NASDAQ, Overstock's CEO And "The Deep Web" Debuts

There are four things that everyone needs to know about the Deep Web.

First, it's the part of Internet that's not indexed the same way search engines organize Web content. That means that traditional search engines cannot see or grab content from it – thus the name.

Second, it's growing like a weed. In fact, its growth is estimated to be at a much quicker rate than the normal Web that's seen by the general public. 

Third, that growth is driven by commerce – commerce that's made possible thanks to the emergence of cryptocurrencies, notably bitcoin.

Fourth, it could need a rebranding. Thanks to "Deep Web" — a new documentary premiering on EPIX — everyone will not only know about the Deep Web, but also how to access it.

And just in time for one of its most infamous innovators, Ross Ulbricht's sentencing for the crimes related to running the bitcoin-funded illegal drug bazaar, Silk Road, which is scheduled for two days before the documentary's debut on May 31. Written and produced by Alex Winter, the documentary is currently being shown at various film festivals around the world. "Deep Web" shares the story of Ulbricht's arrest, covers his conviction and shows how Ulbricht got caught, despite a conviction that — as part of the coveted hidden part of the Internet — he was impossible to trace. 

"The film explores how the brightest minds and thought leaders behind the Deep Web are now caught in the crosshairs of the battle for control of a future inextricably linked to technology, with our digital rights hanging in the balance," reads the description on the documentary's homepage. 

The film provides access to interviews with Ulbricht's family, and shows how the Deep Web has evolved into what it is today. The film also dives into details about the connection between the Deep Web and Silk Road and the "anonymity of cryptocurrency." The film also examines the difficulty for lawmakers and law enforcement officials to keep up with trends in the digital age, while at the same time raising questions about government intrusion into privacy and whether the government got the proper search and seizure warrants when gathering the data that was used to nab Ulbricht.  

The "Deep Web" story has a decided point of view, incase you were wondering, suggesting that The Silk Road was used to "make a political statement" about just one of the many illegal sites on the Deep Web that's running drug rings. And, that Ulbricht wasn't the only Dread Pirate Roberts. 

"The Silk Road reflects 'where we are as a culture,'" said Winter, who also shared his views on the investigation. "It is one of the most shocking enigmas I've ever encountered. So much conflict, so many paradoxes."