As a blockchain enthusiast, we all may agree that the world of cryptocurrency is ever-evolving and complex, presenting a dynamic landscape that constantly shifts with technological advancements, market trends, and regulatory changes. It doesn’t matter if you’re a newcomer in this industry or a seasoned enthusiast; keeping up with this fast-paced environment can be challenging yet exhilarating. As blockchain technology continues to revolutionize industries and reshape financial systems, a deep understanding of its principles and applications becomes increasingly essential. Especially when you’re a crypto enthusiast, it becomes more important. That’s where crypto books enter the chat. Reading crypto books helps readers understand the basic concepts of Blockchain, market dynamics, technological advancements, and strategic perspectives. In short, reading crypto books holds significant importance for anyone interested in the ever-evolving cryptocurrency and blockchain technology.
In this blog post, ‘The Blockchainist’ Team has made an effort to list the four best crypto books every blockchain enthusiast should read. Whether you are a newcomer to this world or a seasoned cryptocurrency enthusiast, these books will help you to master the intricate and fascinating world of cryptocurrency.
So, without further ado, let’s jump straight into it.
1. The Internet of Money: A Collection of Talks (By Andreas M. Antonopoulos)
As a crypto enthusiast, many of you might know about Andreas M. Antonopoulos. He is a renowned author, speaker, and one of the world’s top Bitcoin experts. In the blockchain community, Antonopoulos is known for his complex viewpoints and writings, which present the loopholes of blockchain technology by keeping psychology, economics, game theory & other fields in mind. It was in 2013 that Andreas M. Antonopoulos started speaking about Bitcoin in public. He quickly became one of the world’s sought-after speakers in no time.
On September 7, 2016, Antonopoulos launched his much-anticipated book, ‘The Internet of Money Volume One,’ on ‘The Joe Rogan Experience Podcast’. The book quickly became a successful venture. Many critics described it as one of the ‘best crypto books ever written.’ What makes this book unique is that it unravels the explanation of the philosophy, politics, economics, game theory, and even poetics behind blockchain technology.
Moreover, the engaging and passionate storytelling of this book makes it a special one. Antonopoulos uses anecdotes, analogies, and real-world examples to make complex concepts understandable and relatable. He explores the fundamental principles behind Bitcoin and the economic and psychological implications of Blockchain technology. The three-volume ‘The Internet of Money’ is one of the best crypto books for anyone interested in understanding the revolutionary potential of cryptocurrencies and the future of money.
COVER
The cover of ‘The Internet of Money’ by Andreas M. Antonopoulos is clean, modern, and strikingly simple, effectively capturing the essence of the book’s subject matter. The best thing about this cover is its background and text. Both complement each other and convey a sense of energy and innovation, which are fitting themes of this book.
When was it Published?
2016 (The book was launched at different times in different nations)
Rating (by Goodreads)
4.06 (According to 3,848 Ratings)
2. The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains: An Introduction to Cryptocurrencies and the Technology that Powers Them (By Antony Lewis)
If you’re a beginner in the world of Blockchain and cryptocurrencies, this book is for you. Written in easy-to-understand language, this book aims to provide a detailed breakdown of Blockchain technology. In addition, it explains the fundamental principles of Blockchain. From the historical evolution of cryptocurrencies to the latest crypto technologies, such as ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings) and enterprise mechanisms, this book covers every topic of cryptocurrency. Most of the beginners in the crypto industry are unaware of the legal and regulatory laws. Keeping this in mind, Antony Lewis has also dedicated a reasonable number of pages on this topic.
The Bottom Line is that ‘The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains’ is the ultimate beginner’s guide to the crypto industry.
Antony Lewis has created a much-needed crypto guide for beginners. It is written in simple language and explains various complex topics with ease. Before writing this book, Antony was a technologist in London and then made a banking career as an FTX spot trader in 2007. It was in 2013 that he became very interested in Bitcoin. His interest in cryptocurrencies led him to join itBit (a blockchain startup). Later, he also joined R3 (a financial industry consortium) to explore Blockchain’s evolving concepts.
COVER
The cover of ‘The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains’ is eye-catching and informative, effectively appealing to its target appeal. The title (displayed in narrow sans-serif font), with a bold yellow color in the background, represents energy and optimism.
If we had to explain this book’s cover in a few words, we would say, ‘It’s modern and professional.’
When was it Published?
2018
Rating (By Amazon)
4.4/5
3. Mastering Bitcoin: Unlocking Digital Cryptocurrencies (By Andreas Antonopoulos)
‘Mastering Bitcoin: Unlocking Digital Cryptocurrencies’ is the second book by Andreas M. Antonopoulos in this list. Published by O’Reilly Media, it is the first book written by Antonopoulos. It was published in 2014 and received an immense amount of critical acclaim. Many publications even referred to it as ‘one of the best crypto books to ever come out.’ While some websites, including Goodreads, described ‘Mastering Bitcoin: Unlocking Digital Cryptocurrencies’ as the best technical guide to Bitcoin.
The book is especially written for coders or seasoned blockchain enthusiasts who want to delve more into the technical aspects of the Blockchain. The book is divided into ten chapters.
Chapter 1: Introduction
Explains the basics and history of Bitcoin
Chapter 2: How Bitcoin Works?
Discuss transactions, mining, blocks, steps to make a transaction, Inputs and Outputs & more.
Chapter 3: The Bitcoin Client
Implementation, wallet setup, & more
Chapter 4: Keys, Addresses, Wallets
Public Keys, Private Keys, key formats, different types of wallet, & addresses
Chapter 5: Transactions
Creating & broadcasting transactions, script language, and standard transactions (P2PK Hash & more)
Chapter 6: The Bitcoin Network
Peer-to-peer network architecture, node types, bloom filters, and transaction pools.
Chapter 7: The Blockchain
Structure of block, Merkle trees, & more
Chapter 8: Mining and Consensus
Decentralized consensus, mining nodes, transaction age, Coinbase reward, different types of consensus mechanisms & more.
Chapter 9: Alternative Chains, Currencies, and Applications
Alternative currencies, chains, and meta-chain platforms
Altcoins and Noncurrency alt chains
Chapter 10: Bitcoin Security
Security principles, practices, risks & survivability
Hands down, ‘Mastering Blockchain’ is one of the best crypto books. That’s why it is used as a textbook for university courses on Blockchain and Bitcoin.
It explains each aspect of Bitcoin in simple words on 296 pages.
COVER
The cover of ‘Mastering Bitcoin: Unlocking Digital Cryptocurrencies’ by Andreas Antonopoulos is a powerful visual introduction to one of the best crypto books. The design is both eye-catching and informative, with the drawings of two inspects on the corners of the cover.
When was it Published?
July 1, 2014
Rating (By Goodreads)
4.31/5 (As per 2,658 Ratings)
4. The Cryptopians: Idealism, Greed, Lies, and the Making of First Big Cryptocurrency Craze (By Laura Shin)
Laura Shin, the host of the popular podcast Unchained, has written ‘The Cryptopians’. From her initial days in her career, Laura has covered a wide range of crypto-related topics.
Earlier, Laura planned to write this book about a number of events that had a huge impact on the cryptocurrency industry. But while writing, Laura changed her plan and decided to dedicate this book to the workings of Ethereum and the top platforms built on Ethereum’s mechanism. Moreover, this book also presents a deeper look at the interesting life of Vitalik Buterin (the founder of ETH).
A Special Mention: This book includes a comprehensive chapter on DAO attacks. And man! It’s like a digital version of some sort of thrilling and entertaining movie. Shin has explained one of the biggest crypto hacks with so much vulnerability.
Overall, The Cryptopians is a great body of work. Laura’s work on this well-organized book is incredible.
COVER
The cover of ‘The Cryptopians’ by Laura Shin is striking and evocative, perfectly capturing the essence of its subject matter. The dark background, adorned with a cascade of cryptographic codes and numbers, automatically catches the eye of any reader.
The design choice on the cover emphasizes the technical foundation of Blockchain and hints at the mystery and intrigue that surround the crypto space.
When was It Published?
February 22, 2022
Rating (From Goodreads)
3.70/5 (According to 757 Ratings)
Honorable Mentions
Cryptoassets (By Chris Burniske and Jack Tatar)
Digital Gold (By Nathaniel Popper)
Blockchain Bubble or Revolution (By Neel Mehta, Aditya Agashe, and Parth Detroja)
The Everything Guide to Investing in Cryptocurrency (By Ryan Derousseaeu)
Bitcoin Billionaires: A True Story of Genius, Betrayal, and Redemption (By Ben Mezrich)
Takeaway
Reading crypto books is an excellent way to elevate your knowledge about the industry. They provide a deep, well-rounded understanding of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. This comprehensive approach not only enhances your knowledge but also equips you with the skills needed to navigate this ever-evolving world. In this blog post, ‘The Blockchainist’ Team has listed four of the best crypto books. If you’re a true crypto enthusiast, you should definitely need to read them.
With this, we would like to wrap up this blog.
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