Blockchain Bubble or Revolution: The Present and Future of Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies

I have spent a lot of time trying to get a good understanding of blockchain and its future. Bubble or Revolution is the only book I have read that does exactly this. It does a fantastic job of explaining how blockchain technology works (about one fourth of the book). I really like how the authors use creative metaphors to explain what is happening behind the scenes – I feel like I can now explain how tech works to a 5th grader.

The remaining three fourths of the book focuses on the use cases for blockchains and cryptocurrencies in the form of case studies and research (other books like Blockchain Basics spend 60% of the book explaining the tech in micro details that are irrelevant). There is a lot of thoughtful analysis when dissecting these case studies that helped me understand some of the shortcomings and weaknesses of blockchain technology.

I have read a lot of overly bullish books (like Blockchain Revolution), but Bubble or Revolution differs in that it offers frameworks for helping you understand in what use cases the pros of blockchain technology outweigh the cons. The authors do a fantastic job of making predictions on how major countries (e.g. China) and major companies (e.g. Facebook and Microsoft) will adopt blockchain and the reasons behind it.

If you are looking for an easy to understand overview of how blockchain works, why it matters, AND where the technology is headed from an unbiased perspective, I’d highly recommend checking out Bubble or Revolution!

 

The Little Bitcoin Book: Why Bitcoin Matters for Your Freedom, Finances, and Future

Everyone has friends or family who have heard about Bitcoin, but how do you get them started? There are good books on Bitcoin economics (The Bitcoin Standard by Saifedean Ammous) and technology (Programming Bitcoin by Jimmy Song). Yet, despite being excellent resources, these books may be a bit too deep for a total newcomer. The Little Bitcoin Book is the solution.

Written over the course of just four days, by eight different industry experts working together, the book is a great introduction to Bitcoin. There are short chapters on money/economics, trading and volatility, and even human rights. Over half of the book is devoted to Q&A, covering most common questions and concerns around the new currency. Plenty of additional resources are linked for those willing to dig deeper and participate in the Bitcoin economy.

If you want to introduce your family to Bitcoin this holiday season, this is the book to get.

 

The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains

This book grabbed my attention from the first chapter. I’ve been in the industry for some time; personally, this is one of the few books I would suggest to those interested in understanding the basics of blockchains and bitcoin. Antony helps us clearly understand the theme, concisely describing the technology in a logical way, clearly presenting the concepts, and on top of that how everything fits together. Unlike Mastering Bitcoin by Andreas M. Antonopoulos, which definitely is a book for people who already have a programming background, interestingly The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains can be appreciated by readers with different backgrounds. It is an enjoyable and easy reading although a comprehensive exposure to bitcoin and blockchains.
As mentioned on the back cover, this book is a crash course in money, cryptocurrencies, initial coin offerings (ICO) and enterprise blockchains. As the one responsible for Cash and CBDC strategy at R3, not surprisingly, Antony teaches us everything we have to know from historical facts, physical and digital money, through a smooth introduction to cryptography (probably the most understandable explanation about the mechanics of Proof-of-Work), the emergence of cryptocurrencies and digital tokens to the latest thinking about the technology adoption by enterprises. By and large a delightful read for anyone who wants to understand everything about bitcoins and blockchains.

Get this book

I Don’t Trust You: But Blockchain and Bitcoin Will Help

I’ve been hearing about cryptocurrency for the past few years or so but have been admittedly hesitant to dive into it. It honestly seemed quite complicated and I wasn’t sure if it was just a temporary fad. However, I couldn’t shake that curiosity, so I looked for something that would explain cryptocurrency to me that was relatively simple to understand. Luckily I stumbled upon this book because it was exactly what I was looking for. If you’re just getting started in Blockchain and Bitcoin like I am, this book will give you the clarity you’re looking for.

This is a well written book that takes you through the mechanics of blockchain and cryptocurrencies. What I particularly like it that it doesn’t stop there. It is not a deep dive in to the underlying cryptology, but rather a great insight into to the possible applications of such technology. To me it offers a peak into a possible (near) future that presents a very different world.

Blockchain and Bitcoin are trending topics. But, if you find yourself, like the majority, confused by what they really are, if and how they impact you, or if they are just a passing craze, then this book was written for you.
It’s a non technical guide to Blockchain and the future of money, the future of trust, and the future of us. Buy this book.

An Altcoin Trader’s Handbook

I am very new to trading crypto (< 1yr). I have always been in it for the long haul, meaning I intend to hold most of my crypto for several years.

I realized mid-2018 that I was leaving money on the table – most of my coins would (obviously) rise and fall with every passing day. I worked up the courage to trade, but just like many other rookie traders, I did not spend enough time doing research, and I got trampled.

That’s why I decided to actually take the time and start reading everything I could get my hands on. I read hundreds of articles, blog posts and books for months. If only I had just bought THIS book first…

In the one week it took for me to read (and then reread) this book, I learned more than I had in an entire year reading articles and blog posts online.

Why this book was a complete game-changer:

This is not one of those books that is full of filler material. The Bitcoin Standard, for example, was a great book, but the author repeatedly went on rants that were almost completely irrelevant to anything that could be considered within the realm of the topic. Nik starts this book off with a little bit of history about himself, as it relates to his journey with crypto. I got a lot out of this section alone, and those who are relatively new to the crypto space will, too. Nik takes you through the evolution of Bitcoin and cryptocurrency by retelling the story of how he got involved in late 2013, and he does such a remarkable job of articulating every detail of his experience from beginning to end. As a reader, it made me feel like I went back in time and was watching all of this unfold in real-time, and learning along with him. New crypto traders can relate to everything he talks about in this first section.

I’m not going to describe every chapter, but the point is that this book is SO dense with information, it does almost take a second read to fully grasp everything he talks about. Like I said, so many books out there go off-topic so often, (just for the sake of throwing extra words in there to thicken the book) that it’s difficult to follow the author, and you find yourself fighting to not put it down and completely forget about it. But since you’re invested, you finish the book and realize you hardly learned anything.

Nik puts into plain English seemingly everything he knows about trading crypto; Technical analysis, reading order books, fundamental research, controlling emotions, risk management, market psychology is all in here, and so much more. I’ve never in my life been so excited over a book. I feel as though I have an arsenal of tools now to capitalize on my trading like never before.

You won’t find this information anywhere else, because this is Nik’s personal journey with altcoin research and trading, and this is how he became successful – by building a trading strategy from scratch. Nik literally word-for-word breaks down the exact approach he takes when researching a new altcoin in Chapter Five called “The Process.” No other book, blog post, or article I’ve ever read goes further into detail than Nik with a step-by-step process of how to find diamonds in the rough in the vast sea of altcoins.

It’s going to take a lot of time and focus to put all of this information to work and actually profit, but if you’re serious about becoming a successful trader, this very well may be the only book you’ll ever need.

Mastering Bitcoin: Unlocking Digital Cryptocurrencies

Mastering Bitcoin is not a consumer book. If you are a programmer or cryptographer it seems pretty good.

I am neither. I am an IT Pro with an interest in technology, how it might change society and an interest in improving the way we carry out financial transactions. Electronic payment, and more broadly the exchange of value, has never been a technology problem but has always been about vested interests such as Government, banks, technology companies, and payment processors. Disruptive technology often (but not always) clears the logjam and is absorbed into the mainstream.

So I come to Bitcoin needing an understanding of the network, how it works and what are the benefits of using it. For me the code in the book is not something I am personally going to dive into but seeing some of the code does help explain to me what a transaction is, how it processed on the blockchain and the challenges of the programmers involved.

The non-technical reader should avoid this book except for the first chapter that uses real-world examples of Bitcoin use. Programmers who want to learn to develop applications should read it. IT Pros that want a broad understanding of the technology will find about 50% useful.

 

Why Buy Bitcoin: Investing Today in the Money of Tomorrow

Some people still view Bitcoin as a startup. But despite being declared dead many times by the mainstream media, Bitcoin grows stronger every year. What’s going on? It’s not too late to learn about Bitcoin and invest. Bitcoin’s value has grown exponentially over multiple boom and bust cycles spanning a decade. Bitcoin is an Internet-native phenomenon like Alibaba, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Netflix, Microsoft, and Tencent. It therefore benefits from the “network effect” which makes it dramatically more valuable as the network grows. But its potential value is much larger than the giant Internet companies we know so well. If Bitcoin reaches that potential, its value could rise by 50 times its current price in the coming decade. This book will help you understand the role of money in our society, the current state of debt in our economy, and how Bitcoin provides a better solution.

Andy opens chapter 2, an explanation of money, with Carl Menger and Ludwig Von Mises. This is an author who understands his subject matter. If you want to better understand Bitcoin and the role it may play in the world moving foward, you can do no better that with “Why Buy Bitcoin”.

Highly underrated and underappreciated, Andy uses analogies that are easy for the layman, but won’t leave the more well read audience with something to be desired. I highly recommend you pick up this book if you are at all interested in learning more about Bitcoin.