In the latest episode of the popular animated science-fiction show Futurama, titled How the West Was 101001, the show gives a glimpse into what it thinks the future of crypto could look like. The episode, which aired on Hulu on August 7, tells the story of a professor who borrowed money from the Robot Mafia to invest in Bitcoin (BTC), only for it to crash and leave the crew bankrupt. The episode is set in 3023 and still features Bitcoin, which remains volatile even in the future. The number 101001, which in decimal is 81, is a reference to the 2018 Bitcoin crash in which the cryptocurrency dropped as much as 81%.
The crew then tries to find new ways to make money, such as mining thallium, a toxic metal used to mine crypto, and selling it to the miners. The show also jokes about the immense use of electricity for mining Bitcoin, featuring a crypto country called Doge City, named after the popular meme coin Dogecoin (DOGE). It’s pretty lawless out here in crypto country, so put on your protective headgear, one of the characters said as they entered Doge City, alluding to the lack of oversight in the crypto sector that has led to multiple hacks and bankruptcies in recent years.