This page last updated 13 October 2022
Crypto Must-Reads
If you’re trying to get your head around new cryptocurrency ideas and concepts see the books below. It’s a new field, and there still aren’t many published books to describe it. Since cryptocurrencies are developing so fast, I doubt that books are even the proper medium to get a real understanding of what is currently happening. But for the armchair warriors like me these books can concretize some of the ideas and introduce you to some of the main developers.
Books
Bitcoin is Venice – Allen Farrington and Sacha Meyers – A collection of essays about capitalism and Bitcoin.
The Infinite Machine by Camila Russo – Recounts the development of Ethereum, the ideas behind it, and what other projects it has made possible.
The Bitcoin Standard by Saifedean Ammous – Traces the history of currencies and examines how Bitcoin compares and its potential benefits as an independent store of value.
The Fiat Standard by Saifedean Ammous – Examines fiat currency as a technology and compares it to other currencies that exist. Attempts to tease out the effects of relying on a fiat monetary system.
The Cryptopians by Laura Shin – Explores the personalities and individuals who made up the team involved in the early development of Ethereum.
The Truth Machine by Michael J. Casey et Paul Vigna – Gives some real-life use cases that concretely explain some benefits of using verifiable and transparent blockchain technology.
Proof of Stake by Vitalik Buterin and Nathan Schneider – A collection of Buterin’s writings that illuminate his thoughts and values going back to 2014.
Whitepapers
Bitcoin Lightning Network Whitepaper
Websites
Vitalik Buterin’s site
Related Reading
Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order by Ray Dalio
The Sovereign Individual by James Dale Davidson and William Rees-Mogg
This list will get longer. Cryptocurrencies are still relatively new. Would you recommend anything else?