Dmitry Tarasov tells an amazing story of money, from the first coins to cryptocurrencies. He begins with the Neolithic Revolution, when people transitioned from hunting to agriculture and were able to accumulate wealth for the first time — it was then that the need for money as a universal medium of exchange arose. Gold became the ideal solution, but over time the monetary system became increasingly abstract: humanity transitioned from metal coins to paper money, from backed currencies to fiat currencies, based solely on trust.
In 2008, a new revolutionary leap occurred — Bitcoin emerged. Dmitry Tarasov explains why cryptocurrencies became a logical response to the problems of the traditional financial system, where there is an abuse of power, inflation, and restrictions on transfers. Blockchain technology allowed the creation of money without a single center of control, where each transaction is verified by multiple participants in the network. The author explains in simple terms how mining works, what DeFi and NFT are, and why cryptocurrencies are so volatile.
Particular value lies in the analysis of how cryptocurrencies are changing society. Over 10 years since the first edition of the book, the cryptocurrency market in Russia has grown to 32 trillion rubles, and the number of users has reached 20 million! The author shows how governments are transitioning from attempts to ban to regulation, how the culture and values of the new generation are changing, and what opportunities and risks the crypto revolution brings.
Why read:
— To understand how cryptocurrencies and blockchain work, without delving into technical details.
— To learn the real history of money and why the emergence of Bitcoin was inevitable.
— To understand why millions of people are already using cryptocurrencies and whether to join them.
— To gain practical knowledge about mining, DeFi, NFT, and other important concepts in the crypto world.
— To prepare for changes in the economy and understand what opportunities they open up.