Xinyu's Reviews > Digital Gold: Bitcoin and the Inside Story of the Misfits and Millionaires Trying to Reinvent Money

Bitcoin price is at all time high. So after all these years of hearing the buzzword, I finally did a more “formal” reading on it. Digital Gold was written in 2015, short listed for the Financial Times Business Book of the year. It is the history of Bitcoin from its inception to its status in late 2014. Specifically, it focuses on the key players that shape the trajectory of Bitcoin.

The first part is about Bitcoin’s early development, second part about its traction among Silicon Valley’s venture capitalists and Fintech executives, third part on its transition to become mainstream and legitimate with government agencies.

I enjoyed the first part the most. It is like a world building, creating something from a concept to something with real value, by various players: visionaries, brilliant developers, ideological zealots, and mercenaries. Then similar to many dystopian novels, the egalitarian world gradually turns into a power and money game. The power and wealth are highly centralized, little different from the real world.