With no end to resources available to learn about cryptocurrencies, books can be a great way to get a deep set of understanding about the underlying technology and opportunity present. Of course, information can become outdated fast. These books, however, present fundamental truths and histories that stand the test of time better than others.
1. Cryptoassets: The Innovative Investor’s Guide to Bitcoin and Beyond by Chris Burniske and Jack Tatar
Chris Burniske, a partner at the crypto venture capital firm Placeholder Capital, and Jack Tatar, a known author on personal finance, joined forces to put out this “how-to” guide for investing in bitcoin and other digital assets. Their 2017 book covers subjects such as the valuation of cryptocurrencies, investment timing, and “tips to navigate inevitable bubbles and manias,” as stated on the book’s website.
Regarding the book, Arthur Laffer, a member of former President Ronald Reagan’s Economic Policy Advisory Board, said the following: “Informative and actionable, Cryptoassets is a must-read for crypto-enthusiasts and capital market investors alike.”
Source: books.google.com
2. Blockchain Revolution by Don Tapscott and Alex Tapscott
In this 2016 book, blockchain experts Don Tapscott and Alex Tapscott explore how the technology could impact systems on a global scale.
“Don Tapscott, the bestselling author of Wikinomics, together with his son, Alex, deliver a brilliantly researched, highly readable and essential book which explores how this technology can affect the future of the economy.”
One of the foundational technologies which are extensively covered in all these cryptocurrency books is blockchain. As many have already observed, blockchain can have other uses and applications aside from cryptocurrencies. The Tapscotts approach topics such as new business models that may be developed, what they might do for artists’ rights in music, and the use of blockchain in voting and a more direct democracy. The book offers a broad insight into what could happen in the future of technology.
The father and son are co-founders of the Blockchain Research Institute, a Canadian think tank that is backed by companies such as Microsoft, IBM, FedEx, and PepsiCo. Don Tapscott was named by Forbes “the second most influential business thinker in 2017.”
Clayton Christensen, a Harvard Business School professor said that “The Tapscotts have written the book, literally, on how to survive and thrive in this next wave of technology-driven disruption. Likely to become one of the iconic books of our time,”.
Source: Amazon UK
3. The Bitcoin Standard by Saifedeen Ammous
A real look at the practicality of Bitcoin through the lens of an economist. Ammous traces how Bitcoin might fit into the philosophical concept of currency and money and how it could be positioned in the future with the rise of the digital age.
His position is that Bitcoin can be a store of value in an increasingly complex international financial system. This kind of book is for the serious thinker—one who imagines how the very nature of economics may change in coming decades and centuries, and the part digital currencies like Bitcoin can play in becoming future standards of commerce.
4. The Age of Cryptocurrency by Paul Vigna and Michael J. Casey
Wall Street Journal reporters Paul Vigna and Michael J. Casey set out to present the differences between a world that runs on digital money and today’s system of real cash, banks, checkbooks, gold, and credit cards.
Their 2015 book opens with an anecdote about a woman in Afghanistan who has no bank account and who accesses money via cryptocurrency (similar to this story). According to a review by Fortune, they are trying to show what kind of change this technology can bring.
“Vigna and Casey’s thorough, timely, and colorful book is a rewarding place to learn about it all,” The New York Times remarked in its review.
5. Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency Technologies – Arvind Narayanan, Joseph Bonneau, Edward Felten, Andrew Miller, Steven Goldfeder
An assistant professor at Princeton University, Narayana, along with his four co-authors, approach the topic of crypto and blockchain thoroughly in a typical academic manner. This book touches the subject in depth, so you might want to take a lot of notes, especially when it gets into the nitty-gritty of crypto mechanisms. Topics such as hash functions and cryptography are explained at length.
The book also contains diagrams to help the reader understand things more easily. It should be noted that the author has also developed an entire online course on crypto technologies that includes instructional videos for each chapter, homework problems, programming assignments, and lecture slides, which can be accessed freely on Coursera.
Whether you are a student, software developer, tech entrepreneur, or researcher in computer science, this authoritative and self-contained book tells you everything you need to know about the new global money for the Internet age.
The book begins by expanding on the history and development of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies and continues with the conceptual and practical foundations required to create secure software that interacts with the Bitcoin network as well as how you can implement ideas from Bitcoin into your own projects. The subjects that are discussed are decentralization, the mining process, the politics of Bitcoin, altcoins and the cryptocurrency environment, the future of Bitcoin, and many others.
“Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency Technologies” can be seen as an essential introduction to the new technologies of digital currency.
Source: Princeton University Press
6. Mastering Bitcoin by Andreas Antonopoulos
Antonopoulos is a Bitcoin entrepreneur who has founded three businesses and launched several community open-source projects. He also writes articles and blog posts on Bitcoin, hosts the popular podcast “Let’s Talk Bitcoin,” and is an important public speaker at crypto events. Andreas also serves as an advisor to several Bitcoin startups.
This is a great book to start learning the complicated terminology behind Bitcoin. The author’s vast experience regarding the topic really shows in his clear explanations.
Mastering Bitcoin will guide you through the seemingly complex world of the world’s number one crypto, supplying you with the knowledge you need to participate in the digital money market. Whether you’re developing a new app, investing in a startup, or just learning more about this technology, this book provides essential insight and guidance to help you get started in your learning journey.
The book will help you familiarize yourself with the basics of how Bitcoin works and moves through different types of transactions and why they are used; it t will also give you details about multi-sign wallets and other basic technical aspects of the coin.
Another bonus feature of the book is the comprehensible diagrams, which are easy to understand. New versions are released periodically to keep the book updated with the fast pace of Bitcoin’s development.
Source: Amazon
Conclusion
A real crypto enthusiast knows his or her stuff. These books will help with the “evergreen” ideas behind Bitcoin and blockchain. While other experts are chasing news and coin prices, this will help you become a mastermind of blockchain concepts and be able to scope out the best projects.
