God Bless Bitcoin asks the timely question: How do we fix our broken money? Through in-depth conversations with bitcoin and interfaith religious leaders, the film exposes the broken, unjust, and immoral nature of our current fiat-based monetary system, one that is intimately connected to the military industrial complex and the propagation of war. The film also shows how and why members of the poor and middle class feel a financial squeeze even when they work hard and lead fiscally responsible lives. God Bless Bitcoin ultimately suggests the ways in which Bitcoin can present alternatives to our current system that are more just, equitable, and peaceful.
Our documentary film God Bless Bitcoin is a passion project that began over two years ago when we noticed people everywhere were struggling with the rising costs of living. Now, homes are unaffordable, groceries are sky-high, and people are exhausted because they can’t work enough hours to keep up. Our money is broken, but nobody really understands why. Our motivation to make the film was two-part. First, we wanted to explain how the world’s financial system works, to show how it wages inflation and discriminates against the middle class and those who live in poverty. So we interviewed experts in politics, finance, and economics to help shed light on our current system. Second, we wanted to show how bitcoin is a more ethical form of money that is open to everyone no matter their socioeconomic status, their race, their gender. For this section, we interviewed bitcoin experts and religious leaders to explain how bitcoin is a new money that would allow everyone to use the gifts God gave them to work, support themselves and their families, as well as create value for others.
Kelly has dedicated the last fifteen years of her life to teaching in the very communities that our current money excludes and became interested in bitcoin when she saw that it can give everyone the freedom to create savings for themselves and future generations. Brian has devoted the last ten years of his life to studying bitcoin and educating people on its merits as a moral form of money. This film is a way for us to unite our passions and ideally spark conversation and thought about a new money that provides hope.
Brian Estes is the CIO of Off the Chain Capital which manages the #1 performing blockchain fund in the Hedge Fund Research (HFR) Universe from 2016-2021. Brian has been a VC in blockchain for 10 years and has advised, mentored and/or financed 6 blockchain companies that have a combined value of over $50B today. In addition to running blockchain asset funds, he teaches blockchain and digital asset investing classes at University of Cambridge UK, Washington University, and Morgan State University’s Center of Blockchain and Financial Technology. Brian earned his BA in Economics from the University of Illinois, his MBA from Washington University in St. Louis with high honors, and did is study abroad at University of Cambridge and the London School of Economics. For fun Brian has been an active pilot and aircraft owner for 34 years and has over 2200 hours of flight time logged.
Kelly Estes is founder and President of the Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow Foundation, a non-profit that provides bridge scholarships to private high schools and colleges for high-need, high-achieving students to help break the cycle of poverty through education. Kelly has devoted the last thirty years to education as a teacher and as the Graduate Support Director of an enrichment program that provided programming and advisement in a school district where 95% of the students grew up in generational poverty.
