"Tech writer Roberts debuts with a page-turning account of the rise of
cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase from the Y Combinator startup incubator
to becoming a 'pillar of the larger crypto economy.'" — Publisher's
Weekly
For a moment late in 2018, one bitcoin, which physically amounts to a
few electrons blipping on a tiny bit of silicon, was worth $20,000—the
same as a pound of gold. Libertarian technologists who believed bitcoin
would be the foundation of a new world order saw the moment as an
apotheosis. Everyone else saw a bubble. Everyone else was right, and the
bubble burst. But bitcoin survived, and the battle for its soul rages
on.
Kings of Crypto drops us into the unfolding drama, tracing the rise,
fall, and rebirth of cryptocurrency through the experiences of major
players across the globe. We follow Silicon Valley entrepreneur Brian
Armstrong and the turbulent rocket ride of his startup, Coinbase, as he
tries to take bitcoin mainstream while fighting off hackers, thieves,
and zealots. Author Jeff John Roberts keenly observes the world of
virtual currencies and what happens when startups try to disrupt the
world of high finance. Clear explanations of crypto technology are woven
into an amazing landscape full of meme-fueled startup hijinks, hacking
(so much hacking!), shady investors, government investigations,
billionaire bros and their Lambos, and closed-door meetings with Jamie
Dimon.
This is the surprising story of the origins of cryptocurrency and how it
is changing money forever.
