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The wild, messy tale of how young blockchain savants tried to revolutionize money, culture, and power
“In the end, it took only seven weeks to trigger the slow-motion toppling of global finance, and, though no one saw it then, begin upending the centuries-old method for establishing societal trust.”
Part riveting suspense, part coming-of-age story, The Cryptopians: Idealism, Greed, Lies, and the Making of the First Big Cryptocurrency Craze unearths how the 2008 global financial crash ushered in the rise of decentralized computing—and how one lanky teenager’s struggle to democratize finance and technology will fundamentally alter our lives, more than the internet itself.
This insightful journalistic page-turner will have crypto newbies and OGs alike considering the broader impact of blockchain technology, how it’s being built, and by whom.
Early readers are saying:
“Deeply researched, this book is an important body of work and must-read for the inside story of Ethereum complete with all of its grit and drama.”
“The most authoritative account yet of Ethereum. Laura Shin is deeply sourced in the crypto world and this is reflected on every page. The Cryptopians also casts new light on Vitalik Buterin, showing the human side of Ethereum’s founding genius as never before.”
“A story of high drama played out in the big stakes world of crypto currencies and cutting-edge technologies, with a cast of characters worthy of a thriller novel. Except: this incredible tale is all true and the hero of the story – Ethereum – has gone on to even greater things.”
“Laura Shin’s compelling, blow-by-blow account of the remarkable birth and growth of Ethereum shows that its spectacular wealth generation was not without struggle. By Shin’s telling, the story of Ethereum is a grand human drama. For all the talk of decentralized, code-based “virtual machines,” a successful crypto project’s biggest challenge is surviving internecine conflicts and the egos of its brilliant but humanly flawed founders.”
“The Cryptopians is a fascinating behind-the-scenes view into the early days of Ethereum and the unique personalities involved. Laura Shin does an excellent job breaking down the events in a way that is accessible to everyone.”
