The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains: An Introduction to Cryptocurrencies and the Technology that Powers Them (Cryptography, Derivatives Investments, Futures Trading, Digital Assets, NFT)

This book grabbed my attention from the first chapter. I’ve been in the industry for some time; personally, this is one of the few books I would suggest to those interested in understanding the basics of blockchains and bitcoin. Antony helps us clearly understand the theme, concisely describing the technology in a logical way, clearly presenting the concepts, and on top of that how everything fits together. Unlike Mastering Bitcoin by Andreas M. Antonopoulos, which definitely is a book for people who already have a programming background, interestingly The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains can be appreciated by readers with different backgrounds. It is an enjoyable and easy reading although a comprehensive exposure to bitcoin and blockchains. As mentioned on the back cover, this book is a crash course in money, cryptocurrencies, initial coin offerings (ICO) and enterprise blockchains. As the one responsible for Cash and CBDC strategy at R3, not surprisingly, Antony teaches us everything we have to know from historical facts, physical and digital money, through a smooth introduction to cryptography (probably the most understandable explanation about the mechanics of Proof-of-Work), the emergence of cryptocurrencies and digital tokens to the latest thinking about the technology adoption by enterprises. By and large a delightful read for anyone who wants to understand everything about bitcoins and blockchains.

This book was an excellent introduction to cryptocurrency in general, blockchain concepts and Bitcoins and Ethereum chains. I have a technical background with a BS in computer science, an MBA and 40 years in tech in business. But the tech world changed so rapidly, I needed this to update my knowledge. The concepts were well explained, and the topics built effectively on each other. The material is very well referenced in copious footnotes. Why not 5 Stars? The screen captures were unreadable, black on black, and it was very frustrating to try to read them. Fortunately, the screen clips are not vital to understanding the material

I loved this book. Finally, someone who can explain the concepts in basic terms thoroughly, and generate curiosity and excitement in the reader! My education/work background is in healthcare and social services...very far removed from crypto. Every beginners book I read thus far did not fully break down all the steps like this book did so I was often left confused after reading a chapter (in the other books) because I didn't fully understand the basics of what was being discussed. I also enjoyed the initial discussion regarding money and how banks work. This was a great foundation and intro into the rest of the book so the reader can really understand the initial purpose of Bitcoin and blockchains and how much it could change our world. Thank you for such a great book and actually getting me excited about the subject!

Antony really explains the basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains extremely well (just like the title says). This is a subject that is pretty complex and Antony made it simple to understand. Aside from the Bitcoin and Blockchain information, the beginning of the book is an excellent introduction into the basics of how money "works" and "moves." With modern technology, the way money moves has changed rather drastically in recent years. There are literally millions of businesses and business opportunities that have been created around that concept in the last 10-15 years due to these changes. For all of the above reasons, I think this book should be required reading for basic economics classes. Great book. I highly recommend it.

If you are wondering "what the heck is this Bitcoin hype about?" This book is for you. It is a deep dive into the history, technical details, and practical uses of Bitcoin. You will not learn how to trade or invest, but you will learn the underlying aspects (think of it like a book on equity fundamentals and pricing ideas, not on buying stocks). I found the explanation of all the underlying difficulties of making Bitcoin to be extremely rewarding (why make it decentralized, how to decentralized the coin fully, how to incentivize mining, the energy usage problem, etc.) Not a book for the casual reader, but really a deep dive into the subject. Perfect for someone curious to understand the ins and outs of the technology.

Interesting read.

Super late to the initiative of learning about crypto currencies. I recently tried to purchase Bitcoin with the purpose of performing a transaction. I think of myself as being technically inclined, I was confident with my desire to perform the transaction but I noticed how little I knew about the technology and how it actually worked. Anthony does an excellent job of walking the reader through the timeline of currency and why it was needed. Seashells, yes they are valuable and beautiful, yep also used as currency. I rarely use cash nowadays and the perspective offered as to how banks manage transactions, offered great insight into how cryptocurrency can fit in the modern economy. The book has a lot of technical details but explained in a way that is easy to understand. Blockchain (a collection of technologies) cannot only perform transactions through a network of tens of thousands of computers but there’s also capability of sending smart contracts (rules, scripts, much more) which can enable enterprise peer to peer activity in private networks. I also learned about a misconception I had with Crypto mining. Participating in these networks is how you mine for coins through a transaction called Coinbase. Fascinating technology.

Helpful

This book is an easy read and very informative for beginners looking to understand the world of cryptocurrencies and blockchain.

Loved this book. Simple and easy to read with a super interesting chapter on the history of money. My only negative comment was that in the printed version some of the screen shots were difficult to read. Apart from that, it was great, from start to finish.

Amplio contenido. Bien explicado: Con exactitud y especificidad. No como otras fuentes de información (libros u otros) que hablan mucho sin decir nada. Un inglés fácil de entender.

Coming into this with no knowledge and experience whatsoever with Crypto, Finance, Blockchains etc, this book walks you through everything in a simple and easily digested way. In the few days it took me to read, I’ve gone from knowing nothing, to having a decent understanding of the basics. The book does exactly what you would expect it to do. Highly recommend this to anybody that is curious or just starting out with Crypto.

Guida all’apprendimento delle crypto in modo progressivo. Ottimo per un approccio iniziale e descrittivo.