The Bitcoin Standard
The Decentralized Alternative to Central Banking
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The Bitcoin Standard
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Narrated by:
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James Fouhey
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By:
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Saifedean Ammous
About this listen
When a pseudonymous programmer introduced “a new electronic cash system that’s fully peer-to-peer, with no trusted third party” to a small Online mailing list in 2008, very few paid attention. Ten years later, and against all odds, this upstart autonomous decentralized software offers an unstoppable and globally-accessible hard money alternative to modern central banks. The Bitcoin Standard analyzes the historical context to the rise of bitcoin, the economic properties that have allowed it to grow quickly, and its likely economic, political, and social implications.
While bitcoin is a new invention of the digital age, the problem it purports to solve is as old as human society itself: transferring value across time and space. Ammous takes the listener on an engaging journey through the history of technologies performing the functions of money, from primitive systems of trading limestones and seashells, to metals, coins, the gold standard, and modern government debt. Exploring what gave these technologies their monetary role, and how most lost it, provides the listener with a good idea of what makes for sound money, and sets the stage for an economic discussion of its consequences for individual and societal future-orientation, capital accumulation, trade, peace, culture, and art. Compellingly, Ammous shows that it is no coincidence that the loftiest achievements of humanity have come in societies enjoying the benefits of sound monetary regimes, nor is it coincidental that monetary collapse has usually accompanied the collapse of a civilization.
With this background in place, the book moves on to explain the operation of bitcoin in a functional and intuitive way. Bitcoin is a decentralized, distributed piece of software that converts electricity and processing power into indisputably accurate records, thus allowing its users to utilize the Internet to perform the traditional functions of money without having to rely on, or trust, any authorities or infrastructure in the physical world. Bitcoin is thus best understood as the first successfully implemented form of digital cash and digital hard money. With an automated and perfectly predictable monetary policy, and the ability to perform final settlement of large sums across the world in a matter of minutes, Bitcoin’s real competitive edge might just be as a store of value and network for final settlement of large payments - a digital form of gold with a built-in settlement infrastructure.
Ammous’ firm grasp of the technological possibilities as well as the historical realities of monetary evolution provides for a fascinating exploration of the ramifications of voluntary free market money.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©2018 Saifedean Ammous (P)2018 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about The Bitcoin Standard
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mr. JP
- 18-10-19
most important book I have ever read
and it's all about money. what is it? how it is values? and then and only then what bitcoin had to do with it and how it changes everything...
the most important evolution of finance of our era
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Roope Kiuttu
- 09-03-21
One of the Most Eye-Opening Books I've Ever Read!
Every single human being in this planet should get this book. It opens your eyes like never before!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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- Dr Ward
- 11-04-21
Essential reading for everyone, Fix The World
An essential guide as to why fixing the money will fix the world. BTC, like mobile phones, FB and the internet is about to change how we live. Find out why today it was worth 60K and in the future may be worth £1- 2 MM per coin. Take the orange pill, wake up. The future is here.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Adrian J. Smith
- 06-03-22
A compelling idea
A compelling idea and very well argued, Ammous presents Bit coin as being a new source of sound money, along with all the benefits sound money can bring.
The first half of the book reads very much like a tract on Austrian Economics, and that's because it pretty much is, before really exploring the case for Bit Coin as a Decentralized alternative to Central Banking.
This book would have earned a 5 star rating had Ammous been less ideological and more objective. Although I am not a Keynesian myself, his attacks on Keynes on a moral level (including accusations of pedophilia) along with the use of some very non-academic language, hinder rather than help his case.
Ammous makes such a compelling case I really wanted to give him a 5 star rating, but the overly long nature of the part on Austrian economics and the lack of objectivity earned a 4 star rating. However, a compelling case nonetheless.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Max Sellers
- 15-04-22
Good read
Great stories and explanation of money, very good analysis of government and communism.
It is rather closed mind, moany and miserable when discussing any ideas or alternative thinking. Deep down Saifedean is a pragmatic guy and this definitely comes across in the book. Not accustomed to new ideas and believes in Bitcoin and nothing else in the world
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Alan Bryden
- 19-08-22
This Book Is A Must…
For anyone wanting to gain an understanding of what Bitcoin is, ‘The Bitcoin Standard’ is essential listening covering all the fundamental aspects of this technology and diving deeper into many of Bitcoins attributes. Prepare to get a whole new perspective & insight into what money actually is, how the system is broken & how Bitcoin fixes this.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Jay Man
- 11-12-22
Great read…
You listen how money has changed over time and shows you how good bitcoin is…
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 09-06-23
Best book about bitcoin out there
Really easy to listen to.
Very informative.
Had Listened to it twice to let it soak in properly.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- MR WYNESS
- 21-12-18
This is one of the best books I have ever read
I highly recommend this book, not just for a great understanding of Bitcoin but for economics and money explained in an easy to follow manner.
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4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Ian & Vanessa Valentine
- 20-09-21
Perfect in every way
Every sentence is a gem. Many lessons here for all. A must read for anyone working with crypto.
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