Cryptocurrency: How Bitcoin and Digital Money are Challenging the Global Economic Order

Cryptocurrency: How Bitcoin and Digital Money are Challenging the Global Economic Order

(10 customer reviews)

£2.79

The system that governs how money works, with its brokers and middlemen, has stayed roughly the same for centuries. Now there’s an alternative, and it puts us on the cusp of a revolution that could reshape our world.

At the heart of this lie cryptocurrencies, a technology with the transformative potential of the printing press or the internet. They bypass the elites and cut out the gatekeepers. Unlike traditional money they’re peer-to-peer, they don’t have a nationality, they’re digital and democratic. They are also lawless.

For the Afghani woman denied a bank account by a repressive society, or any of the world’s 2.5 billion unbanked individuals, cryptocurrencies open new possibilities. What would a world without banks or credit cards or even national currencies look like for all of us?

From Silicon Valley to the streets of Beijing, this is a book about a revolution in the making, a story of human invention, and a guide to the future.

SKU: 1847923445 Categories: , ,

Product description

Review

Admirably clear and judicious … If the word ‘blockchain’ makes you want to call a plumber, or you think Satoshi is some kind of raw fish, you need to read Cryptocurrency today. If you’re already a bit-convert, you’ll still learn a lot — Niall Ferguson, author of The Ascent of Money

Invaluable … a fascinating field guide to the phenomenon in which three of the most powerful forces shaping our world today meet – the reform of finance, technological innovation, and the rejection of traditional politics — Felix Martin, author of Money: the Unauthorised Biography

Fascinating… Vigna and Casey are cautious, though enthusiastic guides to this strange new world… they know how to dig beneath the surface and they also know how to write. The book is full of fascinating stories, from the origins of money… to the Silk Road bust… Somewhere in this world of blockchains and cryptocurrencies lies the seed of the next online revolution- one that brings radical decentralization, autonomous organisations, a cull of brokers and fixers, a new constraint on government and fiat currencies, and a supercharge to the sharing economy ― The Times

Engaging, lucid, and thought-provoking … I can think of no better guide to what the future holds — Eswar Prasad, author of The Dollar Trap

Not only demystifies and explains bitcoin, but shows where it fits into the cultural zeitgeist and where it’s pointed, and what that may mean for our financial system — John Mauldin, New York Times bestselling author

About the Author

Paul Vigna is a markets reporter for The Wall Street Journal, covering equities and the economy. He writes for the popular MoneyBeat blog, and is the anchor of the daily, live show of the same name. Before that post, he wrote and edited the Market Talk column for Dow Jones Newswires.

Michael J. Casey is a senior columnist at The Wall Street Journal. Casey’s work has appeared in publications as diverse as Foreign Policy, The Huffington Post, The Far Eastern Economic Review, The Financial Times, The Washington Post and The Boston Globe. He is the author of The Unfair Trade: How Our Broken Financial System Destroys the Middle Class.

Additional information

Dimensions 16.2 × 3.3 × 24 cm
Publisher ‏

‎ Bodley Head (29 Jan. 2015)
Language ‏

‎ English
Hardcover ‏

‎ 368 pages
ISBN-10 ‏

‎ 1847923445
ISBN-13 ‏

‎ 978-1847923448
Dimensions ‏

‎ 16.2 x 3.3 x 24 cm

10 reviews for Cryptocurrency: How Bitcoin and Digital Money are Challenging the Global Economic Order

  1. Chris Kenny –


    A brilliantly informative introduction to the world of cryptocurrency! Whether you are just curious, or intent on investing, this is an absolute must read, which starts with a history of banking and asks the question, just what is money? And then goes on to provide easily accessible answers. Blockchain technology is set to change the way we do things and although this book is now a little dated, (the world of crypto moves so fast!), it opened my eyes to something I had previously dismissed as a fad or a ponzi scheme. An ill-informed Luddite attitude still held by some – many in the traditional fiat financial world! Buy it and read it – at least twice!

  2. Dr. Feelgood –


    A good read and some interesting history, but now sadly out of date as it only reaches until end of 2014 and a lot has happened since then and still is right now! No book is going to keep pace with current events I guess, but this is definitely worth reading if you are a relative newcomer to all things crypto.

  3. JohnW –


    For me this was an easy non-tech intro to Bitcoin and the underpinning blockchain technology. As a business person rather than a techy, the implications of cryptocurrency adoption, and the potential for reducing costs in the supply chain are very interesting. The book does a good job in the final chapers of setting out a range of potential futures, that should intrigue the reader. I feel more reading on the subject will further empower me, and I feel an investment in bitcoins is imminent, just to get the “feel” for what I can do with it. The impact of disruptive technologies on traditional models has always interested me, and this book has only served to increase my interest further. highly recommended.

  4. Jon L –


    I really struggled to get through this book. It is an interesting historical account of how bit coin started but I can’he help thinking that I would have learnt more by spending half an hour on Wikipedia. The authors have obviously struggled to fill the pages of the book. Unfortunately as bitcoin/block chain/distributed ledger technology is moving so fast the book is now out of date.

  5. PTZ –


    Content-Very good book for reading and understanding the concepts..Print quality-Very good quality printing.Value for money-Probably not worth the amount you pay though..

  6. MR D M GRIFFITHS –


    Eye opening discourse on the development technology and possible future for crypto currencies like bitcoin and the technology that underpins it. Written with a delicate balance of cool research, reflective distance and unabashed enthusiasm. A very enjoyable read that opened my eyes to what just might be the next big thing since the internet.

  7. Marcus –


    The authors articulate very well the historic background of cryptocurrencies and explore interesting scenarios of how the development of this new digital innovation may unfold, focusing on social, political and economic impact. Great book.

  8. Mark Silva –


    Everything you need to know about cryptocurrencies. Particularly good on the problems they will solve, and why they are more than just an investing bubble. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand this subject

  9. gar –

    Tiny print!
    This is the best book on Crypto out of the three I read. It tells the complete story from the very beginning up to around 2015. Yes, much has happened since then, but I think the early years are by far the most critical. Unfortunately, the print in this book is ridiculously small and this gave me excruciating headaches. Otherwise, I would have rated the book 5 stars without hesitation.

  10. Alvin Gomez –

    Value For mOney
    Worth for the money spent…

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