Book Review: The Bitcoin Standard: The Decentralized Alternative to Central Banking

Abstract

"Bitcoin is the digital age's novel, decentralized, and automated solution to the problem of money: accessible worldwide, controlled by nobody. Can this young upstart money challenge the global monetary order? Economist Saifedean Ammous traces the history of the technologies of money to seashells, limestones, cattle, salt, beads, metals, and government debt, explaining what gave these technologies their monetary role, what makes for sound money, and the benefits of a sound monetary regime to economic growth, innovation, culture, trade, individual freedom, and international peace"-- Money -- Primitive moneys -- Monetary metals -- Government money -- Money and time preference -- Capitalism's information system -- Sound money and individual freedom -- Digital money -- What is bitcoin good for? -- Bitcoin questions.