Why cryptocurrencies?
Why they exist, what they do and why they matter
Why cryptocurrencies in five minutes
About the book
Acknowledgments
How to use this book
Completely free
About me, the author
What is a cryptocurrency?
Properties of a cryptocurrency
How do cryptocurrencies work?
Look out for snake oil
What is money?
Are cryptocurrencies money?
Better digital payments
Cheaper & faster
“Undesirable” businesses
Freezing of merchant accounts
Uncensorable donations
For the unbanked
A better currency
The financial crisis, bad loans and bailouts
The blind leading the blind
A defective system
Private money
A global currency
Brave new world
Darknet markets
A Swiss bank account in your pocket
The cashless dystopia
Protection against government confiscation
Separation of money and state
Extensions
Timestamping service
Uncensorable Twitter
Provably fair gambling
Tokens
Improved voting
Appendix
The Bitcoin white paper
Challenges for cryptocurrencies
A hitchhiker’s guide to cryptography
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