Bitcoin is complex and understanding it takes a fair bit of research and practice. In this review I have selected what I think are the best Bitcoin books anyone wanting to learn about it should read.
The irony of Bitcoin is the more you know about it, the more you realise you still don’t know. It’s a deep rabbit hole, and one that will take you on a journey of monetary history, complex cryptography, decentralized networks and anonymous programmers.
There are many sources of excellent information for anyone who needs Bitcoin explained. Our own Bitcoin for Beginners library is perfect for anyone starting their Bitcoin journey, and there are some great podcasts to learn about Bitcoin, too.
Books have always been a great way to learn about something, and of course Bitcoin is no different. In this review, I have picked a varied approach to what I think are the best Bitcoin books.
I have personally read every book and highly recommend them all, but each one offers a different take on what I believe is the most exciting innovation of our lifetimes.
The Bitcoin Standard – The Most Popular Bitcoin Book
Arguably the best book on Bitcoin and the one that’s most recommend to people wanting to learn about Bitcoin.
The book covers the history of money, gold, economics, modern day central banking, before the author Saifedean Ammous even gets into Bitcoin.
The first part of the book goes through the history and formulation of money and currencies and implementation of the gold standard, and ultimately how economies don’t work when they’re not backed by sound money.
The author, Saifedean Ammous, does go a little too far and subjective at times. Such as claiming art made during times of the gold standard was better than any made since money came off the gold standard. And while some might agree this, it is a bit unnecessary. But that shouldn’t put you off what is a great book to learn about Bitcoin.
The book isn’t just about Bitcoin. It’s a historical monetary lesson and offers a thorough explanation of how governments have repeated and failed with their fiat currencies and recently the gold standard.
It all sets up a perfect scenario for why Bitcoin being the hardest money ever created will become the global reserve currency and why a Bitcoin Standard is necessary. This book is the most recommended book for an introduction Bitcoin, and as well as learning about Bitcoin, you will learn a lot more.
Mastering Bitcoin – The Best Book To Understand How Bitcoin Works
Mastering Bitcoin is a book by author Andreas Antonopoulos, a self-confessed nerd who didn’t sleep for days when he first discovered Bitcoin.
Antonopoulos is undoubtedly the person anyone getting into Bitcoin should research and watch as many of his presentations and listen to his podcasts, because nobody explains Bitcoin better than Andreas.
Mastering Bitcoin describes Bitcoin and how it works better than any other book on Bitcoin. It details all the important technicalities such as public and private keys, addresses, Bitcoin wallets and transactions, the importance of nodes and role of the Bitcoin miners.
It can get a bit technical at times as the book explains Bitcoin’s protocol and cryptography, and the average reader might have to look up some of the concepts, but it really is a good book to learn about Bitcoin.
In fact, Mastering Bitcoin is highly recommended to any developer wanting to learn how to build applications on the Bitcoin blockchain. But if you’re not a developer, don’t be put off, Andreas Antonopoulos explains Bitcoin in a beautiful way and this book is highly regarded for good reason.
There is no out and out best Bitcoin book, but once you’ve read Mastering Bitcoin you’ll have a much better grasp of how the Bitcoin protocol works.
Bitcoin Billionaires – The Most Fascinating Bitcoin Book
This is the fascinating story of twins Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss who made a bold move, when they invested much of the money they got from their out-of-court settlement from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
From the money they got from their Facebook payoff, the Winklevii intended to become Venture Capitalists, but with the clout Zuckerberg had in Silicon Valley, nobody would take their money.
The twins then discovered Bitcoin while on holiday on the Spanish rave island of Ibiza back when it was about $8 a BTC. After hearing about it, they did a deep dive into Bitcoin and decided to invest $10 million when Bitcoin was unknown to most people.
From the early days of 2012 via Silk Road and Mt. Gox to recent times and their Bitcoin Empire, this book tells of their story and how they have gone from this early Bitcoin “gamble” to become the first Bitcoin billionaires, and are now worth an estimated $6 billion.
This isn’t the best book to learn about Bitcoin, but you’ll learn about history surrounding the leading cryptocurrency and the fascinating story of two twins who took a chance and are now winning big time.
Why Buy Bitcoin – The Best Book On Bitcoin Investing
Why Buy Bitcoin: Investing Today in the Money of Tomorrow is one of the best books on Bitcoin investing. Author Andy Edstrom is a financial advisor and a well-known personality in the Bitcoin space.
The book does a great job of explaining the history and context of money, and how an economy based on debt makes Bitcoin the obvious antidote and the perfect investment and solution for society going forward.
Edstrom tells how Bitcoin’s network effect ensures its growth and value grows exponentially along with it, but even more importantly how and why Bitcoin is critical for humanity.
The author likens Bitcoin to other Internet native companies, such as AliBaba, Amazon and Google, but maintains it is likely to grow much bigger than said companies.
The book is written in an easy-to-understand tone and never gets too technical. It might not explain Bitcoin in a way that one needs to know how the protocol works but once read you will definitely have a better idea why Bitcoin is quickly becoming the investment of choice.
Bitcoin – Hard Money You Can’t F*ck With – The Best Book To Understand Bitcoin
Bitcoin – Hard Money You Can’t F*ck With is one of the best Bitcoin books for beginners. It explains Bitcoin and its importance in an easy and digestible form.
Written by entrepreneur and outspoken Bitcoin Maximalist Jason A. Williams, the book discusses Bitcoin and why it was created in the first place.
We love it so much, we have even created a Bitcoin – Hard Money You Can’t F*ck With Bitcoin t-shirt.
The book discusses Bitcoin’s history and how it was born out of the 2007/08 economic crisis. It also puts Bitcoin into the context of 2020 and how it has been the best performing asset since its inception.
Williams brings the state of the global economy into context and compares it historically. The way governments diluting their currencies in the past has ensured the death of every other fiat currency before.
But with Bitcoin being limited and scarce it makes it the hardest money ever created, and Williams claims it’s not to be f*cked with. This is why Bitcoin is seting itself up to become the next global reserve currency, which the author is convinced of.
Bitcoin: Hard Money You Can’t F*ck With offers a great place for anyone wanting to learn about the importance of Bitcoin. It’s not technical, and explains Bitcoin’s importance in today’s world. It is a great place to start your Bitcoin journey.
The Best Bitcoin Material For Avid Readers
Bitcoin is growing up. It has gone from being labelled magic Internet money, fraud, drug dealer’s money to the next reserve currency of the world.
Discovering Bitcoin will open up many other avenues for you. You will discover the importance of decentralized networks that nobody controls, cryptography, computer science, economics both contemporary and historically.
Finding the best Bitcoin book is a matter of choice. There are other books not mentioned well worth a read, but the five books covered in this review all offer a different take on Bitcoin and anyone who reads them will definitely learn a lot.
Whether you’re a programmer, an economist, an investor, or you’re new to it all and you’re intrigued by Bitcoin, there is something for you. But be warned: Bitcoin is a deep rabbit hole, and the deeper you go, the more avenues you’ll open up.
A Bitcoiner since 2017 and a Bitcoin Maximalist since 2018, Tommy is our main writer and editor at Bitcoin Maximalist. Other than researching and writing about Bitcoin, Tommy loves spending time with his family and supporting his beloved Leeds United.
