Bitcoin. Blockchain. Decentralized. These are a few of the words that have regularly been appearing in the news in 2021. Coming on the heels of a pandemic which cost millions their jobs, cryptocurrencies have appeared as way for the little guy to hit the jackpot. For example, since January 2020, Bitcoin is up over 60%, Ethereum is up over 400%, and Dogecoin is up an unbelievable over 11,000%. New millionaires are appearing everyday. How did we get here and where are we going?
Let’s take a step back. Cryptocurrencies or “Crypto”, a topic once reserved for tech-savvy enthusiasts on Reddit, is now freely being discussed by everyone you meet. Whether it’s your Uber driver, college professor, or even eight year old nephew, everyone has some thoughts to share. Is it a scam? Is it the future? Dutch Tulips? Or game-changing technology? Everyone seems to know the answer and it’s with these ideas and questions, that you’re entering the world of the Kings of Crypto.
I really enjoyed this book. It was a very fast and easy read and you really get to follow the rise, crash, and eventual rebirth of COINBASE and the world of cryptocurrencies. The charcters were described very authentically and by the end of the book it almost feels like you really know them. What’s also nice is that the reader also gets a great primer on many of the commonly discussed terms in the area like “blockchain,” “Ethereum,” and “Bitcoin.”
What really set this book apart is how new it is. Unlike many books that discuss crypto, it was extremely nice that this book was published so recently. A great number of crypto-related books were published in 2017 (When cryptocurrencies were at their peak) or 2018 (Just after the crash). It’s very interesting to read a story which goes through the build up of crypto to the end of 2017, the brutal crash, and then subsequent rebirth of crypto in 2020. In the FinTech space, data and stories can get stale very quickly, so it’s nice that this book covers recent events.
Overall, this was a fun read and great for beginners and advanced crypto enthusiasts alike. Watching Coinbase and it’s founders grow and mature was extremely interesting, and I definitely got to learn a lot in the process. I would recommend this book to anyone that is looking to expand their crypto knowledge.
Fun fact #1 This book was published on December 15, 2020 and Coinbase’s IPO was on April 14, 2021. Exactly 120 days later.
Fun fact #2. Coinbase gave 100 shares to each of their 1,700+ employees just prior to the IPO.
