April 23 is World Book Day and we’re joining this celebration with a list of book and article recommendations we think are essential to understanding not just Bitcoin and blockchain but the ever-changing world around us.
Books about Blockchain and the Crypto Industry
Despite its relatively short history, Bitcoin and blockchain technology have inspired countless books that seek to chronicle the technologies that shape today’s world. Here are five must-read books to add to your reading list.
1. The Bitcoin Standard: The Decentralized Alternative to Central Banking
This book by Saifedean Ammous outlines the rise of Bitcoin from historical and economic perspectives, as well as its impact on society, politics, diverse industries, and more. As a monetary invention for the digital age, Ammous explains the innovations behind Bitcoin in an intuitive way for curious readers.
2. Bitcoin Billionaires: A True Story of Genius, Betrayal, and Redemption
Though most recognize the Winklevoss twins for their early contributions to the company now known as Facebook, they have since moved on to bet big on cryptocurrency. Ben Mezrich recounts the Bitcoin pioneers’ story from the very beginning.
3. The Internet of Money: A Collection of Talks by Andreas M. Antonopoulos
In this book, we move to another Bitcoin pioneer: information-security expert Andreas Antonopoulos. This time, we read passages from the man himself about why Bitcoin is at the forefront of financial and technology evolution.
4. Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing
Jacob Goldstein, co-host of NPR podcast Planet Money, dives in on the concept of money as a fiction-like entity that has shaped and reshaped societies. To understand the monetary future that Bitcoin proposes, it is essential to first understand how money has worked throughout history.
5. Digital Gold: Bitcoin and the Inside Story of the Misfits and Millionaires Trying to Reinvent Money
In this book by New York Times reporter Nathaniel Popper, we delve into the evolution of Bitcoin through the eyes of the central figures behind its rise from digital experiment to trillion-dollar industry.
Binance Academy
Aside from books, there are now many websites that aim to educate people about Bitcoin and blockchain. Binance Academy is one of the most comprehensive, with more than 400 articles to choose from. We’re going to handpick articles that will help jumpstart your crypto education, sorted between beginner, intermediate, and advanced topics.
Beginner
What Is Bitcoin? This comprehensive article gives you a primer on every basic thing there is to know about the world’s top cryptocurrency.
Cryptocurrency Trading Strategies. This article will help you with the basics of how you should approach speculating on the crypto markets.
Guide to Decentralized Finance (DeFi). In this article, Binance Academy provides an introductory dive into DeFi, its potential applications, promises, limitations, and more.
How to Get Started with Binance Smart Chain (BSC). BSC has been booming with activity. Ranging from token swaps to decentralized money markets and cute NFTs, there are many options to earn yield or simply to have fun.
Intermediate
Guide to Crypto Collectibles and Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs). NFTs are one of the key building blocks of a new, blockchain-powered digital economy. (Bonus reading material: 5 NFT Projects You Should Know.)
7 Common Mistakes in Technical Analysis. As you go through your crypto trading journey, it pays to be aware of mistakes to avoid in technical analysis.
Earning Passive Income With Crypto. You can have several streams of income via crypto that, in combination with each other, can add up to a significant amount.
Advanced
What Are Perpetual Futures Contracts? Understand how this increasingly popular and advanced mode of crypto trading works.
How To Create TA Indicators on TradingView. TradingView has many powerful features: it allows us to track crypto-assets across numerous trading platforms and to publish trading ideas within its social network.
Binance Blog
The entire Binance ecosystem has more reading materials for you beyond Binance Academy. Every once in a while, the Binance blog publishes articles that seek to inform crypto users about Bitcoin, blockchain, and more. Here are some of our handpicked articles:
1. What Is Bitcoin? How to Explain Bitcoin to 4 Different Age Groups
Curious friends, colleagues, and family members interested in Bitcoin’s price want to know more, and we’re here to help you explain it to four different age groups.
2. Should I Buy Bitcoin or Gold? A Brief Comparison of BTC vs. XAU
Bitcoin has often drawn comparisons to gold. It’s a debate as old as Bitcoin itself, and it will endure as long as both remain good stores of value.
3. The History, Present, and Future of Bitcoin’s Price
After seeing all the recent price movements for Bitcoin, you might be asking yourself, “Should I buy Bitcoin?” Let’s take a closer look at the history of Bitcoin’s price and what recent trends might tell us about its future.
4. Bitcoin vs. Stocks: Comparing Price Movements and Traits
Bitcoin’s meteoric rise over the past decade has put traders in mainstream markets on notice. It’s easy to draw comparisons between BTC’s stellar performance versus traditional stock indexes.
5. What is The Potential Impact of Ethereum 2.0 on The Derivatives Market?
This article discusses the impact of Ethereum 2.0 and its influence on ETH prices. It studies market sentiment and positioning leading up to this event, and explores some ways for traders to benefit from the event.
Finding the right exchange isn't easy, but it can be a great learning experience with the right tools and resources. In this article, you’ll learn the most important categories and factors you need to consider before registering on a cryptocurrency exchange.
7. All in on DeFi: Why the Days of Centralized Exchanges Are Numbered
Today’s most promising DeFi apps all share a similar vision for the future: The creation of a divergent financial system where capital and data flow more equitably, shifting control away from institutions and towards the individual.
Additional Book Recommendations from CZ and Binancians
Still hungry for more knowledge? Our team is more than happy to share some more reading recommendations.
- The Complete CZ Reading List. Changpeng Zhao (CZ), Binance Founder & CEO, is a crypto pioneer and avid reader. And he makes it a point to not only share his reading list with the team but also encourage his colleagues to recommend their favorite books in turn. Some Binancians take the time to read a dozen pages at a time, while others, like CZ, go for audiobooks (usually at 2x speed) to absorb knowledge while on the go or in a hectic work schedule.
- Ten Books We're Reading: Book Recommendations to Pass the Time. Many people in the Binance team also picked up on this habit if they haven’t already before they joined. To inspire you, we've put together a list of ten books we're reading right now. You'll find here books about Bitcoin, philosophy, economics, and even astronomy that will challenge your views and make the time fly.
We are also more than happy to hear from you about the books and articles you have recently read and enjoyed. Got a tip for us? Tweet us @Binance.
