TL;DR: Read The Bitcoin Standard and The Bullish Case for Bitcoin.
Essentials #
Start at the beginning, and read – or at least skim – the 8 pages which gave birth to Bitcoin:
- Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System by Satoshi Nakamoto
To get a grasp on Bitcoin you will have to read a book or two. If you only want to read one book, you can’t go wrong with Saifedean’s The Bitcoin Standard. Bitcoin is money, so understanding The Ethics of Money Production is paramount to understanding what Bitcoin is about. If you need a crash-course in economics, read Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt.
If you prefer a shorter introduction, read and listen to the following:
- The Bullish Case for Bitcoin by Vijay Boyapati (audio version)
- The Stories We Tell About Money by Andreas Antonopoulos
Videos #
Books #
Books about Bitcoin which can be read by anyone, no special background knowledge or education required. As mentioned above, The Bitcoin Standard is required reading for anyone interested in Bitcoin.
Articles #
Many amazing articles have been written about Bitcoin. Trying to link to all of them is futile. The following is an effort to highlight at least some of them. For a more comprehensive list of resources please refer to the literature listed at the Satoshi Nakamoto Institute and the selection of articles read by Bitcoin Audible.
One of the best articles to read if you are new to Bitcoin is The Bullish Case for Bitcoin, which outlines why there are very good reasons to be optimistic about Bitcoin’s future.
- 🎧 Shelling Out - The Origins of Money by Nick Szabo
- 🎧 The Bullish Case for Bitcoin by Vijay Boyapati
- 🎧 Bitcoin Does Not Waste Energy by Parker Lewis
- 🎧 Bitcoin, Not Blockchain by Parker Lewis
- 🎧 A most peaceful revolution by Nic Carter
- 🎧 Bitcoin Obsoletes All Other Money by Parker Lewis
- 🎧 The Number Zero and Bitcoin by Robert Breedlove
- 🎧 Dear Family, Dear Friends by Gigi
- 🎧 The Last Word on Bitcoin’s Energy Consumption by Nic Carter
- 🎧 Masters and Slaves of Money by Robert Breedlove
- 🎧 Stone Ridge 2020 Shareholder Letter by Ross L. Stevens
Podcasts #
One of the best ways to educate yourself on Bitcoin is by listening to the smartest people in the space. Luckily, we are living in the golden age of podcasts, and many great conversations are “open source” so to speak.
The following podcasts are among the best in the space:
- Tales From The Crypt [ 😆 💬 📰 | | ]
by Marty Bent with RHR co-host Matt Odell - Stephan Livera Podcast [ ⚙️ 💹 💬 | | ]
by Stephan Livera - Bitcoin Rapid-Fire [ 💬 | | ]
by John Vallis - Bitcoin Audible [ 💹 ⚙️ 📖 | | ]
by Guy Swann - Citizen Bitcoin [ 💬 | | ]
by Brady Swenson
Selected Podcast Episodes #
You can find a list of selected podcast episodes here.
Further Resources #
The more rabbit holes, the better! Don’t rely on this resource page alone. There are many excellent curations and guides by other bitcoiners, such as:
- Bitcoin Literature by the Satoshi Nakamoto Institute
- Bitcoin-Only by 6102
- Bitcoin.Page by Jameson Lopp
- WTF Happened In 1971? by Ben Prentice and HAC
- Bitcoiner Guide by Bitcoin Q+A
- Learn Me A Bitcoin by Greg
About these Resources #
The resources listed above are but a small selection which was particularly influential in my thinking. A sincere thank you to all the people who shared their thoughts and insights, past and present. I have learned so much, and for that, I will be eternally grateful.
If you have suggestions for content or improvements, feel free to open issues or PRs on GitHub or reach out to me.