wallet has its own unique key which keeps tabs on how much each person has spent and how much they have left.
As it stands, there are approximately 10,000 cryptocurrencies in existence, some more secure than others, some more valuable than others. And where Bitcoin’s built-in strategy to prevent hyperinflation has been to issue a controlled supply of exactly 21 million coins (thereby maintaining an almost constant level of supply and demand), other cryptocurrencies have been more volatile.
The best Bitcoin, Blockchain and Cryptocurrency videos
We’ve tried our best to understand and simplify all that ourselves, but – as you can probably tell – it’s not that easy for the lay person.
Because cryptocurrency is often such a mind-boggling concept to get one’s head around, explaining it through the medium of video is an effective way of making it accessible.
But finding or creating a good cryptocurrency video – one that’s comprehensive enough to make sense of the finer points and simple enough for the layman to understand – can be a difficult balance to strike.
That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the best cryptocurrency videos available online. Being in the explainer video business ourselves, we have a good eye for this stuff and hopefully you agree.
Perhaps among these, you can find something which helps you navigate your way through the world of cryptocurrency.
1. Bloomberg
The fact that this offering from Bloomberg is so matter of fact and easy to understand belies the almost psychedelic complexity of its colourful icon-led animation. Playing like something between Heinz Edelman’s Yellow Submarine and an information film on the New York Stock Exchange, this video’s 60s style graphics manage to make the topic of cryptocurrency both attention-grabbing and serious. It even manages to delve into the issue of cryptocurrency regulation and the utilisation of blockchain technology by other areas of industry. And to accomplish all that in such an engaging way without ever losing the attention of the viewer is quite an achievement.
2. The Guardian
Utilising a mix of hand-drawn animation, live action footage and stop-motion animation, this surprisingly old (2014) video by The Guardian is effective precisely because it follows the development of cryptocurrency in its nascency i.e. before it had become complicated by ICOs or the current boom/bust climate in which it seems to operate. This video lays out in simple terms why, exactly, Bitcoin came into existence, what need it was trying to fulfil, and why internet transactions as they currently stand are marred by inefficiency and third-party wrangling. The hand-drawn animation emphasises cryptocurrency’s punk ethos and DIY nature and anticipates its development into the frontier technology it has become today.
3. Joseph Lattimer
Another complicated aspect of cryptocurrency (like any area with its own jargon) is trying to understand the language. And because the language surrounding cryptocurrency and the world of internet forums and online communities is so closely aligned, breaking through the jargon can be especially hard. What Joseph Lattimer manages to do brilliantly is to combine stunning 3D/ CG animation with humour to create a video which not only informs the viewer about the language, but also makes it entertaining. The animation itself is extremely textured, capturing surface reflection, shadowing, movement and shape with an uncanniness almost as accomplished as a Pixar production.
4. Wondros
This video collaboration between Harbers Studios and Wondros makes use of some very cool Keith Haring/ Jean Michel Basquait style tribal art. The effect can at times be disorientating, but the video is useful for underpinning some of the more philosophical aspects behind cryptocurrency’s logic: individual freedom, wealth creation, and lack of institutional interference. It situates cryptocurrency (and particularly Bitcoin) within a long line of disruptive technologies and compares the development of blockchain technology to the invention of the personal computer and the popularisation of the internet.
5. Duncan Elms
This cutting edge animation by Duncan Elms has the look and feel of a pioneering piece of work. Making use of professional looking, icon-led 3D graphics, this explainer video looks almost corporate in nature; perhaps anticipating that cryptocurrency would become an open market for the sale of ICOs within a few years of its making. Again, the focus here is on mining and the mechanics of blockchain security, doing a great job of explaining (what was then) brand new technology and convincing potential investors of its benefits.
6. BitcoinMining.com
One of the most complicated aspects of cryptocurrency is the concept of ‘mining’. Knowing about mining in theory is important if you want to take a broad overview of Bitcoin, but very little information is available about the practicalities of getting involved. Which of course has created a gap in the market for companies like BitcoinMining.com to develop technology which allows the layman to get involved in the Bitcoin gold rush. This video explains clearly and concisely how the technology works and its animation, though simple, delivers the message in a lighthearted and colourful way.
7. Sndbox
This seriously fluid animation from Sndbox is a seamless example of what can be achieved using just a limited colour palette, line drawn graphics, some well-placed music and simple narration. And although this video is only tangentially related to cryptocurrency itself (and Bitcoin in particular), it is a useful exposition of blockchain technology and the opportunities available to other businesses wishing to utilise such technology for security. Aimed primarily at the creative industries, Sndbox proposes blockchain as an alternative, decentralised way of conducting business.
8. Nintoons
This seemingly independent explainer video effort from Nintoons is startling; not least because it only has just over 3,000 views despite its relative quality. The close relationship between cryptocurrency and certain underground online and forum communities is alluded to cleverly through its use of manga-style animation. The video also does a good job of introducing viewers to the basics of what cryptocurrency actually is as well as giving a brief overview of its history, benefits and potential pitfalls.
9. Thor Token
Since Bitcoin established itself as the first cryptocurrency on the market and since its blockchain technology was the first of its kind to be utilized, Bitcoin still receives the most attention in the public imagination. However, over the past number of years other companies have followed in its wake, and Thor Token is a good example of how this has been done successfully. Taking uncertainty in the gig economy as its kicking-off point, this video’s focus is on promoting the benefits of early investment in alternative currencies as a means of making fast money. Its animation is slick and professional looking, its colour pallette and script is consistent and overall it does a very good job of highlighting the potential benefits of investing in cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin.
10. Ripple
The subtle allusion in this video’s simplistic 2D iconography to paper currency as outdated is a clever way of introducing viewers to the potential benefits of cryptocurrency. Notice that there is a marked change in tone and colour when the video stops talking about “outdated” paper currency and starts talking about the more modern, unregulated form of cryptocurrency. This is to encourage potential investors to think about one of the more well-known cryptocurrencies on the market: XRP Ripple, which was established as an early rival to Bitcoin.
11. Gelios
This video from Gelios focuses on blockchain and, in particular, how P2P (peer-to-peer) technology has made cryptocurrency exchange possible. They do this in an interesting way; favouring a computer game analogy to explain how blockchain works over the typical web-like graphic used by other videos. The effect is to humanise the process, taking it away from financial abstractions and making it relatable for potential investors who perhaps don’t have a handle on the industry jargon associated with cryptocurrency.
12. FTEC Foundation
Unlike most of the videos we have seen in our list, FTEC Foundation have opted for a classic 2D animation consisting of both characters and iconography in order to explain cryptocurrency as effectively as possible. The video also functions as an explainer for FTEC Foundation itself; a business whose purpose is to consolidate cryptocurrency resources into a singular database and allow for trading in cryptocurrencies across multiple networks.
13. BeamWallet
By using bright 1980s-style primary colour driven graphics and Wreck-It-Ralph style characterisation, this video from BeamWallet does a good job of introducing the (arguably) even more complicated crypto-related idea of Initial Coin Offerings (or ICOs). BeamWallet encourages investors to exchange money for ICOs in order to get in on the ground floor of cutting edge blockchain technology, as well as emphasising its importance of cutting out the middleman in financial transactions.
14. Game Loot Network
The gaming industry, like the burgeoning cryptocurrency industry, is something which has long relied on innovation from disruptive indie startups and tech entrepreneurs, and this video from Game Loot Network links the two together remarkably well. By utilising blockchain technology, the company has developed an ICO capable of helping indie game developers earn the money to create their product and market it to reviewers and professional gamers without being hampered by marketing.
15. Kiwi New Energy
The graphics in this icon-led video are satisfyingly geometric, and combine a colour palette reminiscent of The Matrix as well as the 1982 sci-fi thriller Tron. This retro-futuristic aesthetic feels somehow appropriate for Kiwi New Energy, whose ICO is capital raising for investment in renewable energy; a technology which has existed for some time but which is only now beginning to garner attention.
16. DealBox
The majority of cryptocurrency and ICO videos we have seen so far tend to assume that the viewer does not have a base knowledge of the industry, and are thus heavily reliant on exposition and lacking in detail. DealBox assumes the innate savviness of the viewer, who no doubt has got as far as watching such an ICO explainer video after doing some research of their own. Which means that DealBox aren’t afraid to use statistics and honestly outline the positives and negatives of ICO investment so that the viewer can come to an honest decision by themselves. This is because DealBox is in the business of consolidating market ICO opportunities and filtering out the bad from the good.
17. Safeguard
Safeguard proves that ICOs can be used as a fundraising tool for almost any business startup. In this case, Safeguard is a mobile app aimed primarily at actuary businesses and insurance companies; assessing risk based on data collected from third party integrations and running them through an AI algorithm to determine likely outcomes in given scenarios. The animation is colourful, slick and professional, and subtly hints at the gamble associated with the insurance (and cryptocurrency) industry by utilising computer game style graphics.
(You can find more insurance industry-focused videos on our insurance video production page).
18. Coinswipe
Coinswipe’s take on its business as being like ‘Tinder for scoring ICOs’ is a refreshingly light hearted view of an industry already seemingly weighed down by its own seriousness in some quarters. Its colourful animation and simple narration help to take some of the complex stigma away from ICO and cryptocurrency investment, and allude to it more as a fun game than as a stuffy industry on the fringes of the financial world. ICOs and cryptocurrencies are returned to their status as revolutionary technologies, and in this way they are emphasised as being primarily for the young. Coinswipe recognises this and turns the concept into a fun investment opportunity.
19. Simply Explained
This video, as you’d expect from a channel called ‘Simply Explained’ seeks to provide the clearest, most stripped back explanation of blockchain possible. And the results speak for themselves – with around 8.5m views, it’s clear that this video has become a ‘go-to’ source for information about this topic. It’s 6 minutes long so not ‘short’ compared to some other videos in the list – but it strikes a good balance between simplicity and detail. The use of animation is a real smart move, helping to visualise certain points and help the viewer understand the key points being made in the voiceover.
20. Mrwhosetheboss
This example is a bit of a departure, as it’s not a typical explainer video as we would understand it. It’s more a ‘YouTuber’ style video. But because of the blend of humour, and the quality setup – lighting, backdrop, camera quality, B-roll and editing – it does a great job of covering a potentially quite dry topic, keeping it light and engaging. It’s a longer video at around 14 mins, but this is mitigated by the fact that the presenter clearly lays out a series of ‘chapters’ he plans to cover: what, why, which – and the dark side of crypto! All in all this is just a great way of explaining the whole topic and keeping it eminently watchable.
21. BBC
UK readers will know you can always rely on the BBC to inform, educate and entertain in a clear, simple and impartial way. This video is no exception: it offers a great comparison between the way ‘traditional’ money works and how crypto is different. It’s not at all stuffy: in fact it’s very down to earth and light-hearted with a bit of humour splashed in. And the depiction of the ‘crowd’ represented as a room full of people in masks offers a great visual metaphor for the way blockchain works.
22. WIRED
So you want to learn about blockchain, but you’re not sure at what level? This is a brilliant video, because it shows the same concept being explained in five different levels of difficulty. The video shows Bettina Warburg, researcher in transformative technologies, explaining blockchain to five very different people. She starts by explaining it in incredibly basic terms to a 5 year old, then works up to a 13 year old, an economics and finance college student, an economics PHD student, and finally a bona fide expert – a professor at NYU. Sticking with the video throughout helps build a really strong understanding of what blockchain is, from the ground up!
23. Bitt
We’re back into animated explainer video territory here, with this beautiful looking explanation of the differences between digital assets and digital currency. There’s a lot to like about this one visually with a bold, eye catching colour palette, some nice transitions and use of some limited 3D animation in parts. The explanation, too, is really nice – delivered in plain English, with an accessible style that really helps us understand the topic at hand.
24. Fireblocks
The ‘Digital Assets 101’ series is a sequence of videos designed to break down and explain multiple aspects of this extensive topic. Ostensibly it’s a video featuring a presenter, against a basic but pleasant backdrop, explaining the core topics in a fair amount of detail – this video is 7 mins 39 secs. What’s nice and eye catching about this is the way the video turns the idea of a whiteboard on its head – take a look to see what we mean!
25. SimpliLearn
YouTube is a lot of things – we all know it’s a premium platform for discovering cat videos and funny memes – but it’s also, of course, an INCREDIBLE free resource for learning. This video won’t win any awards for its aesthetics – it’s actually pretty basic, Powerpoint style in its visuals. But if you have around 3 hours free, here’s a chance to pick up an absolute WEALTH of information about cryptocurrency without spending a penny (physical OR digital.) It covers Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, NFTs and more and is worthy of inclusion in this list just for the sheer level of depth on offer.
26. Jesse Eckel
There are few things more powerful about online video than people sharing their own experiences. This type of video is enduringly popular on YouTube because people love to hear stories about the real life experiences of others. In this video, YouTuber Jesse Eckel shares his crypto portfolio.
27. One Minute Economics
We’re massive believers in the power of ‘The Minute.’ 60 little seconds – such a short period – and yet you can cover so much ground! This example offers a very simple promise: Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies explained in one minute. Now, notwithstanding the fact that the video actually runs to 1:21, it actually does a pretty good job, using animation and plain English to visualise and conceptualise some key points.
28. IFTF
The same concept as above, but twice as long – meaning twice as much detail! This one also features a pretty unique visual style which makes it quite interesting to watch and follow along with. And by laying out some simple real-world scenarios in the first 30 seconds of the videos, the viewers interest and curiosity is piqued. This is perhaps a better storytelling style than jumping straight in with an intro like ‘Blockchain is…’
29. New York Times
First things first, this example from New York Times is a beautiful looking animated video. It has a great, clean visual style, with some lovely slick transitions between scenes. At around 2 minutes long it gives just about the right amount of insight and explanation – it isn’t dumbed down, but not inaccessibly complicated, either.
30. Lisk
For younger viewers – or adults particularly struggling to get their heads around the topic – this is a really great video. It strips everything back and explains blockchain at the most junior level, in the style of a childrens’ storybook.
Final thoughts
What makes this collection of videos so effective is that their creators understand the need to draw the viewer in with attractive animation, a simple storyline, engaging voiceover and enough detail to bring the viewer to a “Call to Action” at the end, all within just a few minutes – and often shorter.
If you want to check out some further examples of awesome explainer videos, we have created videos for loads of different industries. You can check them out here.
And if you’re interested in explaining something, download our free book, “How to Explain ANYTHING With Video.”
