Whether you are a novice or an expert in blockchain technology, several books should be on your must-read list. Here are our picks for the best blockchain books for 2024.
To rate and review the top blockchain books, we compiled the quality and quantity of user reviews on major booksellers, looking for overall clarity and readability.
Note: Our #1 book would have to be Blockchain Success Stories: Case Studies from the Leading Edge of Business, available in print from Amazon and audiobook from Audible. As our very own Sir John Hargrave wrote this book (along with contributor Evan Karnoupakis), we have not included it in our official ratings.
The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains
Author: Anthony Lewis
Goodreads Rating: 4.13
Number of Amazon Ratings: 2,387
Anthony Lewis gently takes you on a journey of understanding bitcoin, blockchains, and cryptocurrencies. The book also gives you insight into investing in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. A good read for beginners looking to learn the workings of the crypto markets and the digital asset world in general.
The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains gets a 4.5 from us for being able to deconstruct the mechanics of bitcoin, the blockchain, and the growing cyber-economy.
(BMJ Score: 4.5)
Blockchain Bubble or Revolution: The Present and Future of Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies
Authors: Neel Mehta, Aditya Agashe, and Parth Detroja
Goodreads Rating: 4.35
Number of Amazon Ratings: 1,992
Blockchain Bubble or Revolution provides a comprehensive overview of blockchain concepts and also delves into the technical and social issues with public blockchains.
The trio breaks down complex tech concepts into a digestible comprehensive guide to blockchain's future, benefits, and challenges.
This book gets a 4.5 from us for being able to present logical arguments on the future of blockchain in a way that makes sense for those with some understanding of the industry.
(BMJ Score: 4.5)
The Internet of Money
Author: Andreas Antonopoulos
Goodreads Rating: 4.07
Number of Amazon Ratings: 1,254
The Internet of Money is another book by Andreas Antonopoulos, the vocal bitcoin advocate and computer scientist. The book contextualizes the significance of bitcoin through a series of essays covering the maturation of the digital currency over time.
Through the series of three books, The Internet of Money delves into the “why bitcoin?” question, giving you another point of view from most books that explain the “how.”
Antonopoulos’ The Internet of Money scores 4.5 for presenting, in a meaningful and logical progression, the importance of digital currency and how it has evolved over the years.
(BMJ Score: 4.5)
Cryptoassets: The Innovative Investor’s Guide to Bitcoin and Beyond
Authors: Chris Burniske, Jack Tate
Goodreads Rating: 3.95
Number of Amazon Ratings: 1,201
Cryptoassets is the go-to book for professional investors who want to learn more about digital currencies and tokens. Chris Burniske and Jack Tate detail everything from tools for valuing digital assets to portfolio management techniques. This book is a must-read for anyone serious about investing in cryptocurrencies.
Giving a concise overview of a rapidly emerging market, Cryptoassets gets a 3.5 from us.
(BMJ Score: 3.5)
Blockchain Technology Explained
Author: Alan Norman
Goodreads Rating: 4.04
Number of Amazon Ratings: 1138
Blockchain Technology Explained by Alan Norman exclusively focuses on how blockchain works and how it may be applied in the future. Alan Norman discusses how the blockchain can be applied outside of finance and the problems bitcoin faces.
Expanding beyond just bitcoin, this book goes in-depth on blockchain technology as a whole rather than just one coin. Generally, however, this is a mid-scoring book that will give you an understanding of blockchain in the present and what it could become. It gets a 3.5 from us.
(BMJ Score: 3.5)
Blockchain Revolution: How The Technology Behind Bitcoin is Changing Money, Business, and the World
Author: Alex Tapscott and Don Tapscott
Goodreads Rating: 3.4
Number of Amazon Ratings: 1,039
Exploring the world of blockchain and the implications it has for our future, father-son duo Don and Alex Tapscott deconstruct blockchain technology and provide real-world use cases that would promote widespread adoption in several areas.
It sets the stage for a major paradigm shift with winners and losers, all clamoring to grab the opportunities that even the world’s largest financial institutions are vying for.
A riveting read for the blockchain enthusiast, it lays the groundwork for what blockchain could be and the value it provides society.
(BMJ Score: 3.0)
An Altcoin Trader’s Handbook
Author: Nik Patel
Goodreads Rating: 4.10
Number of Amazon Ratings: 495
Written by digital currency investor Nik Patel, An Altcoin Trader’s Handbook is a guide for navigating the ever-growing altcoin market from a trader’s point of view. In the book's first half, Nik Patel introduces you to digital assets and then gives his insights into digital assets in the book's second half.
Geared more towards day traders than long-term investors, this book dives into successful traders' strategies and mentality for small and midcap altcoin trading. We give this book a 3.0.
(BMJ Score: 3.0)
Mastering Blockchain
Author: Iman Bashir
Goodreads Rating: 4.39
Number of Amazon Ratings: 24
Mastering Blockchain goes deep into the working of the blockchain, teaching you how to develop smart contracts, mine digital currencies, and more. The book covers the core concepts of blockchain, making it a good read for technologists, business executives, or enthusiasts.
We give this book a 3.0 for constructively breaking down working developer code, an interesting addition that only a few other books have. This option may be a better read for developers.
(BMJ Score: 3.0)
The Metaverse: And How It Will Revolutionize Everything
Author: Matthew Ball
Goodreads Rating: 3.84
Number of Amazon Ratings: 855
The Metaverse takes readers on a tour to explore the technologies that will power the “next internet” and the breakthroughs that will be needed to realize the ideas beyond just gaming and science fiction to other industries like education, finance, and healthcare (to name a few).
We gave this book a 3.0 for serving as an enjoyable primer on the Metaverse and clearly defining it for the uninitiated. A great read for anyone who wants to understand this commonly misunderstood concept better and discover the new value that comes with it, plus how it may reshape society in the future…. Even if many of its predictions are based on many “what ifs.”
(BMJ Score: 3.0)
The Only Cryptocurrency Investing Book You’ll Ever Need
Author: Freeman Publications
Goodreads Rating: 4.08
Number of Amazon Ratings: 703
The book is curated for beginners to help them understand the cryptocurrency space and how to get started. It covers most things a beginner investor needs to know to quickly get into the industry, from guides on buying and storing coins to tips on spotting crypto scams. The authors also provide their insights on DeFi and the digital assets they are backing to succeed.
A good read for anyone looking for a beginner-friendly book on how to get into crypto and NFTs.
Laying the basic groundwork for crypto investing, the information in this book doesn’t help advanced traders. This book gets a 3.5 from us.
(BMJ Score: 3.0)
The Book of Satoshi
Author: Phil Champagne
Goodreads Rating: 4.08
Number of Amazon Ratings: 175
The Book of Satoshi provides all of Nakamoto’s online posts chronologically with added commentary from the author, Phil Champagne. He comprehensively composes all publications posted online by bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator.
Overall, a unique book that takes an exhaustive look into the origin story of bitcoin, for those looking to learn more about Satoshi Nakamoto and bitcoin’s past.
An essential book that gives insight into bitcoin’s history, we gave this book a 3.0.
(BMJ Score: 3.0)
Blockchain Basics
Author: Daniel Drescher
Goodreads Rating: 3.98
Number of Amazon Ratings: 741
This book is arguably the best basic introduction to blockchain technology for novices. It does not require prior knowledge or understanding of computer science, math, cryptography, or other related terms to grasp the principles. Daniel Drescher does a great job explaining blockchain technology, most simply through pictures, analogies, and metaphors.
Ultimately, Blockchain Basics is a great beginner-friendly book that covers the technical concepts of the blockchain and its application in modern businesses.
Giving a great introduction without going too in-depth, we give this book a 2.5 and highly recommend this book for beginners but would suggest other options for more advanced readers.
(BMJ Score: 2.5)
Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain
Author: David Gerard
Goodreads Rating: 3.98
Number of Amazon Ratings: 741
David Gerard is a bitcoin and blockchain skeptic who does a good job of encapsulating the major challenges facing the cryptocurrency sector. This book provides a contrarian view of blockchain to help readers understand the main criticisms the sector struggles with so that readers can form a well-rounded opinion about blockchain technology.
David Gerard explains the concept of bitcoin exhaustively making this book highly readable and informative for anyone interested to hear both sides of the crypto story.
The author’s writing style made his arguments seem more scathing than they should have been. It’s a good book for someone looking to understand a more contrarian approach to blockchain.
(BMJ Score: 3.0)
Cryptocurrency Trading & Investing
Author: Aimee Vo
Goodreads Rating: 4.12
Number of Amazon Ratings: 162
Blockchain advocate Aimee Vo provides an excellent guide to investing in digital currencies. This book is useful for beginners who want to learn more about this new digital asset class. A decent place to start if you are new to blockchain and bitcoin, and want to learn to trade and invest in different digital assets.
Given that the book was released in 2017, some of the information may be outdated. That’s why we can’t really rate it higher than a score of 2.5.
(BMJ Score: 2.5)
Web3 Simplified
Author: Steve Sarner
Goodreads Rating: 4.29
Number of Amazon Ratings: 5
Experienced blockchain writer Steve Sarner covers the basics of Web3 and the Metaverse for the uninitiated but interested. In 144 pages, Steve looks to give us an updated write-up on the blockchain and DeFi scene. Geared primarily towards beginners looking to wet their feet in cryptocurrency, the book provides clear-cut definitions and real-world examples of this new technology.
Given that there are options written by more experienced individuals, we gave this book a 2.5.
(BMJ Score: 2.5)
Proof of Stake: The Making of Ethereum
Author: Vitalik Buterin and Nathan Schneider (editor)
Goodreads Rating: 3.69
Number of Amazon Ratings: 175
Proof of Stake is a collection of blog posts and other writings from Ethereum’s co-founder and one of the most influential creators in the crypto space, Vitalik Buterin. The book is compiled and edited by Nathan Schneider, an assistant media studies professor at the University of Colorado Boulder.
He documents Ethereum’s early days and focuses on Vitalik’s deep questions about finance, consensus, society, and markets, to name a few. Proof of Stake is a great read for anyone interested in the future of blockchain technology.
Requiring an in-depth understanding of cryptocurrency, this book is definitely geared more toward advanced crypto investors, which gives it its current score.
(BMJ Score: 2.5 )
Beyond Bitcoin: Decentralized Finance and the End of Banks
Author: Steven Boykey Sidley
Goodreads Rating: 4.1
Number of Amazon Ratings: 21
The authors, Steven Boykey Sidley (an award-winning novelist, playwright, and columnist) and Simon Dingle (an author, broadcaster and entrepreneur with extensive experience in cryptocurrency), do a good job of explaining what has happened in the past few years in the world of DeFi and provide thoughts on what will be happening in the coming years. They believe DeFi will disrupt the traditional banking system and provide users with a decentralized alternative.
It provides a good overview of DeFi, but other books either explain the concepts better or take a more neutral stance on cryptocurrency, addressing pitfalls that beginners would heavily benefit from.
(BMJ Score: 2.5)
The NFT Handbook
Author: Matt Fortnow and QuHarrison Terry
Goodreads Rating: 3.8
Number of Amazon Ratings: 284
The NFT Handbook is a beginner-friendly guide on how to create, sell and buy non-fungible tokens. Authored by Matt Fortnow, an entertainment lawyer and entrepreneur, and QuHarrison Terry, a growth marketer, and producer, it covers everything from how this novel technology works, Ethereum and gas fees to how to get into the NFT market.
The book is targeted to anyone who lacks a technical background and wants to know how NFTs work, including how they are created, minted, and traded.
Other options may give more updated information on NFTs, given the rapidly changing environment this book was written in.
(BMJ Score: 3.0)
The Everything Guide to Investing in Cryptocurrency
Author: Ryan Derousseau
Goodreads Rating: 4.0
Number of Amazon Ratings: 260
The Everything Guide to Investing in Cryptocurrency generally has everything you’d expect from a crypto beginner’s guide. The author, Ryan Derousseau dives into the major cryptocurrencies, where to trade, setting up and managing your wallets, and crypto investments analysis.
Ryan’s book is a good read for anyone looking to understand the ins and outs of crypto and the potential of investing in digital assets.
While it’s a good book for beginners looking to understand DeFi, options like “The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains” offer deeper insight and better comparisons.
(BMJ Score: 2.0)
A Sharp Crypto Mind Needs All the Insight and Information They Can Get
Whether you’re an experienced investor looking to explore the metaverse or an interested beginner trying to wrap your head around Decentralized Finance, there’s a piece of literature for every reader out there.
No matter which books you choose to start with, don’t let our ratings discourage you from picking a cover, reading on, and continuing to learn more about the blockchain.
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