Ben McKenzie Exposes Crypto Scams in Documentary 'Everyone Is Lying to You for Money'

A trailer has been released for Everyone Is Lying to You for Money, a documentary led by actor Ben McKenzie that critiques the cryptocurrency industry and its political and celebrity entanglements; the film’s advance was distributed by international sales agency The Forge and was published online in March 2026.

“Ben McKenzie, a Hollywood actor known for his roles on television shows including Gotham and The OC, has released the trailer for a documentary about cryptocurrency featuring interviews with actors and former executives at once-prominent trading platforms”

Cointelegraph

The Playlist listed the film under its trailer coverage as “Everyone Is Lying To You For Money Trailer: Ben McKenzie Turns His Crypto Skepticism Into A Cautionary Documentary,” signaling the project’s promotional rollout.

Cointelegraph

Cointelegraph reported the trailer “showed McKenzie saying cryptocurrency is ‘pretty stupid’ and the actor’s journey to advocating against the industry,” while DiarioBitcoin described the project as “un documental abiertamente crítico con las criptomonedas,” indicating the film’s overtly skeptical stance.

The film foregrounds McKenzie’s personal transformation from actor to prominent crypto critic: he began studying the technology in 2020, became publicly vocal after the collapse of major platforms in 2022, and has used his profile to interrogate industry practices;

DiarioBitcoin notes McKenzie “comenzó a estudiar esta tecnología en 2020” and later “compareció ante una audiencia del Senado de Estados Unidos” where he called the industry “el mayor esquema Ponzi de la historia.”

DiarioBitcoin

Cointelegraph likewise recounts McKenzie’s move from Hollywood to anti‑crypto advocacy and highlights his Senate testimony investigating FTX’s downfall.

The Playlist’s coverage of the trailer similarly framed the project around McKenzie’s established skepticism and public campaign against crypto excesses.

The documentary assembles interviews and archival footage of high‑profile figures tied to the boom and bust era of crypto: Cointelegraph reports the film “features footage from 2022 of former FTX CEO Sam ‘SBF’ Bankman‑Fried and former Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky,” and names celebrities like Morena Baccarin and Gerard Butler among interviewees.

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The Playlist

DiarioBitcoin’s coverage likewise lists Bankman‑Fried, Mashinsky, Baccarin and Butler, and highlights a moment in the trailer where McKenzie asks Bankman‑Fried directly how much he donated to politicians — a sequence the outlets frame as probing crypto’s ties to power.

The Playlist’s trailer listing also identifies the project as focused on those personalities and on the industry’s public narratives.

The trailer and reporting also situate the film amid ongoing legal and political aftershocks: both Cointelegraph and DiarioBitcoin remind readers that Sam Bankman‑Fried is serving a 25‑year federal sentence after his 2023 conviction on charges related to FTX, and that he continues to pursue legal avenues including an appeal and the possibility of a presidential pardon.

Cointelegraph specifically noted that Bankman‑Fried “is serving a 25‑year sentence in US federal prison” and that his lawyers had filed an appeal; DiarioBitcoin echoed that “el ex CEO de FTX cumple actualmente una condena de 25 años” and that those legal and political options remain open.

DiarioBitcoin

Both Cointelegraph and DiarioBitcoin also reported that the filmmakers had not responded to requests for comment about interviews with Bankman‑Fried and Nayib Bukele, a detail Cointelegraph stated as “had not received a response at the time of publication.”