Best Bitcoin Books for 2023 (with Reader Ratings)

As the grandfather of cryptocurrency, bitcoin holds a special place in the hearts of crypto investors. There is no shortage of books about the history of bitcoin, the mysterious nature of its creator Satoshi Nakamoto, and how bitcoin and blockchain technology are changing the world.

Our #1 bitcoin book would have to be Blockchain for Everyone: How I Learned the Secrets of the New Millionaire Class (And You Can, Too), available in print from Amazon and an entertaining audiobook from Audible. As this book was written by our publisher Sir John Hargrave, we have not included it in our official ratings.

In updating our list of the top bitcoin books for 2023, we compiled the quality and quantity of user reviews on major booksellers, factoring in overall clarity and readability. Read on.

Best Bitcoin Books

Bitcoin: Hard Money You Can’t F*ck with: Why Bitcoin will be the next Global Reserve Currency

Author: Jason A.Williams

Goodreads Rating: 4.52

Number of Amazon Ratings: 853

Written by investor and entrepreneur Jason A. Williams, this book extols the virtues of bitcoin, especially in modern times when financial disaster and unprecedented money creation are making the headlines. Williams believes bitcoin is “the best form of money we’ve ever had” while spelling out the dangers of central banks printing money.

Easy to read, Jason A. Williams’ book is the best bitcoin book for anyone wanting a deeper understanding of bitcoin and the significant role it’s likely to play in our financial futures. (BMJ Score 4.5)

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Mastering Bitcoin

Author: Andreas Antonopoulos

Goodreads Rating: 4.32

Number of Amazon Ratings: 930

Written by Andreas Antonopoulos, a vocal bitcoin advocate and computer scientist who gives a thorough explanation of the infrastructure of the Bitcoin blockchain, Mastering Bitcoin is best suited for those who already have a basic understanding of programming and cryptography. It provides a basic understanding of how to create a blockchain of your own. (BMJ Score: 4.5)

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The Internet of Money

Author: Andreas Antonopoulos

Goodreads Rating: 4.07

Number of Amazon Ratings: 1254

Written by Andreas Antonopoulos, a vocal bitcoin advocate and computer scientist, The Internet of Money answers the question “Why Bitcoin?” The book contextualizes the significance of bitcoin through a series of essays covering the maturation of the digital currency over time. (BMJ Score: 4.5)

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The Bitcoin Standard: The Decentralized Alternative to Central Banking

Author: Saifedean Ammous

Goodreads Rating: 4.16

Number of Amazon Ratings: 5519

Written by academic and Austrian economist Saifedean Ammous, The Bitcoin Standard discusses the history of money, the relationship between economics and society, and why bitcoin constitutes “good money.” The book touts bitcoin as an excellent alternative to central banking, which makes it a must-read for open-minded lawmakers and bankers alike. (BMJ Score: 4.5)

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Cryptoassets: The Innovative Investor’s Guide to Bitcoin and Beyond

Author: Chris Burniske and Jack Tatar

Goodreads Rating: 3.96

Number of Amazon Ratings: 807

Written by Placeholder VC’s Chris Burniske and Jack Tatar, Cryptoassets provides a valuable guide to assessing cryptoassets’ worth and managing portfolios along with the risks associated with crypto. Additionally, the book provides a guide to the various platforms and dares to take a glimpse into the future. Suitable for both the more advanced investor and those who are seeking a greater understanding of the topic.

Cryptoassets scores extra points for being one of the few to cover crypto markets and investment in such detail, but it loses points for not fully detailing the negatives and positives of investing in crypto. (BMJ score 4.0)

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The Little Bitcoin Book: Why Bitcoin Matters for Your Freedom, Finances, and Future

Author: Bitcoin Collective, Timi Ajiboye

Goodreads Rating: 4.23

Number of Amazon Ratings: 505

Written by the Bitcoin Collective and Timi Ajiboye, The Little Bitcoin Book was penned by eight industry experts and addresses many of the frequently asked questions about bitcoin. It goes in-depth on what’s wrong with today’s money system and discusses what it means for global freedoms and opportunities. The book explains the origins of bitcoin, and finishes with a Q&A section. An ideal primer for the beginner investor.

The Little Bitcoin Book is a good primer for readers wanting to understand more about financial history, but its brevity means it lacks detail in some areas. (BMJ score 4.0)

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Bitcoin Billionaires: A True Story of Genius, Betrayal, and Redemption

Author: Ben Mezrich

Goodreads Rating: 4.00

Number of Amazon Ratings: 1948

Reading like Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man And The Sea, Bitcoin Billionaires follows two familiar characters whose fall from grace would be remembered by many: The Winklevoss Twins. The book narrates their climb back to redemption, post-Facebook lawsuit.

Unlike the other books on this list, Bitcoin Billionaires is a page-turning story, more than an instruction manual. Novelistic by nature, readers should turn to other options if they’re looking for something more technical and informative. (BMJ Score: 4.0)

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The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains: An Introduction to Cryptocurrencies and the Technology that Powers Them

Author:  Anthony Lewis

Goodreads Rating: 4.14

Number of Amazon Ratings: 1031

Written by Anthony Lewis, The Basics of Bitcoins and Blockchains: An Introduction to Cryptocurrencies and the Technology that Powers Them is a clear, concise, and witty look at bitcoin and the uses and implications of blockchain technology. A great resource for anyone who wants an answer to the question “Where can I learn about bitcoin?” Antony could explain cryptocurrency to a five-year-old while retaining key concepts and insights. (BMJ Score: 3.5)

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A Beginner’s Guide to Bitcoin

Author: Matthew Kratter

Goodreads Rating: 4.23

Number of Amazon Ratings: 1586

Written by Matthew Kratter, the guide is a welcoming read that works as a roadmap for bitcoin. The guide covers everything from buying and storing bitcoin to understanding the fundamentals of investing and keeping your cool during times of high volatility. (BMJ Score: 3.5)

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Digital Gold: Bitcoin and the Inside Story of the Misfits and Millionaires Trying to Reinvent Money

Author: Nathaniel Popper

Goodreads Rating: 4.16

Number of Amazon Ratings: 814

Written by New York Times journalist Nathaniel Popper, Digital Gold tells the story of bitcoin through the eyes of some of the movement’s most colorful characters. For readers who like bitcoin, technology, and history, this book makes for an amusing and interesting read. (BMJ Score: 3.5)

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The Age of Cryptocurrency: How Bitcoin and the Blockchain Are Challenging the Global Economic Order

Author: Paul Vigna and Michael Casey

Goodreads Rating: 3.85

Number of Amazon Ratings: 388

Written by the Wall Street Journal’s Paul Vigna and Coindesk’s Michael Casey, The Age of Cryptocurrency delivers the definitive answer to the question “Why care about bitcoin?” Vigna and Casey have produced more than just a Bitcoin 101 type book as they delve into the political, economic, technical, and ideological impacts of cryptocurrency. (BMJ Score: 3.5)

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The Only Bitcoin Investing Book You’ll Ever Need: An Absolute Beginner’s Guide to the Cryptocurrency Which Is Changing the World and Your Finances in 2021 & Beyond

Author: Freeman Publications

Goodreads Rating: 4.21

Number of Amazon Ratings: 982

This book by Freeman Publications provides a stripped-down version of investing with bitcoin. It’s great for someone looking to get started and it explains everything in less than 120 pages.

Without technical jargon or arcane concepts, this book cuts through the noise and the hard math to give you a piece aimed at explaining the very basics of starting your investing journey with bitcoin.  (BMJ Score: 3.5)

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Bitcoin Clarity: The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Understanding

Author: Kiara Bickers

Goodreads Rating: 4.20

Number of Amazon Ratings: 88

Written by Kiara Bickers, this guide to bitcoin provides a comprehensive overview while breaking down a complex topic into easy-to-understand text.

Those considering making the leap into the crypto world who want to see bitcoin explained clearly and concisely, will appreciate the fundamentals covered in the book, including how bitcoin works and its growing popularity. Bitcoin Clarity is among the best bitcoin books for beginners, and provides a refresher for established investors.

Some describe it as the best bitcoin book they’ve read. However, for a book aimed at beginners, it does include technical analysis, which some readers may find hard to follow. (BMJ Score 3.5)

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The Blocksize War: The Battle For Control Over Bitcoin’s Protocol Rules

Author: Jonathan Bier

Goodreads Rating: 4.30

Number of Amazon Ratings: 410

Bitcoin’s history may be short, but it’s chock full of riveting and pivotal events that have defined the blockchain’s history. The Blocksize War by Jonathan Bier is an in-depth account of the “blocksize war”: the debate on a block’s ideal storage capacity. The implications of this seminal argument would affect network fees, transaction times, and the future viability of bitcoin as a currency.

While the book may be a thoroughly-researched account of the blocksize debate, it remains a technical read with concepts that very few may understand. It’s definitely not required reading for beginners, but it’s recommended for those interested in learning more about one of bitcoin’s most pivotal events. (BMJ Score: 3.5)

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The Bullish Case For Bitcoin

Author: Vijay Boyapati

Goodreads Rating: 4.52

Number of Amazon Ratings: 356

Written by Vijay Boyapati with a foreword by Michael Saylor, the book clearly outlines bitcoin’s salient features, the theory of money, and bitcoin’s superiority over the currency standards that have come before it.

An introductory read designed to provide foundational knowledge on a rapidly expanding industry, the book outlines bitcoin as a new form of money, comparisons to current units of account, and what the future may hold for the blockchain.

Because of its length and valuable nuggets of information, The Bullish Case For Bitcoin remains a must-read for beginners looking to enter the crypto fray.  (BMJ Score: 3.5)

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Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies: A Comprehensive Introduction

Author: Arvind Narayanan, Joseph Bonneau, Edward Felten, Andrew Miller, Steve Goldfeder

Goodreads Rating: 4.33

Number of Amazon Ratings: 193

Rather than cover the broadside of bitcoin, the authors focus on the technologies behind digital currencies. Aside from addressing questions like how blockchain works, it examines wider issues such as cryptocurrency regulation and bitcoin history. There’s an interactive element for readers that want to visit the associated website, which covers instructional videos to accompany each chapter, and programming assignments.

An easy-to-read, accessible guide that provides a detailed introduction and overview of bitcoin, but loses points as some may find it dated in the rapidly evolving world of crypto. (BMJ Score 3.5)

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Inventing Bitcoin: The Technology Behind the First Truly Scarce and Decentralized Money Explained

Author: Yan Pritzker

Goodreads Rating: 4.45

Number of Amazon Ratings: 464

Written by Yan Pritzker, Inventing Bitcoin: The Technology Behind the First Truly Scarce and Decentralized Money Explained delivers a deep dive into the invention of bitcoin. Though short, it still manages to give a good overview and scores rave reviews from readers and reviewers alike.

It does a good job of explaining the basics, but its brevity means it’s not as detailed in some areas as it could be. (BMJ Score 3.5)

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Bitcoin: Everything Divided by 21 Million

Author: Knut Svanholm

Goodreads Rating: 4.49

Number of Amazon Ratings: 93

Svanholm’s book Bitcoin: Everything Divided By 21 Million presents bitcoin and the blockchain as the revolutionary technology that it is. It argues how bitcoin’s price and market capitalization is determined by its limited supply.

As a non-technical book, Bitcoin presents abstract concepts aimed at shifting your perspective on the blockchain. For experienced investors, this book presents philosophical arguments that strengthen your conviction in the future of bitcoin. For beginners, this piece will convince you of crypto’s value. (BMJ Score: 3.0)

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Mastering the Lightning Network: A Second Layer Blockchain Protocol for Instant Bitcoin Payments

Authors: Andreas M. Antonopoulos. Olaoluwa Osuntokun, & Rene Pickhardt

Goodreads Rating: 4.45

Number of Amazon Ratings: 75

Mastering The Lightning Network is an explanatory piece on the Lightning Network, a Layer 2 payment protocol intended for enabling quicker transactions and improving bitcoin’s scalability. Antonopoulos et al. examines the lightning network and creates a detailed account of how Layer 2 protocols on the blockchain have the capacity to verify more transactions and scale past existing payment protocols.

Though not an introductory book, this material was written for technical readers interested in learning about Layer 2 protocols that present themselves as solutions to many cryptocurrencies’ scalability issues. (BMJ Score: 3.0)

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Thank God for Bitcoin: The Creation, Corruption and Redemption of Money

Author: Bitcoin and Bible Group, Jimmy Song, and Gabe Higgins

Goodreads Rating: 4.09

Number of Amazon Ratings: 444

Is bitcoin the answer to a broken monetary system? The authors of this book certainly think so. The book deep-dives into the creation and corruption of our current economy, while detailing how bitcoin could be its salvation. If you’re looking for a book that just explores bitcoin, this isn’t necessarily the best bitcoin book for you. However, it’s ideal for readers that want to understand our monetary system better.

While the book does an excellent job of explaining the monetary system and the history behind it, there’s far more focus on fiat than on cryptocurrencies. (BMJ Score 3.0)

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The Book of Satoshi

Author:  Phil Champagne

Goodreads Rating: 4.07

Number of Amazon Ratings: 341

Written by Phil Champagne as an exhaustive compilation of all publications posted online by bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator, The Book of Satoshi provides all of Nakamoto’s online posts in a chronological manner with added commentary from the author. It is an exhaustive delve into bitcoin’s history for those looking to learn more about Satoshi Nakamoto and bitcoin’s past. (BMJ Score: 3.0)

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