“Blockchain. How it works and what awaits us tomorrow,” Artem Genkin, Alexey Mikheev. "Digital Gold" by Nathaniel Popper

Books about Bitcoin are now extremely rare, given the speed with which events around this technology are developing. This is especially true for publications in Russian - there are none. Or rather, it wasn’t until now. Very soon the first book about Bitcoin in Russian will be published - “Bitcoin. More than money." The author of the book, entrepreneur Alex Fork, kindly agreed to give us an interview and tell us more about it.

website: Alex, how long have you been interested in cryptocurrencies and how do you like it? I got the idea to write a book about Bitcoin?

I have been interested in Bitcoin since it became known in Russia. When I learned about Bitcoin, I began to enthusiastically monitor all kinds of information sources, analyze data, and look for answers to the millions of questions I had. The information I found was so scattered and contradictory that I spent a lot of time systematizing everything I learned and understood about bitcoins, “sorting out” the information that needed understanding. And then I decided... to write this book. This was about a year ago.

CR: What is your book about and who is it aimed at?

This book is for a wide range of people. Both beginners and geeks will find interesting aspects for themselves. It touches on the historical development in the world, technical features, applicability in some theoretical financial hypotheses, anonymity analysis, a large number of diverse points of view. Also included are translations of reports on Bitcoin from organizations such as the FBI, the European Central Bank, the US Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Agency and hackers.

This book is a kind of quest. You can go through only the first level, read what you consider important and understandable, skipping highly specialized places with a clear conscience. Or you can rise higher by delving into the depths of this innovation and discovering all the facets of this multifaceted and multifaceted cryptocurrency.

The book is for those who are afraid to drown in the chaos of information available about them, for those who, on the contrary, lack information about cryptocurrency, for those who are skeptical and full of doubts about the future of bitcoins, but no matter which of the above categories the reader belongs to - This book is for those who need to know today what tomorrow will be like.

CR: What is the progress and what stage is your book at?

CR: When will it be possible to read it?

In July we are ready to give you the first collectible copy :)

CR: What problems did you encounter? Do you need any help?

There are enough obstacles on the way. There is a problem of how to end up on the shelves of large online bookstores. Need help promoting and financing a large print run under the brand of a reputable publishing house. There are already worked out agreements: 860 thousand rubles are needed in order to appear on the shelves in almost all major bookstores and chains. These investments will bring 100% profit when the entire circulation is sold. Of course, we are investing our money and are going to be very active in promoting not only offline. According to our estimate, the number of people interested in Bitcoin in Russia reaches 3 million people at the moment, so our goal is to sell 50 thousand copies in the Russian-speaking space. We prepared a promotion program. Therefore, if anyone is interested in taking part in this project, we are glad to cooperate.

CR: How and in what form will your book be distributed?

For the first time, the book combines such a set of cutting-edge interactive, informational and stylistic solutions. It uses QR codes formed from links in order to avoid typing them manually: to read them you will need to install a special application on your phone, such as QR Code Reader and, of course, you will need an Internet connection.

CR: Are any publishers already interested?

We have not yet received a positive decision from the publishers. At the moment we are implementing everything ourselves.

We thank Alex Fork for this interview and hope that his book will appear on the shelves of our bookstores. If you want to help Alex realize his idea, you can send him donations to this Bitcoin wallet:

1JwkMP7eoqjg5rEG3vGuub8h5k3orPkpTf

When recently one of our colleagues, while communicating, began to retell the book “Digital Gold” by Nathaniel Popper, which he read on vacation, we immediately realized that we had missed a very important and interesting topic in our blog - books, that’s what we’ll talk about today. At Wirex, we provide blockchain-based banking services. We get many of our ideas from books, not only about business, but also from books about blockchain.

Next, we will present to you, in our opinion, the most complete selection of excellent books about the distributed registry and the digital currency created on its basis - from its origins to hypotheses about the “new economic reality”. The rating is based on reader reviews, our personal experience, the popularity of the books and their topics. It contains works designed for both a professional audience and inexperienced users. The selection includes books published in 2014 and later.

Russian-language publications

1. Digital Gold. The incredible story of Bitcoin or how idealists and businessmen are reinventing money

The book by New York Times journalist Nathaniel Popper gained great popularity and was highly praised by readers around the world. Digital Gold was included in the list of the best business books of 2015 in the Financial Times ranking. In it, the author talks about how the idea of ​​​​creating a Bitcoin payment system, initially interesting only to a small group of enthusiasts, gradually attracted the attention of the whole world. This story involves the most unexpected characters: a Finnish student and an Argentine millionaire, a failed physicist who became an online drug lord, playboy twins who sued the head of Facebook, special agents, US senators, and of course, the founding father of Bitcoin himself, known under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto.

The book is not overloaded with technical details and is intended for a wide audience. You can read the introduction and the first chapter. You can purchase the Russian version of the publication on Ozon or Combook. Original book: “Digital Gold: Bitcoin and the Inside Story of the Misfits and Millionaires Trying to Reinvent Money” is available in most Western stores.

“In 1994, it was very difficult to know who exactly would be the big players on the Internet in the future. Companies that were large at that time disappeared over time, and most of the currently large companies did not appear for a long time. That's why I wrote this book as a history of technology. This is an attempt to look at how Bitcoin got to where it is and who played an important role in it,” explains the author.

2. Bitcoin. More than money

Alex Fork is the chairman of Blockchain.community, an association that popularizes technology in Russia. In the book “Bitcoin. More than money,” the author describes the history of the development of Bitcoin and its spread in the world, provides technical features, discusses its applicability in some theoretical financial hypotheses, analyzes anonymity, talks about the development of cryptocurrency mining, the ban on Bitcoin in Russia and regulation in other countries, risks and distributed network security and much more. The book also contains translations of reports on bitcoin from the European Central Bank, the FBI, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Administration of the US Treasury Department, a large number of comments from various experts, and even stories from hackers.

"Bitcoin. More than money" received a lot of positive reviews. The book is easy to read and suitable for both experienced professionals and beginners. In some places the book resembles a workbook where you can make notes, draw, and paste in applications. Instead of links that the author recommends for study, the pages contain QR codes and even an NFC tag.

Theories, legal aspects, technical details

1. Mastering Bitcoin: Unlocking Digital Cryptocurrencies

Andreas sits on the boards of several Bitcoin startups. Founded his own Bitcoin business in London, New York and California, launched several Open-Source projects. He has extensive experience working in various companies as technical director and IT director.

His book does not teach how to develop or earn digital currency; it only helps to understand the principles of blockchain using the example of the Bitcoin payment system and other cryptocurrencies.

The first two chapters of Mastering Bitcoin: Unlocking Digital Cryptocurrencies cover key concepts about digital currency and the basics of cryptography and are aimed primarily at inexperienced users, investors and business leaders seeking to better understand Bitcoin. The remaining parts contain a description of the technical details of how Bitcoin works with examples of business cases and are intended for professional developers, engineers, system administrators and other technically savvy people who want to understand the operation of the popular network. The book will also be useful for Bitcoin entrepreneurs and higher education students studying digital currencies.

2. Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin is Changing Money, Business, and the World

Blockchain Revolution was written by father and son, Don and Alex Tapscott. Don is the CEO of Tapscott Group and one of the most influential theorists in the United States, known as the author of Wikinomics, The Digital Economy, which describes the new economic reality, and dozens of other popular works on technology, business and society. Alex Tapscott is the CEO of Northwest Passage Ventures, a venture capital fund that specializes in the development of blockchain projects.

"Blockchain Revolution" describes scenarios for using blockchain in everyday life. The main idea of ​​the book is that distributed ledger technology can not only influence the development of the global financial system, but also contribute to the development of business related to copyright. For example, musicians, writers, designers will be able to receive royalties directly to their digital wallets.

“The purpose of the book is to demonstrate to companies, industry and society as a whole the opportunities for successful development, competitiveness and social justice. This is a book about how the second generation of the Internet (based on blockchain technologies) can change civilization for the better,” the Tapscotts summarize.

3. The Age of Cryptocurrency: How Bitcoin and the Blockchain Are Challenging the Global Economic Order

Michael Casey and Paul Vigna are journalists for The Wall Street Journal. Casey already has two books to his credit: “Che's Afterlife: The Legacy of an Image,” which, according to the American critic Michiko Kakutani, became one of the best books of 2009, and “The Unfair Trade: How Our Broken Financial System Destroys the Middle Class". This is also not the first experience for Vigna; in 2013, he released the book "Big Brother and Cellphone Girl".

In the book “The Age of Cryptocurrency,” Casey and Vigna tried to dispel fears associated, for example, with the instability of the Bitcoin exchange rate, its anonymity, non-state backing of the currency, etc. Journalists explained the origin of cryptocurrency, its functions and told what you need to know in order to navigate the new economic reality.

Michael Casey and Paul Vigna are careful to note that while public awareness of cryptocurrency has increased, it remains a niche product. At the same time, they advocate turning Bitcoin into a mass phenomenon, especially in those regions that until recently were cut off from the modern financial system, such as Afghanistan and some countries in Africa, Central and South America.

4. Blockchain: Blueprint for a New Economy

The author of the book, Melanie Swan, is a professor of philosophy and the founder of the Institute for Blockchain Studies, an independent organization that studies ways to use a distributed registry. Swan decided to write this book when she realized that blockchain was a technology that went far beyond digital currency, smart contracts and automated decentralized applications, and that blockchain meant a whole new era of the Internet. In it, the author talks about the work of a decentralized digital registry and describes three “generations” of blockchain - 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 - the Bitcoin blockchain, the smart contracts blockchain and the so-called “blockchain of everything” - a system in which information about any object.

As Melanie herself says, this is certainly not “bitcoin for dummies.” The book will be useful to anyone who wants to understand the principles of the distributed registry and the possibilities of its application in real life. You can read the text of the book.

5. The Ultimate Bitcoin Business Guide: For Entrepreneurs & Business Advisors

Kirk first learned about Bitcoin in late 2013 when a friend approached him for advice, saying, “My husband and I want to invest $800 in a computer to mine Bitcoin and make some money. What do you think?”, to which he replied: “I don’t know anything about Bitcoin, let’s talk about it later.” Phillips, as a passionate fan of new knowledge, immediately began studying cryptocurrency. He was so carried away that 2 years later he became one of the few qualified business consultants on cryptocurrencies and published his own bitcoin business directory “The Ultimate Bitcoin Business Guide”, in which he collected the information he received and 15 years of experience in working with public reporting and business. Kirk is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). He has launched several businesses, including invizibiz.biz.

Bitcoin will change the financial sector just as the Internet changed commerce. It will set new rules of the game for global business, create conditions for organizational reforms and weed out those players who are not able to adapt to new conditions. We are on the threshold of a new, exciting “era” that comes once every 500 years, the author writes in his book.

6. Value Web

Chris Skinner is best known as an independent financial markets commentator on theFinanser and chairman of the European forum The Financial Services Club, which he founded in 2004. Skinner is the author of DigitalBank and a dozen other books. “Value Web” is his most recent work.

The next generation of the Internet, the Internet of Things, cannot work without the Internet of Value or ValueWeb, a network that stores information about all tangible and intangible values. It can be built with only 2 components - a mobile device with Internet access and blockchain technology. What will the ValueWeb generation bring to financial institutions, government and society? The book answers this question. Value Web will help provide insight into a future where cash and in-kind transfers happen instantly, via mobile and digital networks.

7. The Business Blockchain: a Primer on the Promise, Practice and Application of the Next Internet Technology

William Mugayar is an American publicist, entrepreneur, investor, startup mentor and business consultant to a number of large companies. William is an expert in blockchain technology, decentralization and peer-to-peer networks. His book The Business Blockchain presents technology as a catalyst for change. The author describes a future that is being shaped by fundamental changes brought about by the development of blockchain technology, a future in which all processes, be it business or otherwise, will move to the blockchain. According to William, blockchain technology can remove many restrictions and teach us to think differently.

8. The Science of the Blockchain

Roger Wottenhofer is a professor in the field of information technology, teaching at the ETH Zurich. His research interests include fault-tolerant distributed systems, efficient network algorithms, and cryptocurrencies. The professor has more than 250 scientific articles.

“The Science of the Blockchain” is written in scientific language and is intended for a technically savvy audience. Wottenhofer's book presents basic techniques for building fault-tolerant distributed systems, as well as various protocols and algorithms that allow error-tolerant operations. The author provides an overview of several systems that use such techniques.

9. Blockchain Contracts and Cyberlaw

This book is dedicated to describing the concept of “smart” contracts, their features and possible risks of working with blockchain. There are a large number of legal, policy and regulatory issues associated with smart contracts. "Blockchain Contracts and Cyberlaw" author Pavan Dugal, an expert in the field of "cyber law", looks at the most important of them.

10. “Decentralized Applications: Harnessing Bitcoin's Blockchain Technology” 1st edition; Siraj Raval; 150 pp.; 2016

11. “The Book Of Satoshi: The Collected Writings of Bitcoin Creator Satoshi Nakamoto”; Phil Champagne; 396 pp.; 2014

12. “Wildcat Currency: How the Virtual Money Revolution Is Transforming the Economy Hardcover”; Edward Castronova; 288 pp.; 2014

13. “Are Bitcoins Ownable?: Property Rights, IP Wrongs, and Legal -Theory Implications”; Konrad S. Graf; 92 pp.; 2015

14. “Black Market Cryptocurrencies: The rise of Bitcoin alternatives that offer true anonymity”; Will Martin; 156 pp.; 2014

15. “Bitcoin: A Primer for Policymakers”; Jerry Brito, Andrea Castillo; 118 pp.; 2016

16. “Bitcoin, blockchain, cryptocurrency, cryptology” (A detailed and technical study of Bitcoin, blockchain, cryptocurrency, and cryptology); Jeremy Clark; 499 pp.; 2016

17. “Beyond Bitcoin: The Economics of Digital Currencies”; Hanna Halaburda, Miklos Sarvary; 186 pp.; 2016

18. "Becoming Satoshi"; 1BTK2pXSxLeQMnZprjco7n5qANqFfDrNR5; 182 pp.; 2014

19. “The Law of Bitcoin”; Jerry Brito et al.; 228 pp.; 2015

20. “Bitcoin Programming”; Mostafa Farghaly; 174 pp.; 22014

Basics of cryptography, blockchain and digital currencies

1. Blockchain: The Simple Guide To Everything You Need To Know

Jacob William's book describes the basics of blockchain, explains why blockchain is so important, how this technology will change the financial sector, and gives long-term forecasts. “Blockchain: The Simple Guide To Everything You Need To Know” is written in simple, accessible language and is intended for a non-professional audience. If you are familiar with blockchain technology, you are unlikely to be interested, but for others, the book can be a good guide.

2. Bitcoin: Mastering Bitcoin & Cyptocurrency for Beginners - Bitcoin Basics, Bitcoin Stories, Dogecoin, Reinventing Money & Other Digital Currencies

The author talks about what cryptocurrency is, how it differs from traditional currencies, how Bitcoin earned its popularity, as well as about mining Bitcoin and other digital currencies (Litecoin, Dogecoin and others), about investing in cryptocurrency and about some of the nuances associated with the taxation of virtual currencies The book is intended for a non-professional audience and allows beginners to quickly understand the basic concepts associated with cryptocurrency.

3. Bitcoin Basics: 101 Questions and Answers

If you've heard about Bitcoin but don't know what it is, this book is for you. In it, Eric Sammons - writer, developer, author of several books - told what Bitcoin is, how it was created, talked about the advantages of using cryptocurrency, the technical and economic advantages of Bitcoin, can the Bitcoin network be hacked, will cryptocurrency replace fiat money.

4. Bitcoin Pandemonium: The Ongoing Economic, Public, and Legal Debate over the Nature and Impact of Bitcoin

Nicholas Venker, a graduate of the University of Texas Law, serves on the editorial boards of several prominent legal journals. Specializes in financial regulation and business law. In the book "Bitcoin Pandemonium", the author provides a comprehensive overview of the Bitcoin network - from its origins to the events of 2014 (when the book was published), focusing on the legal regulation of virtual currencies. The book contains many sources from which readers can obtain additional information.

5. “The Bitcoin Bible”; Benjamin Guttmann; 436 pp.; 2014

6. “What's the Big Deal About Bitcoin?”; Steve Patterson; 92 pp.; 2015

7. “Great Chain of Numbers: a Guide to Smart Contracts, Smart Property and Trustless Asset Management”; Tim Swanson; 231 pages, 2014

8. “The Bitcoin Big Bang: How Alternative Currencies Are About to Change the World”; Brian Kelly; 240 pp.; 2014

9. “The Bitcoin Tutor: Unlocking the Secrets of Bitcoin”; Marc A. Carignan; 148 pp.; 2014

10. “The Case For Bitcoin: Why JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon Is Dead Wrong - And Why Bitcoin Is The Greatest “Store of Value” Ever Invented in Human History”; Mark Jeffrey; 57 pp.; 2015

11. All About Bitcoin Guide & Handbook: “BTC”; Ron Legarski; 43 pages; 2015

Recently, the demand for Bitcoin has increased sharply. Understanding the features of this currency and how to earn it without any methodological literature is incredibly difficult. The consumer wants to get acquainted with publications that would fully and clearly explain all the nuances of the work.

The bulk of works on this issue belong to English-language authors, which makes it possible to become familiar with the original language of most books without any particular difficulties. For those who have difficulty with English, the volume of books is significantly reduced and is represented by only a few books.

Nathaniel Popper Digital Gold. The incredible story of Bitcoin or how idealists and businessmen are reinventing money

This book is considered one of the best at the moment. The author tried to talk about Bitcoin from the perspective of someone who knows nothing about cryptocurrencies, which is the unrivaled advantage of this book. In the book, Popper tried to describe on a large scale the process of the emergence of Bitcoin and its features.

According to readers, the book is quite easy and fast to read, and its material is useful for people who know nothing about Bitcoin.

True, if you have an economic or financial education, then it will be much easier for you to perceive the information; otherwise, you may need additional literature, or, in extreme cases, a reference book that will help explain the necessary material.

Alex Fork Bitcoin. More than money

The second book written in Russian that can be found on our literature market is Alex Fork’s work “Bitcoin. More than money."

This work is also intended for people just starting their acquaintance with Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. A huge plus of this book is that it contains a lot of different practical tips from various hackers and experts. You can also read reports on the development and impact of Bitcoin from the European Central Bank.

In the book, along with the theory about the emergence and development of Bitcoin, you can find useful QR codes.

Bitcoin for dummies

In 2017, Prypto publishing house published a book that helps you understand the features of working with Bitcoin. Here you can find answers to questions such as: how did Bitcoin come about? How to buy and store bitcoins? How to earn bitcoins? There are 14 chapters in total - the first is introductory and talks about the theoretical aspects of the functioning of Bitcoin.

The following explain the features of interaction with Bitcoin. A separate chapter of the book is devoted to bitchain. The book also contains a chapter from which you can learn about the peculiarities of taxation of such earnings and the legal regulation of Bitcoin in the world. In addition, you can deepen your knowledge by reading the chapter that talks about other cryptocurrencies and even familiarize yourself with the main online resources.

Alex Preukschat, Josep Busquet, Jose Angel Ares Bitcoin. Graphic novel about cryptocurrency

This work is able to interest the reader with its manner of presenting information - the book is written in the form of a comic book, which is more interesting to the reader. The work contains little information about the practical side of working with Bitcoin. The information is focused mainly around the personality of Satoshi Nakamoto and his achievements in the field of cryptocurrencies. In addition, it contains standard information about the history and development of Bitcoin.

Reviews from readers about this book are the most mixed and radically divided. Some of the readers were delighted with the comic and found it informative and useful. Others, on the contrary, found it a little informative, especially for people who know nothing about Bitcoin.

Ruslan Akst. 7 secrets of Bitcoin, or Bitcoin in an hour

Compared to other books, this work can literally introduce in an hour the basic concepts, history of the emergence and development of Bitcoin - it is significantly inferior in volume - only 44 pages.

This book will be useful to people taking their first steps in getting to know Bitcoin. It can be recommended as an informational start, but it does not contain practical advice and various life hacks.

Yuri Kozak. Bitcoin on autopilot. Or how to make money on cryptocurrency

Andreas M. Antonopoulos Mastering Bitcoin: Unlocking Digital Cryptocurrencies

This is where Russian-language books end. Those wishing to get acquainted with additional literature on the issue of interest will have to turn to English-language publications.

Andreas's work is useful because it contains both a practical and theoretical part. The first chapters talk about the emergence and features of the development of Bitcoin.

Paul Vigna, Michael Casey. The Age of Cryptocurrency: How Bitcoin and the Blockchain Are Challenging the Global Economic Order

The work of journalists Paul Vigna and Michael Casey is connected not only with the history of the emergence and development of Bitcoin, but also talks about the peculiarities of the cryptocurrency exchange rate. The authors help budding entrepreneurs navigate course jumps. Another advantage of the book is that it also contains information about bitchain and some of the features of working with this currency.

Kirk David Phillips. The Ultimate Bitcoin Business Guide: For Entrepreneurs & Business Advisors

Kirk also has experience personally using and making money with Bitcoin, which makes his work practical and useful. His acquaintance with Bitcoin began in 2013. After 2 years, he significantly increased his knowledge in this matter and soon became one of the significant experts in this matter.

Kirk's work puts the value of cryptocurrency into perspective from the perspective of a certified public accountant with 15 years of experience in the accounting industry.

Siraj Raval. Decentralized Applications: Harnessing Bitcoin's Blockchain Technology

This book, like most books devoted to this issue, contains theoretical information and a practical part. Rawal invites readers to explore the decentralized market OpenBazaar and consider two examples of successful dapps.

In general, the book helps to study the features in such moments as:

Phil Champagne. The Book Of Satoshi: The Collected Writings of Bitcoin Creator Satoshi Nakamoto

The name Phil Champagne is known primarily as a director of Wren Investment Group, LLC, whose activities are related to real estate investing. His acquaintance with Bitcoin began in 2012 and was quite successful.

The book he wrote allows us to consider the basics of creating Bitcoin, allows us to reconsider the concept of currency and money in general, and learn the basics of how cryptographic systems work

The work includes:

• Letters from Satoshi Nakamoto;
• Bitcoin Basics Presented in Lyman's Terms;
• Information to learn about the potential of Bitcoin and its impact on economic development.

According to reader reviews, this is a book that is useful and necessary for beginners. The author presents information in an accessible form, which allows you to understand the features of working with Bitcoin.

Konrad S. Graf. Are Bitcoins Ownable?: Property Rights, IP Wrongs, and Legal-Theory Implications

The main informative potential of the book is related to information about the impact of Bitcoin on the economy. In addition, the book contains information about the technical aspects of working with Bitcoin and the legal framework regarding the functioning of these currencies. The book examines issues of ownership and how they apply to Bitcoin. Overall, the book has a high rating on the topic of cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin in particular, and reader reviews are extremely satisfactory.

Will Martin. Black Market Cryptocurrencies: The rise of Bitcoin alternatives that offer true anonymity

This book helps you understand the principles of working with Bitcoin in general, understand the market and the peculiarities of its functioning. According to reader reviews, this book is very useful for beginners and helps them decide where to start and how to properly organize their work on this issue.

Mostafa Farghaly. Bitcoin Programming

This book is about setting up a Bitcoin server. Here you can find information about Bitcoin interoperability via JSON-RPC libraries. Materials are provided for testing Bitcoin applications on the testnet, working with the Bitcoin –regtest mode, and creating addresses with multiple M-of-N signals. The book also contains a lot of information about working with wallets: unlocking and blocking, importing and copying.

Kyle Honeycutt. Building Bitcoin Websites: A Beginner’s Guide to Bitcoin Focused Web Development

This book is a crash course in learning how to create and develop web applications using the peer-to-peer cryptocurrency, Bitcoin.

Like most books, this work begins with an introductory theoretical course on Bitcoin. Next, the reader is encouraged to become familiar with coding HTML, CSS, JavaScript and PHP. This book is intended for beginners and web developers without significant knowledge in the industry. It contains many step-by-step instructions. As a result, the reader will be able to learn the method by creating real working applications, as well as dynamic websites, a store that accepts Bitcoin, and even his own Bitcoin game.

Jerry Brito. Et Al The Law of Bitcoin

This book covers topics such as the intersection of crypto-currency and criminal law, taxation, money laundering and counterterrorism finance regulations, securities law, consumer protection, negotiable instruments, foreign exchange law, and financial regulation. It is based on the legal framework of countries such as Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. Bitcoin Law will be the leading resource and text for those who want to understand the basics of how the law affects cryptocurrency, and for those in the legal community seeking complex answers to more complex questions.

Hanna Halaburda. Beyond Bitcoin: The Economics of Digital Currencies

In this book, the authors present a framework that will allow a systematic analysis of cryptocurrencies in general and Bitcoin in particular. They predict further development of the functions of digital currencies and competition in the market. The book is devoid of the practical part of working with Bitcoin, but this does not diminish its importance and significance in the role of analysis and systematization of knowledge and Bitcoin.

Tim Harris Bitcoin: Mastering Bitcoin & Cyptocurrency for Beginners - Bitcoin Basics, Bitcoin Stories, Dogecoin, Reinventing Money & Other Digital Currencies.

This book analyzes Bitcoin and its advantages over other cryptocurrencies. The author tries to explain why among the many cryptocurrencies, Bitcoin has become the most popular. The work also raises questions about the legal side of working with Bitcoin. In general, the book will be useful for beginners and people taking their first steps in studying cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin in particular.

Eric Sammons. Bitcoin Basics: 101 Questions and Answers

This book does not contain a practical part. In it we can find information about the historical aspects of the emergence and development of Bitcoin. The author reflects on the nature of this currency and its pros and cons. In addition, the work contains information about hacking Bitcoin networks and the real possibility of doing so.

Nicholas L. Wenker. Bitcoin Pandemonium: The Ongoing Economic, Public, and Legal Debate over the Nature and Impact of Bitcoin

This book also contains a foreword by Scott Robinson and an afterword by Michael Rog. This work is devoted to a historical cross-section of the issue of Bitcoin and tells about the history of its emergence and operating features until 2014.

Benjamin Guttmann The Bitcoin Bible Gold Edition

This is a fairly lengthy book - more than 400 pages. It contains information about the theoretical aspects of the functioning of bitcoins, the essence of this currency and its capabilities in the global market. Readers have voted this book as one of those time-saving books in learning about Bitcoin and its distribution aspects.

Steve Patterson. What's the Big Deal About Bitcoin?

Reviewed by Isaac Morehouse, CEO of Praxis. This is a theoretical work explaining the basics of Bitcoin, its popularity and significance. At its core, it is designed for those new to the industry to help them understand the basics of cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin. Enthusiasts often claim that the technology is invincible and perfect; this is wrong. To clearly understand Bitcoin, you must know the real issues. Some of them are discussed in the book, for example, what will happen to cryptocurrency after 2141, the problem of frequent attacks.

Tim Swanson. Great Chain of Numbers: A Guide to Smart Contracts, Smart Property and Trustless Asset Management

This book ranks quite high in the ranking of all books on the theoretical aspects of the functioning of Bitcoin, it is considered one of those that should be read by anyone interested in working with Bitcoin. And answers numerous questions about the work of decentralized autonomous organizations. The book provides excellent insight into many of the leading thinkers and actors in the cryptocurrency space: Adam Levine, Nick Szabo, Vitalik Buterin, Mike Hearn.

Brian Kelly. The Bitcoin Big Bang: How Alternative Currencies Are About to Change the World

"Bitcoin Big Bang" is a guide to navigating the uncharted territory of digital currency, written by CNBC contributor Brian Kelly. Readers gain insight into the mechanisms behind Bitcoin and an expert perspective on the digital currency's impact on the future of money and the economic implications of the Bitcoin revolution. The reader has the opportunity to explore the origins of digital currency, study the history and evolution of payment systems. The decentralized Bitcoin network is set to revolutionize the business world, the legal profession, and even the role of government, and this is why there is a need to gain the necessary knowledge about this process.

Ben Isgur. Bitcoin in Brief

Most people don't know or understand much about the decentralized peer-to-peer cryptocurrency network. This book is designed to explain what Bitcoin is and its real capabilities. The author provides a lot of information on how and where you can buy and sell Bitcoin, as well as where you can shop with it. He has compiled quite a bit of material about competing crypto competitions and discussed the pros and cons of each compared to Bitcoin.

Mark Jeffrey. The Case For Bitcoin: Why JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon Is Dead Wrong - And Why Bitcoin Is The Greatest ‘Store of Value’ Ever Invented In Human History!

Marketing expert Mark Jeffrey makes the case for what Bitcoin really means: how it will disrupt banking and other industries, and why it is the world's most "valuable" invention. According to the author, the very concept of what we consider “money” should soon change radically. This book will tell you what this means and what will change in the coming years.

Ron Legarski. All About Bitcoin Guide & Handbook

The book provides a basic reference and overview on the creation of the digital cryptocurrency system Bitcoin. At its core, it is a quick look at the formation and future of digital currency as it is accepted by merchants around the world. According to reader reviews, this is a book that, without exaggeration, can tell everything about Bitcoin from A to Z in 43 pages.

Conrad Barski. Bitcoin for the Befuddled

From this book you can learn about what Bitcoin is; how it works; and how to purchase, store and spend Bitcoin safely and securely. It also contains information about the underlying cryptographic principles of Bitcoin and how Bitcoin was created, the history of Bitcoin and its potential impact on trading. The author helps you navigate the issue of choosing a Bitcoin wallet that is safe and easy to use. Explains the principle of working with Bitcoin as payment in a store or on a website.

Brett Combs. Bitcoin Decoded: Bitcoin Beginner’s Guide to Mining and the Strategies to Make Money with Cryptocurrencies

This book answers the following questions: What is Bitcoin? How does Bitcoin work? How do you get Bitcoin? How to make money with Bitcoin? How is Bitcoin created? The publication is designed for beginner users of the Bitcoin currency and is built on the principle of increasing technical terms, which allows you to assimilate information gradually and not get confused in a variety of terms and concepts. The latest edition also contains interviews with the most famous crypto gamers: Charlie Lee, Stan Larimer, Sunny King.

Bruce Kleinman. The Bitcoin Tutorial: Develop an intuitive understanding of the currency and blockchain technology

This book can be described as a unique approach to fully understanding Bitcoin. Like most books, this work begins with an explanation of modern cryptography. Each concept presented in the book is explained from first principles, building on previous material. The Bitcoin Tutorial is written for a wide range of readers, from the intellectually curious to the tech-savvy: new users deciding when and how to get started, existing users wanting to gain more knowledge and confidence.

Dr. Neeraj Oak. Virtual Currencies – From Secrecy to Safety: The Evolving Landscape in the Bitcoin Era

The debate over whether virtual currencies are truly disrupting the world of financial services still rages, and governments around the world have yet to clearly define whether virtual currencies are legal or desirable.

This book provides a comprehensive guide to virtual currencies, looking at them from the perspective of bankers, financial services companies, telecommunications providers, merchants, governments and consumers.

In this book you can find answers to the following questions: How do virtual currencies work? Are virtual currencies just a fad or do they have a longer-term role? What do they mean for financial services, merchants and consumers? How will they affect the global economy? Who will benefit from the virtual currency revolution? What makes a virtual currency successful?

Yvonne Jenkins. Bitcoin: Millionaire Maker or Monopoly Money?

You'll find everything you need to know about Bitcoin here, whether you're planning to buy, mine, or receive money in Bitcoin. This book explains what Bitcoin is and explores how to use and trade it. All material is divided into thematic categories. From this book you will learn about the history of Bitcoin, how Bitcoin cryptocurrency works, how to buy Bitcoin, how to make money in Bitcoin, how to mine Bitcoin. This contains information about the most secure online wallets, as well as answers to the question: how to use online and offline wallets for maximum security.

This book is relevant for both Bitcoin beginners and those looking for more detailed information about Bitcoin mining and investing.

Benjamin Tides. Bitcoin Trading and Investing: A Complete Beginners Guide to Buying, Selling, Investing and Trading Bitcoins

This book will teach you everything you need to know about how to start investing in digital currency. How exactly does this cryptocurrency work? Where Bitcoin is used and accepted. The book also contains sections on buying, selling and investing in bitcoins.

To summarize: the reader is provided with a wide selection of literature on the emergence, development and functioning of Bitcoin. Unfortunately, the bulk of existing literature has not been translated into Russian, which introduces its own difficulties in understanding it, but purchasing books in both Russian and English does not create difficulties. Most books are provided only from a theoretical point of view and lack practical exercises to test your skills, but reading them is also important because it allows you to organize your work in this system and predict its results.

5 (100%) 4 votes

German Gref and Oleg Tinkov say that there will be no banks soon. This is due to cryptocurrencies and blockchain. Blockchain not only destroys the modern banking system, but also protects your information. Therefore, we advise you to learn more about this technology.

What is blockchain?

Blockchain is a technology that was created to protect bitcoins and cryptocurrency. It is like a notebook in which all transactions are recorded. Hackers could hack and change such records, but it won’t work - they are stored simultaneously on hundreds, or even thousands of computers. What’s also interesting is that information stored in the block chain (blockchain) is available for reading. Thus, it is easy to view it, but it will not be possible to change it.

German Gref, businessmen, professors and developers see the opportunity to use blockchain not only to support cryptocurrency. Technology has the ability to keep information open and unchangeable. This means that through it you can secure copyright and property rights without fear of losing them.

Books about blockchain and cryptocurrencies

It is difficult to understand how blockchain works the first time. This technology is written very comprehensively in this article on Habré, we recommend reading it. If you want to understand the issue in more detail, read one or more books from this list. Most of them, unfortunately, are in English - European and American specialists are most successful in this matter. However, translation into Russian will soon be possible.

Alex Fork. "Bitcoin. More than money"

This is the second book in Russian. Alex Fork popularizes cryptocurrencies in Russia, and he is also the chairman of the Blockchain.community organization. The book contains the history of the development of Bitcoin, details of its application and distribution, and technical details. The author also talks about the ban on the next generation currency in Russia and legal aspects in other countries. Translations of reports from the FBI, the European Bank and other financial regulatory organizations are even provided.

The book is easy to read, for which it has received a lot of praise and is widely distributed in Russia. It resembles a working notebook where you can make notes, make notes and appliqués. And instead of recommended links, the author made QR codes and an NFC tag. Perfect for those new to this topic.

Nathaniel Popper. “Digital Gold. The incredible story of Bitcoin or how idealists and businessmen are reinventing money"

“Digital Gold” - the history of the emergence and development of Bitcoin. The author wondered how the idea of ​​​​creating a new payment system received such enormous development, and what preceded it. A detailed path to the formation of Bitcoin from 2008 to 2015.

The book is very easy to read and is not overloaded with technical details. The main emphasis is on the course of events, and not on the details of the structure of the blockchain or bitcoins. “Digital Gold” is largely aimed at a wide audience. There are various interesting stories about people who came into contact with cryptocurrency during its development. This is also one of the few (two) books on the topic of bitcoins and blockchain translated into Russian.

Melanie Swan. "Blockchain: Blueprint for a New Economy"

A short excursion into the near future. Melanie Swan talks about three generations of blockchain. The first blockchain - tied only to cryptocurrency - exists now. The second involves smart contracts. The third is making a new Internet, where all data is tied to a decentralized digital registry.

The book explains how this technology works. Useful for anyone who wants to understand it properly. However, some points will be difficult to understand if you have never heard anything about blockchain before.

Andreas M. Antonopoulos. "Mastering the Bitcoin"

To understand the blockchain, you need to know where its legs come from - bitcoins. Andreas explains how this system works and what role blockchain plays in it. The book contains both technical descriptions and several business cases demonstrating the capabilities of the technology. The cases are useful for developers, system administrators and other people knowledgeable in programming.

The book is most suitable for technically savvy people and is a bit difficult to read. However, the first five chapters can be easily read by those who are not involved in development. At the same time, they will expand their knowledge about blockchain.

Don Tapscott, Alex Tapscott. "Blockchain Revolution: How the Technology Behind Bitcoin is Changing Money, Business, and the World"

Don Tapscott suggests that blockchain will easily destroy Uber and similar services. This is not his only idea. The book that Tapscott wrote with his son is full of them. They explain that the world is waiting for a revolution - a blockchain revolution.

A must read for those interested in the practical application of this technology. The authors predict the democratization of society there based on blockchain. There are also ideas and examples on a smaller scale: automatic royalties through crypto wallets and a number of other scenarios for using the technology in everyday life.

Chris Skinner. "Value Web"

“Value Web” also talks about the near future, where, again, there will be a blockchain-based Internet. Skinner predicts a new Internet - the Internet of Things. It will work on the basis of the Internet of values ​​(Value Web). The Internet of Value can easily exist thanks to a mobile device with Internet access and blockchain.

The author describes a future where everyone will be able to instantly send any transfers, buy things, etc. And it answers the question: what will happen to financial organizations under such a system. Useful reading for those who want to analyze the next 10–20 years and have at least a general idea about them.

Roger Wattenhofer. "The Science of the Blockchain"

"The Science of Blockchain" was written by a professor in the field of information technology. The language of the book is by no means for beginners. Almost all of it consists of various technical details that will be difficult for any “non-techie” to understand. Therefore, the main audience: specialist developers.

Wottenhover explains how distributed systems are built and breaks down several existing ones. Many different examples, algorithms and protocols. All this is in scientific language. The book is of greatest practical benefit to the “builders” of the new Internet.

Pavan Duggal. "Blockchain Contracts and Cyberlaw"

Pavan Dugal does not look into the very distant future, as Melanie Swan does. The author examines only the second generation of blockchain - smart contracts. It will be very difficult to break or change them. “Cyber ​​law,” in which Duggal is an expert, is based on such contracts.

“Blockchain Contracts and Cyberlaw” is largely devoted to this topic. Suitable primarily for those who are interested in blockchain in the context of improving copyright, tangible and intangible rights.

Tim Swanson. "Great Chain of Numbers: a Guide to Smart Contracts, Smart Property and Trustless Asset Management"

Tim Swanson talks about the structure of Bitcoin and more. There are also descriptions of other cryptocurrencies and the systems that stand behind them. The book also talks about “smart” data, which will be very difficult for attackers to acquire.

The book is suitable for beginners, businessmen and risk-takers - the author himself says so. It starts with a long list of basic terms used to describe how cryptocurrency and blockchain work.

Paul Vigna, Michael Casey. "The Age of Cryptocurrency: How Bitcoin and the Blockchain Are Challenging the Global Economic Order"

The book was written by journalists from the Wall Street Journal. Paul Vigna and Michael Casey talk about the new economic reality and how to adapt to it. They debunk the myths and fears surrounding cryptocurrencies and explain: anonymity and lack of government support do not mean insecurity. At the same time, the authors propose to distribute cryptocurrency in those places where the financial system is poorly developed.

“The Age of Cryptocurrency” is suitable for those who have many questions and doubts about Bitcoin. Although most people probably fall under this definition. This book was also the first in the world to be recorded on the blockchain - the authors did this in 2015.

Books on blockchain technology continue to excite people’s minds even despite the unsuccessful start to 2018, which was marked by a sudden drop in the value of most popular cryptocurrencies.

Experts admit that blockchain is the future. More and more companies around the world are beginning to use this advanced technology to store, transfer and synchronize data.

Here is just a small list of industries where blockchain has practically revolutionized:

1. Healthcare. Project Patientory today aims to store patient data securely;
2. Music industry. Project Mycelia– a single repository for recordings, music and storage of copyrights for publications;
3. Finance and banking. Deloitte Smart ID Project specially created to simplify the process of verifying client data when issuing a loan.

Blockchain technology is used for logistics, payments, storage and more. That's why more and more people are looking for books on blockchain in Russian, eager to learn more about altcoins. These works are recommended to be studied by future investors, traders and simply interested persons. All of them are understandable to the common reader and do not require special knowledge to understand the essence. You can purchase them in 3 popular online stores:

1. Litres.ru

1. Ozon.ru

1. Labirint.ru

At the end of the article, some of the books described here will be available for download.

Popular books about blockchain technology in Russian

Unlike other countries, where books about Bitcoin began to be published with enviable frequency, in Russia there are very few such publications and they began to appear regularly only in 2017.

For comparison - "White Book" by Satoshi Nakamoto appeared back in 2008. In it, the anonymous creator of the most popular cryptocurrency of our time spoke about the creation of a new monetary settlement system, in which there are only two sides. Transactions no longer required the involvement of an intermediary. Then, in August 2015, the Bitcoin.org domain was registered, where this creation was also distributed.


You can download books on blockchain in Russian on popular Internet resources such as liters and similar ones. You can search for paper versions in offline stores or place an order for them.

The most famous books about blockchain in Russian:

• "Digital Gold" Nathaniel Popper;
• Alex Fork. "Bitcoin. More than money";
• "Bitcoin For Dummies" Williams;
• “Bitcoin on autopilot or how to make money on cryptocurrency”, Yuri Kozak.

"Digital Gold" Nathaniel Popper

In this book about blockchain, the author talks about a new financial technology that fundamentally breaks many people’s understanding of money and its functions in the modern world. Here is how a small group of enthusiasts managed to develop their idea and attract the attention of the whole world to it.

The book is a must read for people who use electronic money. Written in simple and understandable language, it attracts attention from the first pages. It is addressed to everyone who is interested in cryptocurrency technologies and modern financial systems. There are no complicated terms or technical details here. The text is not overloaded with details of the structure of the blockchain network and Bitcoin. The author focuses on describing the history and Bitcoin, including talking about the personality of the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto.

And although many are still distrustful of a currency that is not backed by any state, millions of enthusiasts around the world believe that digital money is the future. The most convenient way to download this book about blockchain is in the format epub, which will allow you to read anywhere at a convenient time, having an e-book or smartphone with you.

Alex Fork. "Bitcoin. More than money."

This is the second popular book about blockchain in Russian on our list. The author is the chairman of Blockchain.community, which aims to popularize cryptocurrencies in the Russian Federation. In the book, he talks about the history of the emergence and development of Bitcoin, describes a lot of technical details and touches on the scope of its application. Alex Fork also touches on the legal status of cryptocurrencies in Russia and publishes parts of translations of reports from the FBI, the European Bank and other financial organizations.


You should buy this book about blockchain, if only because it has already collected a lot of positive reviews and reviews. It is a kind of notepad in which the reader can make notes or make notes. An excellent option for beginners and inexperienced users.

“Bitcoin For Dummies” by Williams and “Blockchain for Dummies” by Tiana Lawrence

This book on blockchain can be downloaded by all readers who want to get an idea not only of the features of the functioning of cryptocurrency, but also of its future. The authors answer all possible questions that often arise for those who want to start making money on the “money of the future.”

The book “Bitcoin for Dummies” tells you step by step what methods there are to open a wallet for storing cryptocurrency, how to buy and sell bitcoins, and what risks may await the user. From it, it becomes clear how the cryptocurrency market works, how to identify a promising altcoin for investment, and what opportunities Bitcoin has.

Today you can’t just download the book “Blockchain for Dummies” for free, but you can buy it inexpensively, for example, on Ozon. The purpose of this book is to give the reader an idea of ​​what blockchain is, what its operating principles are and its capabilities. But, if you write in the comments to this article, I will send you a direct link to download this publication.

Initially, the technology was developed as the basis for the famous Bitcoin, and a few years later it is considered as a universal platform that can be used in many aspects of human activity. The book provides answers to user questions, ranging from theoretical aspects to an overview of all areas of practical application of blockchain.

“Blockchain for Business”, William Mogaiar and Vitalik Buterin

The author himself (the creator of Ethereum) contributed to the popularity of this book by writing an attractive introduction for it. The book “Blockchain for Business” describes in detail all the features of the technology, the main emphasis is on its capabilities and advantages.

The authors emphasize that very soon it will be possible to carry out banking and other transactions without the involvement of intermediaries - directly between the participants. This reality can be imagined through the use of blockchain technology in real life. Trading, business, medicine, insurance, elections, rental housing, product quality control - blockchain can be used in all these areas and beyond.

"The Blockchain Revolution" Don Tapscott, Alex Tapscott

Anyone who decides to buy a book on blockchain will receive answers to the following questions:

1. How and where did cryptocurrency come from;
2. Why is the creator of blockchain considered a worthy candidate for the Nobel Prize?
3. The essence and principle of operation of the blockchain algorithm;
4. Benefits from using technology and more.

The author explains in detail and clearly how blockchain technology can be used in real life, and who benefits from it. Particular attention is paid to the possible prospects of cryptocurrency. In essence, this is a full-fledged encyclopedia on blockchain.

You can get any one from the list below for free if you leave a detailed comment on this article. I will send a link to Yandex Disk with this publication.

Finally

5-6 years ago it was believed that the use of Bitcoin was exclusively for scammers. Since that time, the attitude of users towards cryptocurrencies has changed dramatically. Now blockchain technology is of concern not only to large investment funds chasing profits, but also to ordinary citizens who want to understand something new. Books about blockchain in Russian can help with this.

Useful video on the topic - “TOP books on cryptocurrency and trading 2018”: