Wilson Fisk proposed diversifying his criminal empire into Bitcoin (BTC) during a flashback scene in Daredevil: Born Again, Season 2, Episode 5, marking one of the MCU’s most direct crypto references to date.
The moment aired on Disney+ on April 14 as part of “The Grand Design,” an episode built around Kingpin’s origin story.
Kingpin’s Bitcoin Pitch Got Overruled
The flashback takes place around 2014 to 2015, before the events of the original Netflix Daredevil series. Fisk, played by Vincent D’Onofrio, rides in a car with his right-hand man James Wesley, played by Toby Leonard Moore.
After discussing complications with an associate known as “The Lion,” Fisk floats the idea of Bitcoin as a way to modernize and diversify their money laundering operations.
Wesley pushes back, viewing crypto as too volatile. He steers Fisk toward the art world instead, mentioning a contact at the Scene Contempo Gallery.
Fisk initially dismisses art as pretentious but agrees to visit. That decision leads directly to his first encounter with Vanessa Marianna, setting up one of the MCU’s defining romances.
The timeline fits. BTC traded around $200 to $300 during that period, still far from mainstream recognition.
For a forward-thinking crime boss exploring discreet financial channels, the suggestion landed as both plausible and amusing.
Crypto Fans Reacted Quickly
The line went mildly viral on social media. A post on Reddit’s r/Bitcoin community titled “Daredevil: Born Again S2 E5” drew upvotes and comments ranging from “that’s wild” to debates over whether Fisk would have been an early whale.
No later episodes have followed up on the idea. The art pivot is what stuck for Kingpin’s empire.
