There’s a common theme that ties people like Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Mark Cuban together. And yes, they’re all massively successful figures with billions of dollars of net worth but they’re also known to be some of the biggest bookworms in the world.
Warren Buffet for example, dedicates 80% of his day to reading and claims that knowledge from reading builds up overtime just like compound interest.
It’s no secret that reading is one of the best habits that you could pick up. Want to learn something new or make yourself better? Chances are there’s a book out there that can help you with this. The same goes for crypto knowledge too. After all, becoming a good investor starts with a good investment — in yourself!
In this article, let’s jump into the ultimate crypto reading list that covers the economics, history and human aspects of the cryptocurrency revolution.
1. The Bitcoin Standard – Saifedean Ammous
The book starts off by exploring the economics and history of hard money tracing the ancient money trail from currencies of olden days like seashells, limestones, cattle, metals and all the way to the modern day financial instruments like government debts and bonds.
The concept of Bitcoin is introduced and you will learn about how it could revolutionize not just the monetary order of the world but also in the arts, politics, culture and many more.
The author’s passion as a Bitcoin maxi is noticeable throughout the book — so if you need reasons to believe how the digital currency will be the invention of the century, look no further than The Bitcoin Standard.
2. The Fiat Standard – Saifedean Ammous
This time in his second book, the author examines our modern day system of government-backed fiat money brutally dissecting and criticizing its failures and the cascading effects this has had on our politics, society and economy.
The book lays out multiple insights into the weaknesses of our broken monetary system and shows how Bitcoin could be the way forward — so for readers who were entertained by the first book and want to go deeper, then give “The Fiat Standard” a try too.
Read: Swiss National Bank Evaluates If Bitcoin Can Replace Fiat Currencies
3. Check Your Financial Privilege – Alex Gladstein
According to Gladstein, anyone born into a reserve currency like the Euro, the Dollar or the Pound has financial privilege over 89% of the population born into weaker systems and that Bitcoin could help level the playing field.
The book covers stories of Bitcoin around the world from human rights activists opposing authoritarian regimes in Nigeria to the everyday struggles of a family in El Salvador.
Read: The Decentralized Financial Revolution: How DeFi Is Shaping The Future Of Money
4. Digital Gold – Nathaniel Popper
“Digital Gold” by Nathaniel Popper is a blow-by-blow account of the rise of Bitcoin told through the lenses of Satoshi Nakamoto and a few other central characters including the Winklevoss twins and a Chinese entrepreneur.
If you’ve ever thought about money and wondered what gives it value and wondered how it came about and where it will go, then “Digital Gold” would be the book for you.
5. The Cryptopians – Laura Shin
“The Cryptopians” by Laura Shin points down the historical journey behind the inception of Ethereum and all the hardships and drama endured by the founding members of crypto legends like Vitalik Buterin, Charles Hoskinson, Gavin Wood, Joe Lubin and more.
The book focuses more on the human aspects of Ethereum’s story and how its founders steer the early scenes of crypto to launch the second largest coin in history.
Definitely pick this up if you are interested in learning all the scoop behind Ethereum’s genesis story.
6. The Missing Cryptoqueen – Jamie Bartlett
The Missing Cryptoqueen is an account of the biggest crypto fraud in the world — the book follows the story of Dr. Ruja Ignatova, an Oxford-educated, self-styled cryptoqueen who promised a financial revolution to the world. By March 2017, more than $4 billion dollars had been invested in Ignatova’s OneCoin but the cryptoqueen herself vanished without a trace.
Read: Crypto Scams: Decentralization, Immutability and Anonymity Can Also Work Against You
7. Cryptoassets: The Innovative Investor’s Guide to Bitcoin and Beyond – Chris Burniske and Jack Tatar
“Cryptoassets: The Innovative Investor’s Guide to Bitcoin and Beyond” takes a look into crypto from an investor’s point of view delving deep into the many different types of crypto assets, coins, tokens, how to evaluate them, how to invest in them and most importantly, how to avoid getting scammed.
8. Bitcoin Money: A Tale of Bitville Discovering Good Money – Michael Caras
“Bitcoin Money” by Michael Caras may be a book for kids but it’s definitely great for adults especially for those who are just getting started in their crypto journey.
The book answers the burning question “Why Bitcoin?” and presents concepts of sound money and cryptocurrency in an easy to understand manner — if you’ve ever wondered how Bitcoin could ever be explained to a 5 year old, this is it.
9. Mastering Bitcoin – Andreas Antonopoulos OR Inventing Bitcoin – Yan Pritzker
“Mastering Bitcoin” by the famous Andreas is one of the go-to-reads for all things Bitcoin, but for the laymen who do not want to get bogged down by the technical details, “Inventing Bitcoin” by Yan Pritzker is the perfect alternative for those who have absolutely no idea what Bitcoin is or how it works.
This short book packs all you need to know about Bitcoin in fewer than 100 pages from the genesis of Bitcoin to the concepts around it and how exactly it’s different from the currencies we’re so used to.
10. The Infinite Machine: How an Army of Crypto-hackers Is Building the Next Internet with Ethereum – Camila Russo
“The Infinite Machine” by Camila Russo documents the story of Ethereum and all the trials that came with it during its inception — the book provides a deepest view on its chaotic beginnings all while delivering blockchain concepts in an easy to understand manner.
Final Thoughts
Let’s start the year right by reading at least one curated book from the list mentioned above. 2024 is going to be a bullish year after the halving cycle so we must make ourselves prepared. Happy reading!
Frequently Asked Questions
“The Bitcoin Standard” explores the economics and history of hard money tracing the evolution of currencies from ancient times to modern financial instruments. The book introduces the concept of Bitcoin and discusses its potential impact on various aspects of society.
“The Fiat Standard” examines the modern-day system of government-backed fiat money and its failures as well as the resulting effects on politics, society and the economy — presenting how Bitcoin could be the solution to these issues.
Yes. “Bitcoin Money: A Tale of Bitville Discovering Good Money” by Michael Caras explains the concept of sound money and cryptocurrency in an easy-to-understand manner explaining what Bitcoin is to a 5-year old.