04 May Crypto Booklist For Newbies, Experts, And Everyone

These books are your guides for blockchain and cryptocurrency

– David Braue

Melbourne, Australia – May 4, 2022

The rise of cryptocurrency has rapidly added words and phrases like “stablecoin” “rug pulls,” ICOs and more to our vocabularies — and it has also spawned an explosion of books about Bitcoin, cryptocurrency, blockchain, NFTs, and the global implications of this new model of value exchange.

Yet as national governments embrace cryptocurrency as legal tender and a host of countries lay down regulatory frameworks to integrate crypto with existing financial systems, it’s clear that the concept isn’t going away — nor is the cybersecurity risk that has accompanied it.

Indeed, Cybersecurity Ventures has predicted, cryptocrime will cost the world $30 billion annually by 2025 — with increasing use of cryptocurrencies exposing a growing number of people to attacks on ever more-desirable crypto wallets, often with considerable impact on victims that can easily lose everything.

Everyone from rank beginners to seasoned professionals is being targeted — and that’s why it’s important to educate yourself not only about the potential benefits of crypto, but its downsides and the bigger picture in which it sits.

The best place to learn? Pick up a book.

There is a dizzying array of titles to choose from. Amazon, for example, lists over 30,000 books about Bitcoin — including titles explaining what it is and how it works; how about programming blockchain; how to program bitcoin; meditations on its role in the financial history of humankind; stories about Bitcoin investors; in-depth discussions about Bitcoin and blockchain security; and arguments about why the Bitcoin-led cryptocurrency boom has turned global reserve strategies on their heads.

There are audio books, too — including, for example, more than 950 titles related to cryptocurrency and over 900 titles that discuss DeFi and its implications for world financial systems.

Whatever your angle on cryptocurrency, there’s a good book — or a hundred — to fill out your understanding of this transformative technology. But how to choose from such an abundance of riches?

To help you get started on your cryptocurrency learning journey, we at Cybercrime Magazine have compiled a list of more than 30 titles across the spectrum of topics. Some are new, some are old, and some are timeless — and they’re presented below, with short summaries and links to the titles at Amazon so you can easily click through to fill out your knowledge.

CRYPTO BOOKLIST

• The Age of Cryptocurrency: How Bitcoin and Digital Money Are Challenging the Global Economic Order. Designed to demystify cryptocurrency, this 2016 book walks the reader through the key aspects of the cryptocurrency ecosystem and why they were predicted — correctly, as it turns out — to become a transformative force with global implications.
• Algorithms, Blockchain & Cryptocurrency: Implications for the Future of the Workplace. Algorithms, Blockchains, and cryptocurrency are influencing the future — not just in the cyber field, but in the way they will impact everyday citizens, reshape the economy, and ultimately change many aspects of people’s lives.
• American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road. The story of Ross Ulbricht, a young libertarian who envisioned a marketplace for people to buy and sell goods — mainly illegal goods — without fear of government oversight. But soon his envisioned marketplace, the Silk Road, raised the attention of law enforcement and the media. The ensuing chase and takedown has become the stuff of film legend, and introduced the world to the depths of the dark side of the internet.
• Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain: Bitcoin, Blockchain, Ethereum & Smart Contracts. Reviews the history of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies, as well as the reason blockchain has been rapidly embraced as the core of a new generation of transactional systems. The term cyber libertarianism is mentioned in the book — which means if you want to make a product and become rich, your product has to have, practical uses, simplicity, and be innovative.
• The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchain: An Introduction to Cryptocurrencies and the Technologies that Power Them. This entry-level book provides a simple explanation of cryptocurrencies, blockchain, and their role in the economy. It covers smart contracts, investing strategies, spotting and avoiding scams, and more.
• Bitcoin & Darknet: The Deep Dark Web. This book gives an in-depth overview of Bitcoin, particularly in terms of its role in darkweb transactions and the security issues that cryptocurrency introduces.
• Beyond Bitcoin Investing: Why Other Cryptocurrencies Are So Important And Easy To Make Digital Cash Now. Provides an overview of investments in Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies — including a discussion of why cryptocurrencies investments could pay off in the long run and could become a future monetary source.
• Bitcoin Billionaires: A True Story of Genius, Betrayal, and Redemption. Most people have heard of or watched the movie The Social Network, which explored the history of Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg and alleged co-creators Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss. They may have lost Facebook but the Winklevoss twins did bet big on Bitcoin — and this book follows their experiences. 
• Bitcoin Whales: Guys Who Fooled The World (Secrets and Lies in the Crypto World). Bitcoin has disrupted world financial markets, and this book explores the way that this disruption has been both caused by, and manipulated by, high-end investors that have come to dominate an extensive ecosystem that has been manipulated for personal gain. Here’s how they did it. 
• Blockchain Basics Bible: Non-Technical Beginner’s Introduction to Cryptocurrency: the Future of Crypto Technology-Non-Fungible Token (NFT). Enabled by blockchain, NFTs have exploded onto the market — but it can be hard to decide whether or not to invest. Yet there is no denying the appeal of NFTs and its underlying blockchain technology — so if you are serious about investing in crypto or NFTs, here’s what you need to know to avoid getting burnt. 
• The Blockchain Blueprint. Blockchain technologies are showing how innovative and powerful the technology can be for society and our future — if it’s developed and used properly. This book was written to educate people not only how to be a better crypto investor, but how to understand why Blockchain is poised to change established financial systems as we know them.
• Blockchain Bubble or Revolution: The Future of Bitcoin, Blockchains, and Cryptocurrencies. Is the development and rise of blockchain and crypto being overhyped, or is this just the beginning of something big? In this book you’ll read about the start of the blockchain and crypto revolution. The author will answer the questions that people may have about blockchain and crypto, whether you’re a potential investor or not. 
• The Blockchain Compass: Welcome to the World of Blockchain. Blockchain is most often understood as the basis for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies — but the technology is much bigger than that. Its decentralized model means it does not need to be regulated by a small number of people or governing body. This book explores the development of blockchain technology, and how the decentralized systems it creates offer advantages compared to the current model. 
• Blockchain Democracy: Technology, Law and the Rule of the Crowd. The author gives an overview of blockchain and bitcoin in the context of changing public attitudes towards governments — and the ways that technology is changing the practice of democracy. 
• Blockchain for Everyone: How I Learned the Secrets of The New Millionaire Class (And You Can, Too). Author John Hargrave gives this first-hand experience and knowledge on the rising market of blockchain and cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin. Written to appeal to beginners, the book is written in an accessible tone that steps the reader through the world of crypto investing and offers step-by-step instructions for using it to build wealth. 
• The Blockchain Future. This recent book takes a broad look at the modern world of cryptocurrency, blockchain, NFTs, and more — and explores the implications of a technology ecosystem that is rapidly reshaping financial systems and the Internet as the Web 3.0 era emerges.
• Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies is Changing the World. This cryptocurrency primer explains blockchain, crypto assets, ICOs, smart contracts, and more — and uses a non-technical tone that makes it accessible to introductory readers. Changes in technology are linked to the long-term impact that crypto is having on the world. 
• Blockchain Technology Explained: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide About Blockchain Wallet, Mining, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Zcash, Monero, Ripple, Dash, IOTA and Smart Contracts. Designed as a comprehensive guide to key cryptocurrencies and related topics, this book also talks about the cryptocurrency market, usefulness of blockchain in other applications, and the importance of understanding this rapidly-evolving ecosystem as it becomes fundamental to the global economy. 
• Blockchain: Technology Revolution: The next big thing to change everything and everyone. Blockchain may have become popular in the crypto field, but it’s becoming more popular in the tech world — providing fundamentally different ways of running a broad range of business processes. This book explains how blockchain can help businesses work more effectively, and how it provides a safer way to keep track of everything compared with conventional ledger-type systems.
• Blockchain: The Next Everything. Blockchain is a word that people have been hearing a lot but what is the hype about? This easy-to-read primer explains why the technology is important in cryptocurrencies and other applications, and how it has the potential to change and shape the future for the better.
• Blockchain Wars: The Future of Big Monopolies and the Blockchain Internet. Amidst all the hype about cryptocurrency and blockchain, today’s tech giants are engaging in a fierce battle to shape and control the new ecosystem they are creating. This book explores the many different players in the blockchain ecosystem — including tech entrepreneurs, government policymakers, cryptocurrency investors, business owners, and others — to draw out the dynamics of this secret war.
• Crypto Economy: How Blockchain, Cryptocurrency and Token-Economy are Disrupting the Financial World. A detailed look at the development and future of the crypto economy, told from the perspective of a legal and policy expert who walks through the ways that crypto-related technologies are disrupting financial institutions and changing commerce forever.
• Crypto Wars: Faked Deaths, Missing Billions and Industry Disruptions. As cryptocurrency grabs the general public’s imagination, it was inevitable that scammers and fraudsters would follow. This book traces the evolution and face of the most bizarre schemes concocted by the “biggest charlatans of crypto” — enriching themselves at the expense of anybody unfortunate enough to fall for their schemes. 
• The Cryptopians: Idealism, Greed, Lies, and the Making of the First Big Cryptocurrency Craze. A deep dive into the creation of Ethereum, this book explores the founding of the cryptocurrency network that allows users to launch their own coins — fueling the cryptocurrency market and providing new opportunities for the shrewd investors profiled within its pages. 
• The Dark Side Of Bitcoin: From The Mechanisms Of The Crypto-Currency To Its Criminal Employment in the Dark Web. An exploration of Bitcoin’s social, economic, financial, and political implications, this book also dives into cryptocurrencies’ association with darkweb criminals — and the long-term implications of an underground economy where Bitcoin is king.
• Decentralized Finance: How to Invest in DeFi: The future of Finance, Blockchains, and Cryptocurrencies. The heavily concentrated financial system’s 2008 implosion set the world’s financial markets into a period of recovery and reinvention — but as Bitcoin and blockchain steadily evolved during the same time, they have fueled a movement that has come to be known as DeFi — decentralised finance. This book explores the possibilities of DeFi systems, and the ways that they are set to change long-used financial systems for the long term.
• Digital Gold: Bitcoin and the Inside Story of the Misfits and Millionaires Trying to Reinvent Money. Just as remarkable as Bitcoin’s rise are the stories of the many colorful personalities that have concocted ways to turn the cryptocurrency into personal wealth, and a game-changing financial system. This book follows the evolution of Bitcoin from the perspective of a range of colorful characters.
• Kings of Crypto: One Startup’s Quest to Take Cryptocurrency Out of Silicon Valley and Onto Wall Street. Attempts to harness the growing popularity of Bitcoin have led to the founding of a broad range of cryptocurrency exchanges — and Coinbase is one of the biggest. This book traces the turbulent, often comedic and hacking-filled race to establish the exchange and bring Bitcoin into the mainstream. 
• Layered Money: From Gold and Dollars To Bitcoin and Central Bank Digital Currencies. Looking at Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies through the lens of a transformative financial instrument, this book places crypto within the pantheon of financial instruments — and considers how the introduction of central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) could turn centuries-old financial systems on their heads.
• Once a Bitcoin Miner: Scandal and Turmoil in the Cryptocurrency Wild West. From crypto investors to Bitcoin miners, this book explores cryptocurrency from the perspective of the wild characters that have fueled its popularity — including Ethereum’s co-founder and the man who allegedly taught blockchain to North Korea’s state-sponsored cybercriminals. 
• Operacion Bitcoins: Login to Hell. Uruguayan hacker Alberto Hill relays his own experiences being pursued by a judicial system that has not yet caught up with the fast-changing world of cryptocurrency. It is a timely cautionary tale about the ways modern technology challenges authorities’ long-held perceptions of justice and the law. 
• Out of the Ether: The Amazing Story of Ethereum and the $55 Million Heist That Almost Destroyed It All. For all the interest in Bitcoin, the Ethereum cryptocurrency has its own engrossing origin story. This book shares it, tracing the story of young creator Vitalik Buterin as he built an ecosystem around an idea to enable a different approach to smart currency — and the $55m heist that nearly killed the fledgling cryptocurrency’s chances. 
• The Truth About Crypto: A Practical, Easy-To-Understand Guide to Bitcoin, Blockchain, NFTs, and Other Digital Assets. A contemporary look at the state of blockchain and its adoption as the basis of the NFT, this book positions the technology as a fun read intended to not only lay down its path to the future, but to educate readers about investing for a future where the new technology will be instrumental for the long term.
• The Truth Machine: The Blockchain and the Future of Everything. The continuing evolution of blockchain has laid the foundations for a new world order — and this book explores how that new order will manifest in coming years, particularly in terms of its implications for fraud, privacy, identity protection, and the security implications as blockchain is adopted to transform all kinds of industries.

“It’s amazing to see how many books are out relating to cryptocurrencies, especially when considering it’s a relatively new field,” says Connor Morgan, the senior researcher at Cybercrime Magazine who selected the books on our list. “In the future, I expect more books and other sources to publish writings on the cryptocurrency field.”

– David Braue is an award-winning technology writer based in Melbourne, Australia.

Go here to read all of David’s Cybercrime Magazine articles.