Unchained and Bitcoin Park are launching a ten-city roadshow during Bitcoin Pizza Day week (May 22, 2026) to screen “The New Rules of Bitcoin,” a short film produced in partnership with The Atlantic’s brand studio. The initiative marks a coordinated push to drive grassroots Bitcoin adoption through community screenings and local meetup sponsorships across major US markets.
Why Bitcoin Pizza Day Matters for Adoption
Bitcoin Pizza Day commemorates May 22, 2010, when programmer Laszlo Hanyecz executed the first documented real-world Bitcoin transaction: 10,000 BTC for two pizzas. At current valuations, those coins are worth approximately $760 million, making the transaction a symbolic moment in cryptocurrency history. The annual observance has evolved into a rallying point for the Bitcoin community, emphasizing how peer-to-peer adoption works. Jonathan Sexton, Chief Commercial Officer of Unchained, frames it plainly: “Bitcoin Pizza Day is a reminder that adoption happens peer-to-peer. Every new bitcoiner was, at some point, brought in by another bitcoiner.” The film leverages this narrative to position Bitcoin as a technology spread through direct human connection, not institutional marketing.
Screening Schedule and Community Incentives
The roadshow will screen “The New Rules of Bitcoin” across ten US cities during the week of May 22, with confirmed showtimes in Kansas City (7 PM) and Austin/Lexington (6 PM) on Bitcoin Pizza Day itself. Eight cities have been identified: Fort Worth, Kansas City, Chicago, Washington D.C., Portland, Nashville, Austin, Tampa Bay, and Lexington, with two additional locations to be announced. The first 100 Bitcoin meetups to register will receive a free screening kit and pizza sponsorship, creating a direct incentive for local organizers. The promotion also includes a limited-time trading fee waiver for new Unchained users, valid before June 1, 2026.
Unchained’s Custody Model and Market Position
Unchained, founded in 2016 by Joe Kelly and Dhruv Bansal, has originated over $1 billion in Bitcoin-backed loans since 2017 and currently secures approximately 100,000 BTC on its platform with zero reported capital losses. The firm received a Wyoming trust charter in 2025, strengthening its regulatory standing. The company promotes collaborative custody—a multisignature structure where clients retain key control—as an alternative to centralized exchange custody. Bitcoin Park, founded in 2022, operates community campuses in Nashville and Austin focused on the “freedom tech movement” across Bitcoin, AI, and energy sectors. Co-founder Rod Roudi emphasizes the efficacy of in-person engagement: “Grassroots, word of mouth is how Bitcoin spread in the first place, and it’s how it will continue to spread.”
What the Film Emphasizes
“The New Rules of Bitcoin” centers on three core concepts: Bitcoin’s distinction from other cryptocurrencies, long-term wealth preservation, and direct collaborative custody. The film frames Bitcoin adoption as fundamentally community-driven rather than top-down. By aligning the roadshow with Bitcoin Pizza Day, Unchained and Bitcoin Park are reinforcing a historical narrative: that Bitcoin’s network effects compound through individual adoption and peer recommendation, not institutional mandates. The campaign runs through May 22, 2026, with registration for meetup sponsorships open through the screening week.
