bLOCKcoin

2018 - Lockport, IL USA

Digital Cryptocurrency, Multi-Channel Video Installation & Jolliet-Lemont Limestone from Illinois & Michigan Canal, Website

Illinois State Museum, Former First National Bank of Lockport

Launched as the official cryptocurrency of the unLOCK Art festival, bLOCKcoin was designed to pay tribute to canal scrip, an historic currency that played a major role in the development of the Illinois & Michigan Canal and the town of Lockport, IL. 
A website was launched for festival goers to learn about the project, with instructions on how to buy bLOCKcoin and to see what local shops it could be redeemed at around town during the festival.  Limited edition bLOCKcoin corporate merchandise was sold at these shops with the intention of driving foot traffic into small businesses in the area. bLOCKcoin merchandise could only be purchased using the cryptocurrency.
The cryptocurrency was released with a multichannel video installation inside the First National Bank of Lockport, and later relocated to the Illinois State Museum which served as a currency exchange.

I&M Canal After Completion
c. 1860-1890

Historic Photograph
Dimensions Unknown

  • The Illinois & Michigan Canal, completed in 1848, connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River, creating a continuous water route from New York to New Orleans. This made Chicago a central hub for trade, transportation, and industry, allowing goods to flow efficiently between the East Coast and the interior of the country. The canal attracted waves of immigrants, laborers, and entrepreneurs, fueling rapid urban growth. By linking water and rail networks, it transformed Chicago into the nation’s key inland port—helping it become the fastest-growing city in the world by the late 19th century.

Canal Scrip - Fifty Dollars
c. 1848

Paper Currency
7X3”

  • Canal scrip for the Illinois and Michigan Canal was a form of currency issued by the canal commissioners to pay for construction costs when they faced financial difficulties. Unable to pay workers and suppliers, they issued these "checks" drawn on the canal's credit, essentially promising future payment. While the scrip was accepted at face value for canal land purchases, it often traded at a discount on the open market, reflecting the uncertainty surrounding the canal's completion and the state's ability to repay its debts.

bLOCKcoin.com
2018

Website (no longer online)
Dimensions Variable

  • This website was launched to help festival goers understand how to buy bLOCKcoin, where to go in town to use it and the historic context around the project.

Map of Illinois
1818

Historic Document
Dimensions Unknown

  • The I&M Canal helped shape Illinois’ northern border before it was even built. In 1818, to keep the future canal entirely within one state, Illinois leaders successfully pushed to move the state’s border north—bringing nearly 50 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, including what would become Chicago, into Illinois. This strategic move ensured the canal—and the economic power it would generate—belonged to Illinois, not Wisconsin.

bLOCKcoin Multi-Channel Video Installation
2018

Multi-Channel Video Installation & Joliete-Lemont Limestone from the I&M Canal, Fifty-Dollar Canal Scrip Note
Dimensions Variable

  • The cryptocurrency was released with a multichannel video installation inside the First National Bank of Lockport, and later relocated to the Illinois State Museum which served as a currency exchange.

Lock Connecting Chicago River to I&M Canal
c. 1890-1915

Historic Photograph
Dimensions Unknown

  • The Illinois & Michigan Canal, completed in 1848, connected the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River, creating a continuous water route from New York to New Orleans. This made Chicago a central hub for trade, transportation, and industry, allowing goods to flow efficiently between the East Coast and the interior of the country. The canal attracted waves of immigrants, laborers, and entrepreneurs, fueling rapid urban growth. By linking water and rail networks, it transformed Chicago into the nation’s key inland port—helping it become the fastest-growing city in the world by the late 19th century.

Joliet-Lemont Limestone Quarry
c.1850

Historic Photograph
Dimensions Unknown

  • Joliet-Lemont Limestone, prevalent in the area’s historic architecture and buildings was first dredged in the digging of the canal and later quarried in the surrounding areas. Joliet-Lemont Limestone can also be found on many of Chicago’s oldest landmarks including the Water Tower & Pumping Station.

bLOCKcoin Logo
2018

Graphic Design
Dimensions Variable

  • Variations of this logo were used for branding on all bLOCKcoin products sold around Lockport during the festival and to identify participating shops.

Illinois & Michigan Canal Land Grant
1827

Historic Document
Dimensions Unknown

  • An act granting federal land for canal purposes.