Yesterday I watched Blade Runner (1), a movie which was released in 1982, a science fiction movie. One of my friends suggested watch the movie, and somehow the movie got me to think about how BTC, BCH, and other cryptocurrencies will be replaced fiat currencies in the future.
The movie was based on Philip K. Dick's (2) 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (3) according to Wikipedia. As you know, Wikipedia is sometimes not a reliable source, but well, it is not a thesis what I am writing here, so I will leave Wikipedia links below. Just for your references.
Spoiler Alert!!
I explain a very short and rough story about the movie. The movie is set in the future Los Angeles of 2019. The humans invented robotic android called replicants which to work at space colonies. However, some of the replicants escaped from the colonies to the Earth, so that Blade Runner has to capture and destroy them. It seems that it has become a cult SF movie.
I just skip all the details of the movie, but I would like to talk about what I felt, and how the movie got me to think about the future of cryptocurrencies.
As I mentioned, the movie was released in 1982, so that it was created almost 40 years ago. And, the original story, “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” was released in 1968! I have not read the original story, so that I talk about the movie which I watched yesterday. It says that the original story is so much better than the movie, so I want to read it someday.
Thus, the movie was released almost 40 years, but the set of the film is 2019 when we live now (Well, technically speaking, 2 years ago!). So, it means that the set of the film is based on imagination which was created 40 years ago by the author. It is very interesting to see how Philip K. Dick, the author imagined how the world would be like 40 years later.
In 2019, we have both Bitcoin (BTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) already. Unfortunately, there were no cryptocurrencies in the film. Too bad! It would be so much fun to see some future currencies in some films in the future. But Philip K. Dick amazingly depicted the world which is 40 years later from he lived. What an imagination he had! I was so amazed. He depicted the world with so much vision!
There are so many technologies we use daily today!
Blade Runner runs through the town full of neon lights, he fights with androids (robots), cars fly in the air, uses a cellphone with a monitoring screen, uses iris recognition technology as well as voice recognition technology which is connected to the PC. These are technologies we use on a daily basis now.
The town Blade Runner lives in looks like either current Shinjuku, Tokyo, or D'Aguilar Street, Hong Kong. We have a robotic android, Sophia created by Hanson Robotic (4) which is located in Hong Kong. We often hear news about drone-like flying cars (we maybe use them soon!) And also, in the film, there is a commercial use drone that flies around in the air, and it has been already started using in some parts of the world. We use FaceTime, Zoom, Skype, and many other free apps to chat with our loved ones. We use iris recognition technology when we unlock our cellphone. Besides, we use voice recognition technology calling “Hey Google!” or “Hi Alexa!” when we turn on the TV.
These are the technologies that they thought very science-fiction-like technologies only exist in the film, however, we use almost all of them daily. Oh, Philip! Your imagination is incredible! And, your imagination is here in 2021! His imagination and visionary how the world will become are incredible. As I was watching the film, I wanted to praise his amazing imagination. It seems that Philip passed away in 1982 the year the film had been released, and I hope he watched the film. Well, I do hope so!
New technologies and transition stages for them
As we realize or not, we start using new technologies consciously or unconsciously. To receive the new technology, I have learned that there are four main stages which we experience. These four stages are:
1. Incubation Stage (in which only limited people use the technology)
2. Destructive Stage (in which the technology spreads rapidly and starts to destroy the existing technology)
3. Non-Profitable Stage (in which the new technology will not create any revenue any more)
4. Disappearing Stage (the new technology makes the old technology disappear from the world)
Ex) Camera vs. Digital camera
In the Incubation Stage, only a limited number of people who invented the technology started using digital cameras. Then, once digital cameras started becoming popular, people stopped using the old camera which we had to develop films. In the Non-Profitable Stage, the digital cameras have become so common, it is equipped on the cellphone and we can use it anytime for free. Taking a picture has become non-profitable (free). Then, in the Disappearing Stage, the digital cameras make the old cameras and all related companies disappear. We do not even realize…
What stage are we now in terms of cryptocurrencies?
When we think about which stages are, we on in terms of cryptocurrencies. I believe that we are on the Destructive Stage, in which the fiat currencies started realizing that cryptocurrencies may have a big impact on their existence.
As I am writing this blog, Coin Gecko is saying that BTC has surpassed the old high, 60,000USD once again.
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash will be dominant new technology currency. And these, fiat currencies will face the third and fourth stages in the future.
If Phillip K. Dick were alive, I would like to ask how does he think Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash will replace fiat currencies in the future.
In the film, there is Bob Okazaki (5) acts as a sushi chef. Amazing actor! So iconic! And, also please try to find a cocktail with an octopus in the film. LOL! WOW!
What an amazing movie! I would like to recommend watching this weekend!
Mizuo – Mar. 13th, 2021.
References
1) Blade Runner
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blade_Runner
2) Philip K. Dick
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_K._Dick
3)Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Do_Androids_Dream_of_Electric_Sheep%3F
4)Hanson Robotics
https://www.hansonrobotics.com/
5)Bob Okazaki
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0645565/?ref_=nm_mv_close
6) Bigest drone commercial challenge
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44KvHwRHb3A
7) Flying car experiment in Japan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xA9ah0zf9MQ
