9 Best Books on Bitcoin and Blockchain in 2024
In an age when trust in banks and other traditional institutions has been undermined and all our personal data is in the hands of the new tech giants. The reputation of Bitcoin is on the high tide once again after it bounced back in 2020.
Blockchain is the underlying technological foundation of cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin. Innovative blockchain technology works without the need for a central authority. For people who want to learn more about Bitcoin and blockchain technology, here are six of the best books on the subject.
Why Learn Bitcoin and Blockchain?
Learning Bitcoin and Blockchain is the perfect entry point to the world of decentralized databases. Here are some reasons for which you should learn Bitcoin and blockchain.
Blockchain:
Due to the encryption feature, Blockchain is always secure.
The transactions are done instantly and transparently, as the ledger is updated automatically.
As it is a decentralized system, no intermediary fee is required.
The authenticity of a transaction is verified and confirmed by participants.
Bitcoin:
Bitcoin offers considerably lower transaction fees in comparison to conventional payment methods and institutions such as banks.
Bitcoin does not have any centralized entity such as a central bank or a government in the form of regulatory authority.
Another important factor behind the rising popularity of Bitcoin is the ease of use with Bitcoin.
It is also important to reflect on possibilities of learning about Bitcoin due to the safeguards for personal information and finances with Bitcoin.
Most importantly, Bitcoin is slowly gaining the reputation of becoming the potential alternative to currency in the future.
With more and more merchants and enterprises accepting Bitcoin as a viable instrument in their payment methods, it is only reasonable to learn Bitcoin.
What Makes Best Bitcoin and Blockchain Books?
Here are our criteria to select Bitcoin and blockchain books:
It must have a structured, clear, and logical progression of topics.
The book is concise and easy to understand.
Content must be up-to-date and should thoroughly teach and explain the concepts of Bitcoin and blockchain.
Contain exercises, examples, and practice problems for hands-on experience.
Engaging and able to hold the attention of readers.
The book should have a clear layout and must be friendly toward self-taught programmers.
Best Books on Bitcoin and Blockchain
Many beginners are generally confused about the starting place for their journey in learning about Bitcoin and blockchain. Here are some of the best books to learn about bitcoin and blockchain.
1. Best book for beginners: The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains: An Introduction to Cryptocurrencies
The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains by Antony Lewis is an excellent insight into the key concepts and real-world implications of bitcoin and blockchain. The book provides a clear guide to this new currency and the revolutionary technology that powers it.
Here's what you'll get from the book:
Understand the broad spectrum of Bitcoin topics including the history of Bitcoin, the Bitcoin blockchain, and Bitcoin buying, selling, and mining.
Learn how payments are made, and how to put a value on cryptocurrencies and digital tokens.
Learn about notable blockchain platforms, smart contracts, and other important facets of blockchains and their function in the changing cyber-economy.
Discover the risks and mitigations, learn how to identify scams, and understand cryptocurrency exchanges, digital wallets, and regulations.
Evolution and potential impacts of Bitcoin and blockchains on global businesses
The author clearly and concisely breaks down technical aspects of blockchain technology in a way that is easily digestible. The book is a useful, usable and enjoyable read. Though the topic is pretty complex but author made it simple to understand. It's a great resource for anyone who wants to understand what blockchain and cryptocurrency is really all about.
2. Best book for serious learners: Mastering Bitcoin: Programming the Open Blockchain, 3rd Edition
Mastering Bitcoin: Programming the Open Blockchain by Andreas M. Antonopoulos guides you through the seemingly complex world of Bitcoin. The book provides the knowledge you need to participate in the Internet of money.
Here's what you'll get from the book:
A broad introduction to Bitcoin and its underlying blockchain—ideal for nontechnical users, investors, and business executives
An explanation of Bitcoin's technical foundation and cryptographic currency for developers, engineers, and software and systems architects
Details of the Bitcoin decentralized network, peer-to-peer architecture, transaction lifecycle, and security principles
New developments such as Taproot, Tapscript, Schnorr signatures, and the Lightning Network
A deep dive into Bitcoin applications, including how to combine the building blocks offered by this platform into powerful new tools
User stories, analogies, examples, and code snippets illustrating key technical concepts
The book is divided into twelve chapters and includes the following contents:
Chapter 1 gives you the introduction
Chapter 2 talks about how Bitcoin works
Chapter 3 covers Bitcoin Core: The Reference Implementation
Chapter 4 talks about Keys, Addresses
Chapter 5 covers Wallets
Chapter 6 talks about Transactions
Chapter 7 covers Authorization and Authentication
Chapter 8 talks about the Digital Signatures
Chapter 9 talks about Transaction Fees
Chapter 10 covers the Bitcoin Network
Chapter 11 covers Blockchain
Chapter 12 talks about Mining and Consensus
Chapter 13 talks about Bitcoin Security
Chapter 14 talks about Second-Layer Applications
The author does a solid job of describing Bitcoin and its associated technologies. You need to have basic programming knowledge to fully enjoy the book. Give this book a go and you won't be disappointed!
3. Best Book for Newbies: Bitcoin & Blockchain Technology Explained For Beginners
Bitcoin & Blockchain Technology Explained For Beginners by Brian Scott Fitzgerald demystify complex concepts and transform them into easily digestible insights. The book is perfect for beginners and seasoned enthusiasts.
With this book, you will ab able to:
Uncover the remarkable potential of Bitcoin and blockchain technology, and how it can revolutionize your life
Explore the captivating world of Altcoins and witness the remarkable diversity that exists within the dynamic cryptocurrency landscape.
Master the art of crypto mining, a cutting-edge digital process revolutionizing Bitcoin transactions
Learn the secrets to protecting your valuable crypto investments amidst the ever-changing tides of a volatile market.
Discover the limitless possibilities that exist within the ever-evolving landscape of digital currencies.
The book explains how Bitcoin (BTC), Cryptocurrency (+ Altcoins) & the Blockchain work & why they will revolutionize everyone’s life. So, take advantage of this incredible opportunity to become a crypto elite.
4. Best book for investors: A Beginner's Guide To Bitcoin
A Beginner's Guide To Bitcoin by Matthew R. Kratter will teach you everything you need to know to get started investing in Bitcoin today. This book is a good summary of several of Matthew's videos about Bitcoin.
In this book, you will learn:
Why Bitcoin is not a bubble or a scam
What makes Bitcoin different from other cryptocurrencies
The best way to buy Bitcoin
How to store your Bitcoin securely
Why Bitcoin will not be banned by the U.S. government
How professional investors approach Bitcoin
The one thing you should never do when buying Bitcoin
How to create a secure financial future using Bitcoin
The author breaks the chapters down into six manageable but important topics. The content is very informative, short, and to the point. Each brief chapter is easy to read with a clear description of the content. The topics covered in the book are:
Is Bitcoin Actually Money
Price Targets For Bitcoin
Common Bitcoin Myths
How To Buy and Store Bitcoin
The 10 Commandments of Bitcoin
The Bitcoin Revolution Is Here
We highly recommend this book as a primer about Bitcoin. The information contained in this short book is worth potentially millions of dollars to you.
5. Best book for completionists: The Truth Machine: The Blockchain and the Future of Everything
The Truth Machine by Paul Vigna and Michael J. Casey demystifies the blockchain and explains why it can restore personal control over our data, assets, and identities. The book teaches how to potentially use blockchain technology to strategically solve problems.
You will learn the concept and technologies that make a blockchain so powerful. The authors reveal the disruption blockchain promises for industries including finance, tech, legal, and shipping. The contents covered in the book are:
Introduction: A society-building tool
The God protocol
"Governing" the digital economy
The plumbing and the politics
The token economy
Enabling the fourth industrial revolution
The Old Guard's new makeover
Blockchains for good
A self-sovereign identity
Everyone's a creator
A new constitution for the digital age
The book describes both the theory and practice of the coming block-chain revolution. It gives us a powerful technological roadmap to a more participatory future in the digital age. The book is a great eye-opener on block chain potential and its ramifications.
6. Best book for logical learners: Blockchain Bubble or Revolution: The Future of Bitcoin, Blockchains, and Cryptocurrencies
Blockchain Bubble or Revolution by Neel Mehta, Aditya Agashe, and Parth Detroja offers a balanced, comprehensive, and accessible analysis of blockchains and cryptocurrencies. The book enables you to thoroughly understand the blockchain ecosystem and make a decision for yourself on whether it is a bubble or a revolution.
The book gives you a well researched insight on the future of blockchain technology. It uses real-world case studies and dives deep into their technical, economic, political, and legal complexities. Here's what you'll find in this book:
Bitcoin and the block chain
How Bitcoin and blockchains work from a technical perspective with no assumed technical knowledge
Satoshi Nakamoto and the history of Bitcoin, the original blockchain
A thorough overview of crucial crypto concepts like blocks, keys, mining, nodes
Frameworks for understanding when it actually makes sense to use blockchain
Major application scenarios for blockchain and cryptocurrencies and where it’ll fall flat
Public blockchains and altcoins
Emerging trends in blockchain technology
What you should know before buying any cryptocurrency
An overview of Etherum and smart contracts
An overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the top altcoins and stable coins, including Monero (XMR), Tether (USDT), and Bitcoin Cash (BCH)
Alternatives to blockchain and cryptocurrencies
New kinds of decentralized ledger technology (DLT)
The economics of both traditional payment methods and cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrency security best practices and major breach case studies
Private blockchains
How blockchain, cryptocurrencies, and traditional banking and finance will interact with one another in the future
Public blockchains vs private blockchains
Limitations and shortcomings of public blockchains and cryptocurrencies
The role of blockchain in the strategy of top tech companies like Facebook and Microsoft
Case studies of how non-tech companies are effectively utilizing blockchain
Business blockchain case studies ranging from gaming to cloud services
Blockchain’s use for big data, internet of things (IoT), and machine learning (ML)
Cryptocurrency regulation and policy
ICOs vs STOs vs IPOs
KYC and AML laws
The debate over whether cryptocurrencies are securities
The official stance of various countries on crypto
An overview of crypto policy and regulatory hurdles
The role of crypto in emerging markets and China
Digital democracy and voting on the blockchain
The future of decentralized technology
Tokenization of national currencies
Facebook and WhatsApp’s upcoming cryptocurrencies
Currency tokenization and China’s efforts to tokenize the yuan
Blockchain, IoT, and the tangle
Cryptocurrencies vs. fiat vs. the gold standard
Predictions about the future of money, business, and currency
It's a must-read for anyone interested in understanding both the immense potential and profound obstacles associated with blockchain technology.
7. Best book for absolute beginners: Blockchain for Dummies
Blockchain for Dummies by Tiana Laurence gives you a clear picture of what a blockchain can do. You will learn how blockchains rule cryptocurrency and how current blockchains operate.
The book provides a glance at how blockchain solutions are affecting the worlds of finance, supply chain management, insurance, and governments. It offers a tour of some of the world's best-known blockchains, including those that power Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
This book is divided into five parts and nineteen chapters. It includes the following content:
Part 1: Getting Started with Blockchain
Chapter 1: Introducing Blockchain
Chapter 2: Picking a Blockchain
Chapter 3: Getting Your Hands on Blockchain
Part 2: Developing Your Knowledge
Chapter 4: Beholding the Bitcoin Blockchain
Chapter 5: Encountering the Ethereum Blockchain
Chapter 6: Riding the Waves Blockchain
Chapter 7: Finding the Factom Blockchain
Chapter 8: Examining the EOS Blockchain
Part 3: Powerful Blockchain Platforms
Chapter 9: Getting Your Hands on Hyperledger
Chapter 10: Applying Microsoft Azure
Chapter 11: Getting Busy on IBM Bluemix
Part 4: Industry Impacts
Chapter 12: Financial Technology
Chapter 13: Real Estate
Chapter 14: Insurance
Chapter 15: Government
Chapter 16: Other Industries
Part 5: The Part of Tens
Chapter 17: Ten Free Blockchain Resources
Chapter 18: The Ten Rules to Never Break on the Blockchain
Chapter 19: Ten Top Blockchain Projects
This book serves to help those who need to understand what a blockchain can do.
8. Best Book for Savvy Crypto Investors: Mastering Blockchain: Unlocking the Power of Cryptocurrencies, Smart Contracts, and Decentralized Applications
Mastering Blockchain: Unlocking the Power of Cryptocurrencies, Smart Contracts, and Decentralized Application by Lorne Lantz and Daniel Cawrey explains the complex, fast moving ideas behind blockchain into an easily digestible reference manual, showing what's really going on under the hood. The book will give you a good starting point to understand how to invest wisely.
Mastering Blockchain is like a bible on cryptocurrency. Here’s what you’ll get from the book:
Learn why Bitcoin was fundamentally important in blockchain's birth
Learn how Ethereum has created a fertile ground for new innovations like Decentralized Finance (DeFi), Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) and Flash Loans
Discover the secrets behind cryptocurrency prices and different forces that affect the highly volatile cryptocurrency markets
Learn how cryptocurrencies are used by criminals to carry out nefarious activities
Discover how enterprise and governments are leveraging the blockchain including Facebook
Understand the challenges of scaling and forking a blockchain
Learn how different blockchains work
Learn the language of blockchain as industry terms are explained
The book is divided into ten chapters and include the following topics:
Chapter 1 talks about the Origins of Blockchain Technology
Chapter 2 covers Cryptocurrency Fundamentals
Chapter 3 covers Forks and Altchains
Chapter 4 talks about the Evolution to Ethereum
Chapter 5 talks about Tokenize Everything
Chapter 6 covers Market Infrastructure
Chapter 7 covers Decentralizing Finance and the Web
Chapter 8 talks about Crypto Laundering
Chapter 9 talks about Blockchain as a Service
Chapter 10 talks about the Future of Blockchain
This book is for anyone evaluating whether to invest time in the cryptocurrency and blockchain industry.
9. Best Book for Blockchain Enthusiasts: Mastering Blockchain: Inner workings of blockchain, 4th Edition
Mastering Blockchain: Inner workings of blockchain by Imran Bashir presents a comprehensive exploration of blockchain. This latest edition covers the most recent advancements, such as layer 2 technologies, developments in Ethereum following the merge, and decentralized finance and identity in the blockchain ecosystem. You will get to grips with Solidity, Web3, NFTs, DeFi, and smart contract development.
Here’s what you’ll get from the book:
Grasp the mechanisms behind Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies
Understand cryptography and its usage in blockchain
Become familiar with the theoretical foundations of smart contracts and blockchain consensus
Develop DApps using Solidity, Remix, Truffle, and Ganache
Solve issues relating to privacy, identity, scalability, and security in enterprise blockchains
Dive into the architecture of Ethereum 2.0
Delve into emerging trends like DeFi, NFTs, and Metaverse
Explore various applications, research topics, and future directions of blockchain
The book takes a practical approach by exploring real-world use cases. These practical examples help readers connect theoretical knowledge to practical applications, enhancing the learning experience. It is divided into ten chapters and covers the following topics:
Chapter 1 covers Blockchain 101
Chapter 2 talks about Decentralization
Chapter 3 covers Symmetric Cryptography
Chapter 4 covers Asymmetric Cryptography
Chapter 5 talks about Consensus Algorithms
Chapter 6 talks about Bitcoin Architecture
Chapter 7 covers Bitcoin in Practice
Chapter 8 covers Smart Contracts
Chapter 9 talks about Ethereum Architecture
Chapter 10 talks about Ethereum in Practice
This book covers not only the fundamentals but also goes beyond those to offer valuable insights for practitioners. By the end of this blockchain book, you will have gained a thorough comprehension of the various facets of blockchain and understand the potential of this technology in diverse real-world scenarios.
More Ways to Learn Bitcoin and Blockchain
To learn anything, there is no single best way. In addition to books, you can also benefit from online courses and tutorials to learn more about Bitcoin and Blockchain.
Here are a few more ways to learn Bitcoin and Blockchain besides books:
Udemy: Blockchain and Bitcoin Fundamentals by George Levy is a 3-hour high-rated course. It helps you to learn the key elements of blockchain and Bitcoin.
Coursera: Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies gives you the conceptual foundations you need to engineer secure software that interacts with the Bitcoin network. After this course, you’ll be able to integrate ideas from Bitcoin into your own projects.
Codecademy: Learn the Basics of Blockchain with Python helps you learn the structure and properties of the blockchain itself and the individual blocks that make it up.
We also suggest here over 70 coding resources that you can access immediately and are free online. I hope to see you over there in that article.
Over the course of time, you can move further and learn the advanced concepts of Bitcoin and blockchain. Start learning and exploring more about Bitcoin and blockchain.