Some experts say that Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are just a scam; others say they're "the most important invention since the internet." It's hard to tell who's right.

Authored by Silicon Valley leaders from Google, Microsoft, and Facebook, Bubble or Revolution cuts through the hype to offer a balanced, comprehensive, and accessible analysis of blockchains and cryptocurrencies.

You'll learn the core concepts of Bitcoin and blockchain technologies to understand their strengths and weaknesses from real-world case studies; dive deep into their technical, economic, political, and legal complexities; gain insights about their future from exclusive interviews with dozens of tech industry leaders.

Are blockchains and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin a bubble or a revolution? We'll help you decide for yourself.

COUNTERFEIT PHYSICAL BOOK WARNING: There are several sellers selling counterfeit new and used copies of our book. The counterfeit copies are missing 38 pages of new content updates made in 2021 with the latest blockchain developments. To ensure you get a legitimate version of our book with the latest updates, please only buy NEW copies that say "Ships From & Sold By Amazon."

What's inside:

Bitcoin and the blockchain

How Bitcoin and blockchains work from a technical perspective with no assumed technical knowledge
Satoshi Nakamoto and the history of Bitcoin, the original blockchain
Thorough overview of crucial crypto concepts (eg. blocks, keys, mining, etc.)
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
Overview of Etherum and smart contracts
Overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the top altcoins and stable coins
Alternatives to blockchain and cryptocurrencies
New kinds of decentralized ledger technology (DLT)
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 & finance will interact with one another in the future
Public blockchains vs private blockchains
Limitations and shortcomings of public blockchains and cryptocurrencies
Role of blockchain in the strategy of top tech companies like Meta and Microsoft
Case studies of how non-tech companies are effectively utilizing blockchain (e.g. Walmart using it to prevent foodborne illness)
Business blockchain case studies ranging from gaming (e.g. Xbox) to cloud services (e.g. Microsoft Azure's blockchain-as-a-service)
Blockchain's use for big data, internet of things (IoT), and machine learning (ML)

Cryptocurrency regulation and policy