Top Must-Read Cryptocurrency Books for Beginners and Professionals
Many new technologies go through the hype cycle, bouncing back and forth from buzz to backlash to tiredness to, possibly, real-world use. No one can deny that blockchain is a game-changer.
Even now, a decade after its introduction and well after considerable corporate adoption, blockchain is plagued with cautionary tales of course correction (see the bitcoin bubble bust in 2018). Here are some of the best crypto books that you should read.
THE BITCOIN STANDARD: THE DECENTRALIZED ALTERNATIVE TO CENTRAL BANKING BY SAIFEDEAN AMMOUS
I appreciate the first half of “The Bitcoin Standard” because it explains some of the monetary theories behind Bitcoin, such as the difference between “hard money” and “easy money,” or deflationary and inflationary money.
It also does an excellent job of explaining how different sorts of money, as well as our personal financial conduct, affect the economy: does it encourage spending or saves and investments? So that explanation, which is primarily in the first half, appeals to me.
The second half of the novel goes too far in this direction.
BITCOIN MONEY: A TALE OF BITVILLE DISCOVERING GOOD MONEY BY MICHAEL CARAS (AUTHOR) AND MARINA YAKUBIVSKA (ILLUSTRATOR)
The children’s book “Bitcoin Money” discusses the fundamentals of monetary theory, such as inflation. I brought it home and gave it to my reading-obsessed daughter. She read the entire piece and then bombarded me with questions. Then one day, as I was walking her to school, she started talking about inflation! I exclaimed, “Wow!” I’ll give “Bitcoin Money” two thumbs up for making my daughter sound like a monetary theory expert. When it comes to learning, most of us are still visual learners who prefer narratives and pictures.
INVENTING BITCOIN: THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND THE FIRST TRULY SCARCE AND DECENTRALIZED MONEY EXPLAINED BY YAN PRITZKER
“Inventing Bitcoin,” written by the former Reverb.com CTO, can help you comprehend Bitcoin — and people must understand Bitcoin in order to grasp blockchain. When businesses integrate blockchain into their systems, it’s usually just a data structure that groups transactions together and then has a consensus that everything in that box is exactly what you say it is before you pack it away. Then you fill the next box, block it, and repeat the process.
It’s been around since the 1970s, and it’s been frequently utilized since the early 1990s. It’s not especially new; when people started talking about blockchain, there was just a new focus on it.
THE STARFISH AND THE SPIDER: THE UNSTOPPABLE POWER OF LEADERLESS ORGANIZATIONS BY ORI BRAFMAN AND ROD A. BECKSTROM
My additional recommendations will assist readers in better understanding decentralization and multiplayer game theory, both of which must be addressed in order to construct systems such as Bitcoin or Ethereum.
The basic premise of “The Starfish and the Spider” is that cutting off a spider’s head causes it to die, whereas cutting off a starfish’s leg causes it to grow a new one. That limb develops into a brand-new starfish. Traditional top-down companies are akin to spiders, whereas starfish organizations are reshaping the business landscape. Bitcoin and Ethereum are both examples of this.
THE THREE-BODY PROBLEM BY LIU CIXIN
My additional recommendations will assist readers in better understanding decentralization and multiplayer game theory, both of which must be addressed in order to construct systems such as Bitcoin or Ethereum.
The basic premise of “The Starfish and the Spider” is that cutting off a spider’s head causes it to die, whereas cutting off a starfish’s leg causes it to grow a new one. That limb develops into a brand-new starfish. Traditional top-down companies are akin to spiders, whereas starfish organizations are reshaping the business landscape. Bitcoin and Ethereum are both examples of this.
THE INTERNET OF MONEY BY ANDREAS ANTONOPOULOS
I adore “The Internet of Money,” which was perhaps the first Bitcoin book I read. It’s crazily optimistic — Bitcoin will save the universe — yet he isn’t half-wrong. He’s a fantastic speaker and writer. This is the book to read if you want to understand why people are so enthusiastic about Bitcoin and blockchain.
Most Bitcoin maximalists, like Andreas, are preoccupied with the notion that there will only ever be 21 million Bitcoins, implying that the price must rise. And that’s a little deceptive because government regulation might have a negative impact on that if it ever comes to pass.
THE BLOCKCHAIN DEVELOPER BY ELAD ELROM
Until “The Blockchain Developer,” I don’t believe there had been a solid blockchain technical book. Many people in the community like others, but this one, published by Apress, is the best application book for developers.
SATOSHI’S VISION: THE ART OF BITCOIN BY CRAIG WRIGHT
“Satoshi’s Vision” is a collection of Craig Wright’s articles from the last few years on all elements of Bitcoin, including in-depth technical points, legal and moral dilemmas, and more. I am convinced that Craig is Satoshi [Nakamoto], the creator of Bitcoin. And I’ve learned far more about it from my own experiences with him than from almost any other source. He’s a generous giver who never hesitates to answer inquisitive minds’ questions of all kinds. Just don’t inquire as to what he’s doing with his personal belongings! The majority of the information is available in the form of over 800 blog posts at craigwright.net, but the book collects some of the best and most poignant.
We have curated a list of must-read crypto books that are ideal for beginners and professionals alike.
