Every now and then a new technology comes along described as having both great promise and great threat, as a means of social liberation or as a means of outright fraud. The internet, for example, drew this bold cataclysmic forecast from Ethernet co-founder Robert Metcalfe in 1995: "I predict the Internet will soon go spectacularly supernova and in 1996 catastrophically collapse." In the fall of 2008, another technology which has increasingly witnessed such a stirring of opinion and attention, referred to as both "blockchain" and "cryptocurrency", was introduced to the world via the Bitcoin whitepaper. The technology has catapulted from a relative fringe of recipients on the cypherpunks mailing list to current adoption trends at some of the world''s largest financial institutions and social media platforms like JPMorgan and Facebook. In parallel, the market capitalization of traded cryptocurrencies has grown to more than a quarter of a trillion U.S. dollars, with futures contracts referenced to Bitcoin listed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. But how can the new entrant sort through the noise on social media and elsewhere, when icons of the business world like Warren Buffet and Elon Musk have radically different takes on it, the former referring to Bitcoin as a "delusion" and "rat poison squared", the latter "quite brilliant"? Even within the blockchain space so-called "experts" can''t seem to agree on the meaning of loosely thrown around terms and phrases like "decentralized" and "digital gold"―or even on "blockchain" itself. The purpose of this book is to cut through the noise, providing an analytical, neutrally voiced basis for understanding this new technology. It is our strong belief that individuals and institutions should understand what they are investing in. Toward that end we also provide a durable overall cryptocurrency valuation framework, offering a fresh perspective for the seasoned analyst too. The chapters are organized as follows: 1, "Money and Systems," provides a history and analysis of money and monetary practice, and how this relates to systems. 2, "Basics of Computing, Networks and Cryptography," is an overview of the technological building blocks upon which Bitcoin and other blockchain protocols are being built, and the mathematical functions which gave rise to the name "cryptocurrency". In 3, "How Bitcoin Works," we dive right into the inner workings of this first blockchain protocol. 4, "Competing Blockchains," provides an overview of subsequent blockchain alternatives, wherein the reader will discover more about many of the other oft-mentioned alternatives like Ethereum, EOS, and IOTA, and categories of cryptocurrencies like Privacy and Stablecoins including Facebook''s Libra. 5, "Role and Power of Government," covers the relevant aspects of currency, banking, commodity, securities, and tax law treatments globally. 6, "Trading Cryptocurrency," is for the type of investor interested in actively trading relatively liquid markets. It will also be of more general interest to other investors as it highlights supporting blockchain infrastructure and channels for accessing cryptocurrency from traditional payment means, and cryptocurrency as a portfolio asset. 7, "A Blockchain Economy," describes a vision where decentralized systems of all kinds including Finance, Social Media, Real Estate, Healthcare, and the Internet of Things form the basis of the global economic system. 8, "Network and Its Value," applies network theory as an approach to model and value a cryptocurrency. Now that the reader has a sound understanding of the underlying technology, a vision of the future dominated by it, and alternative valuation approaches, 9, "Investing in Blockchain," will help in identifying focus areas and key investment themes. 10, "Summary and Conclusion," reviews the preceding chapters, while highlighting other less technical social forces acting upon the future of blockchain technology.

Maximize your money while avoiding the potential pitfalls of investing in cryptocurrency—this handy guide shows you how to get in from the bottom up in this hot new market. Cryptocurrency—a digital asset that uses cryptography to secure all of its transactions, making it nearly impossible to counterfeit—is moving into the mainstream, receiving coverage from major financial websites such as Forbes and Bloomberg, as well as increased attention from serious financial institutions, and experiencing wider availability in trusted markets, such as the world’s largest futures exchange, Chicago Mercantile Exchange. As the price of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies continue to fluctuate and and news stories of cryptocurrency hackers increase, investors have to be more conscious of the huge opportunities and large risks in this market. Understanding these risks and rewards of cryptocurrency is vital for everyone wanting to make money on this exciting new form of investing. The Everything Guide to Investing in Cryptocurrency is an authoritative and comprehensive guide to help you safely jump into the lucrative world of e-commerce. You’ll learn: —The different major cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin, litecoin, and ethereum —Where to buy and sell cryptocurrencies safely and securely —Setting up and managing your cryptocurrency wallet —Properly analyzing their investments Leap into cryptocurrencies with a full understanding of what you’re investing in. With the help of The Everything Guide to Investing in Cryptocurrencies, you’ll maximize your gains and minimize your risks in this radical new frontier.

Lack of knowledge is no longer an excuse - there's no time like the present for becoming a crypto investor. What if we told you that one book could contain an entire education in crypto investing topics? Whether you're an uninitiated newbie or an established veteran, this book exists to help you get a profitable start as a new crypto investor. The committed reader will go on an educational journey that starts in the world of conventional finance before crossing the crypto bridge to go deep on crypto assets, decentralized finance, NFTs, and security token offerings. This book is your one-stop shop on building a deadly working knowledge of the crypto markets and our ideas on how to play them profitably. It's time for the wall of technical smoke and mirrors around crypto to come down, and this book represents an experienced technical team sharing its hard-won knowledge as accessible as possible. You don't need to be a math genius to trade crypto successfully. But you do need a strong base of knowledge to work from. This book is your foundation.

Handbook of Blockchain, Digital Finance, and Inclusion, Volume 1: Cryptocurrency, FinTech, InsurTech, and Regulation explores recent advances in digital banking and cryptocurrency, emphasizing mobile technology and evolving uses of cryptocurrencies as financial assets. Contributors go beyond summaries of standard models to describe new banking business models that will be sustainable and will likely dictate the future of finance. The volume not only emphasizes the financial opportunities made possible by digital banking, such as financial inclusion and impact investing, but it also looks at engineering theories and developments that encourage innovation. Its ability to illuminate present potential and future possibilities make it a unique contribution to the literature. - Explores recent advances in digital banking and cryptocurrency, emphasizing mobile technology and evolving uses of cryptocurrencies as financial assets - Explains the practical consequences of both technologies and economics to readers who want to learn about subjects related to their specialties - Encompasses alternative finance, financial inclusion, impact investing, decentralized consensus ledger and applied cryptography - Provides the only advanced methodical summary of these subjects available today

Cryptocurrencies and digital assets are increasingly garnering interest from institutional investors. This is on top of the already strong support in place for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin from the retail investor. With this rapid growth has come a series of complex operational and regulatory compliance challenges. These challenges have become further exacerbated by the increasing pace of technological advances in areas such as decentralized finance (DeFi) tokenization, blockchain and distributed ledger technology (DLT) essential to the crypto and digital asset markets. This book will be the first book to provide current and practical guidance on the operational and compliance foundations of crypto investing and asset management. The book will include: · Step-by-step analysis of the modern operational mechanics behind cryptocurrency investment operations · Detailed guidance and example documentation on the procedures launching a crypto fund · Explanation of the operational procedures and compliance requirements for crytpo asset managers · Detailed analysis of crypto anti-money laundering compliance, regulations and laws for cryptocurrencies · Up-to-date analysis of recent crypto case studies, frauds and regulatory enforcement actions · Review of the digital asset landscape including non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and asset tokenization · Current examples of real-world crypto operations policies and compliance manuals · Analysis of the emerging trends in crypto operations and compliance in areas including blockchain, DeFi, crypto lending, yield farming, crypto mining and dApps Cryptocurrency Compliance and Operations will be an invaluable up-to-date resource for investors, fund managers, and their operations and compliance personnel as well as service providers on the implementation and management of best practice operations.​

The ultimate guide to the world of cryptocurrencies! While the cryptocurrency market is known for its volatility—and this volatility is often linked to the ever-changing regulatory environment of the industry—the entire cryptocurrency market is expected to reach a total value of $1 trillion this year. If you want to get in on the action, this book shows you how. Cryptocurrency Investing For Dummies offers trusted guidance on how to make money trading and investing in the top 200 digital currencies, no matter what the market sentiment. You'll find out how to navigate the new digital finance landscape and choose the right cryptocurrency for different situations with the help of real-world examples that show you how to maximize your cryptocurrency wallet. Understand how the cryptocurrency market works Find best practices for choosing the right cryptocurrency Explore new financial opportunities Choose the right platforms to make the best investments This book explores the hot topics and market moving events affecting cryptocurrency prices and shows you how to develop the smartest investment strategies based on your unique risk tolerance.

In Crypto Revolution, Matthew Aaron walks you through the fascinating world of blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. A guide for beginners, this book includes how-tos on getting started in the industry, tips on safely buying, selling and storing cryptocurrency, as well as how to evaluate potentially good investments. Part history book and part instructional guide, Crypto Revolution will show you exactly why cryptocurrency is not just globally disruptive, it will change the way we buy, sell, and even live.