Bitcoin
By Dominic Frisby
Dominic Frisby tells the amazing story of Bitcoin and why it could change the world
Publication date: November 2014
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Launch Party at the Groucho Club
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Private
- a special dedication at the front of the book
- a private discussion about gold and gold investing, either by Skype or in person in London (non FSA-regulated)
- dinner in an exclusive London members' club with a presentation about bitcoin and crypto-currencies
- 2 tickets to the launch party
- signed 1st edition paperback
- ebook edition
- Audiobook read by Dominic
Frontispiece
- a special frontispiece at dedication at the front of the book
- a private discussion about gold and gold investing, either by Skype or in person in London (non FSA-regulated)
- dinner in an exclusive London members' club with a presentation about bitcoin and crypto-currencies
- 2 tickets to the launch party
- signed 1st edition paperback
- ebook edition and your name in the back of the book
- Audiobook read by Dominic
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I have called this book, 'Bitcoin - the Future of Money?' Really, I should have called it, 'Crypto-currency - the Future of Money?' Bitcoin is the first of many 'crypto-currencies' - but it is the one that people know.
And, yes, I'm all too aware of the falls in price since we recorded the video!
'Only a crisis, real or perceived, produces real change,' said the economist Milton Friedman.
In 2008 we got the crisis but rather than take the opportunity to make the changes we so badly needed, politicians, under the influence of bankers, chose instead to create money on a scale unprecedented in human history and keep our bankrupt system going.
But at the same time, in a dark corner of the internet, a website was registered by a computer programmer called Satoshi Nakamoto – bitcoin.org. Two weeks later he published a white paper outlining the design for a new 'peer-to-peer electronic cash system, completely decentralized with no server or central authority'.
'It might make sense just to get some in case it catches on,' said Satoshi in his typically understated way. Oh, how right he was.
A year later the first bitcoin exchange rate was published. There were 1,309 bitcoins to the dollar. When I looked last week, there were about a thousand dollars to the bitcoin. Somebody who bought a bitcoin then and held would have made a million times their money!
Bitcoin is a new form of money. Electronic cash. Transactions can take place instantly, anywhere in the world, at no cost, without the need for banks. It has the potential to change the way we transact.
But there's more to it than that. With bitcoin, suddenly the monopoly that governments and banks have on money is no more. That is the basis of the change we so badly need. Bitcoin has the potential to change the world.
Or is it just a bubble? Or, worse, a scam?
My new book tells the story of bitcoin. I explain what it is and how it came about. I’ve secured exclusive interviews with some of the key players in bitcoin’s development, including bitcoin’s number 2. I examine some of the mysteries behind bitcoin - Who Is Satoshi Nakamoto? What are Cypherpunks? I explain how it works and consider whether you should you own some and how. And I consider the vast potential economic, political and social implications. For example, if the United States government loses its control of money - how does it pay or its army?
You’ll be funding what I hope will be the first book on bitcoin from a recognized publisher. I’m determined that it’s the first book on this subject, and with that in mind so we’re working hard to make a swift journey from pitch to publication, hopefully even before the end of spring.
So please pledge and help make this book happen.
Bitcoin – The Future Of Money?
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Dominic Frisby
Dominic Frisby is a comedian from London but his first book, Life After The State, has nothing to do with comedy. It is a deadly serious dismantling of the way societies are run in the west, outlining the damage governments unknowingly do to their people, with simple suggestions about how things can be vastly improved.
Dominic writes an investment column for MoneyWeek and has written and produced numerous short films and videos, including the viral hit Debt Bomb. His script-writing ranges from episodes of the kids' show Roary the Racing Car to the feature documentary The Four Horsemen, about the global financial crisis. He is a frequent speaker on gold and money on television, radio and at conferences.
As a comedian he is described as 'viciously funny and inventive' by the Guardian; 'masterful' by the Evening Standard; and 'great comedy talent' by Chortle.co.uk.
Day-to-day he is found trotting about the sound studios of London, voicing everything from BBC nature documentaries to zombies in Hollywood blockbusters.
He has also worked as a TV presenter, a boxing-ring announcer, a florist, a removal man, an extremely camp theatrical agent's PA, a sports commentator and a busker.
Bitcoin - The Future Of Money? is his second book.
Praise for Life After The State:
'Dominic Frisby has gone and done something extraordinary: written a page-turner on the economy,' James Harding, BBC Director of News and Current Affairs.
'A brilliant book - it will do more good than all my speeches in parliament,' Steve Baker, MP.
'It’s incredibly readable and incredibly thought-provoking,' Al Murray, the Pub Landlord.
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'Informal Bitcoin get-together,' says the link I've been texted. 'Saturday 1pm to 4pm. Meet under the blue awning at St James Square in Spitalfields.'
I arrive about 1.45. There is no blue awning. But fifty or so people are milling under a white one. It's bitterly cold.
'Ask me,' says a sticker on the coat of a young chap with a bowler hat. So I do.
Yes, this is the Bitcoin get-together.
Dominic Frisby has written 1 private update. You can pledge to get access to them all.
27th January 2015 Bitcoin: the Future of Money - end-of-term reportThis is a quick school report on Bitcoin: the Future of Money?
The feedback from readers has been very nice indeed, both at Amazon and on Unbound's site too.
Matt Ridley made it his book of the year in the Times.
It got some very nice reviews. A beauty in the Spectator from Michael Bywater, another very nice one in Moneyweek from Dr. Matthew Partridge and, probably the best of all, from James…
10th November 2014 Write a review ... a requestIf you have a spare moment - and you liked Bitcoin: the Future of Money? - I wondered ... could you write a short review at either amazon.co.uk or at amazon.com?
Apart from the obvious benefits this would bring to my ego, good reviews are also - so I am told by the brains in marketing - extremely beneficial to the book's online presence.
Muchas gracias, ombre (o mujer).
16th October 2014 Bitcoin: Behind the CoverYour copy of Bitcoin: the Future of Money should be arriving any moment now. We think it looks great – embossed lettering, gold foil, flaps and loads of lovely details. I particularly like the distributed network of gold foil bitcoins, the merging of a gold and bitcoin sun with its overtones of a bright and funky future. But it's all too easy to ignore what goes into a cover. So we asked the designers…
25th June 2014 Good newsWe're nearly there.
The book was sent to the copyeditor this morning.
It's 60,000 words. I set out to write 40,000 - but the story kept getting bigger.
I don't know how long it takes to copyedit 60,000 words, a couple of weeks or so I guess, but, once that's done, it goes to the type-setters, then we have to proof it again, and then it goes off to the printers.
It shouldn…
20th May 2014 A quick updateHello All,
I've finished the book and am now madly re-writing, cutting, trimming and generally improving things. I've always been more of a re-writer than a writer and this time it isn't different.
It shouldn't be too long now. The first half of the book is pretty much there and I'm very happy with it, though I should say the chapter explaining how Bitcoin works is about the hardest thing I…
9th April 2014 We have a first draftI'm pleased to say that I'm coming to the end of the first draft of Bitcoin - the Future of Money? I'm hoping to be done by the end of the week.
It's about 25% longer than I was planning, but my mission to identify Satoshi Nakamoto was all-consuming. (No clues as to what I've discovered, I'm afraid).
Three or four people are now going to read it and come back with comments…
These people are helping to fund Bitcoin.
Anne Diebel
Ivy McLemore
Katherine Rieger
Ross Cortez
Harry Farrell
Nick Heritage
Aga Brzo
Ian Calcutt
B A
Tim Lees
Said Hitti
Cristian Negrea
Zoe Grimes
Zbigniew Dumienski
Harsha Patel
Julia Kuzmin
Linda Buckle
Osman Ozsan
Barry Jordan
Brian Heishman
Yueying Wang
Sean O'Reilly
- Please sign in to ask a question.
Dominic, Where can I download the audio book? I can't find it anywhere.
Hi Nicholas, Thanks for getting in touch. To download the audiobook just log in to your Unbound account and head to http://unbound.co.uk/books/bitcoin/ebooks. If there is anything else we can help you with please get in touch via unbound.co.uk/support. Best wishes, Caitlin Community Coordinator
Dominic/Caitlin, There is still no audiobook to download on the ebooks page. When can we expect it to be published?
Hi Nicholas, Many thanks for this - we've been doing some upgrades on our site and it seems that the audiobook access was affected. If you log in to your account and head to https://unbound.co.uk/books/bitcoin/ebooks then you should now be able to access the audiobook. Please do let me know via unbound.co.uk/support if this doesn't show up or you have any problems accessing the file. Best wishes, Caitlin - Community Coordinator
Can I pay for your book using bitcoin?
Unfortunately not. Unbound take card or PayPal payments.