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The Genesis Book: The Story of the People and Projects That Inspired Bitcoin
Bitcoin did not appear out of nowhere. For decades prior to Satoshi Nakamoto’s invention, a diverse group of computer scientists, privacy activists, and heterodox economists tried to create a digital form of money that could operate independently of government control. The Genesis Book tells the story of the people and projects that inspired the invention of the world’s first successful peer-to-peer electronic cash system.
“The Genesis Book takes us on a century-long journey through the little-known stories of visionaries whose insights and innovations laid the foundation for the revolutionary creation of Bitcoin. From the economists who challenged conventional wisdom to cypherpunks who blazed new trails in privacy, Aaron van Wirdum meticulously weaves together a tapestry of technological triumphs, setbacks, and extraordinary breakthroughs. You'll be captivated by the anecdotes of individuals who dared to dream beyond the status quo, pushing the envelope to reshape the landscape of money itself.”
— Jameson Lopp
“Why is Bitcoin so different from its predecessors? This book sheds light on the *problems* which vexed smart, hardworking people in the pre-Bitcoin era. That is the right way to tell a technology story. All of the important problems are included, and they're all in the proper order. The best Bitcoin book yet written.”
— Paul Sztorc
“Until now you could find many books about Bitcoin, but none that covered its multifaceted cultural background in a complete, systematic, and elegant way. Aaron van Wirdum, already famous for his ability to accurately convey subtle technical matters to a generalist audience, just wrote it. A must-read if you want to understand where Bitcoin came from.”
— Giacomo Zucco
“I long suspected that van Wirdum was Bitcoin’s best historian, and this page-turner proves it. It’s a tour de force.
The Genesis Book is a highly readable and essential history, revealing the many causal connections between Viennese Classical Liberalism, the Anglo-Saxon Cypherpunk movement, and the advent of Bitcoin.
Whereas other books on the industry have tended to focus on headline-making entrepreneurs, van Wirdum has the technical chops to dig under the surface and correctly identify the brilliant figures who built the foundations on top of which the Bitcoin edifice was eventually engineered.
Over the course of 16 dense chapters, The Genesis Book combines the kind of in-depth research and philosophical connections that one could only expect from an industry veteran (van Wirdum was one of the first writers to ever gain employment in the Bitcoin industry), with the engaging prose you’d look for in a respected periodical.
One cannot understand Bitcoin without studying its extraordinary origins, and I’m thrilled this book exists to bring that knowledge to a wide audience.”
— Tuur Demeester
Aaron van Wirdum studied Journalism at the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht and Politics and Society in Historical Perspective at Utrecht University, where he adopted a focus on the historic influence of new technologies on societal structures. He discovered Bitcoin in 2013, and has been writing about the world’s first successful electronic cash project ever since. For most of these years, this was for Bitcoin Magazine: first as journalist, then as technical editor, and finally as editor-in-chief of the print edition. The Genesis Book is his first book.
“The Genesis Book takes us on a century-long journey through the little-known stories of visionaries whose insights and innovations laid the foundation for the revolutionary creation of Bitcoin. From the economists who challenged conventional wisdom to cypherpunks who blazed new trails in privacy, Aaron van Wirdum meticulously weaves together a tapestry of technological triumphs, setbacks, and extraordinary breakthroughs. You'll be captivated by the anecdotes of individuals who dared to dream beyond the status quo, pushing the envelope to reshape the landscape of money itself.”
— Jameson Lopp
“Why is Bitcoin so different from its predecessors? This book sheds light on the *problems* which vexed smart, hardworking people in the pre-Bitcoin era. That is the right way to tell a technology story. All of the important problems are included, and they're all in the proper order. The best Bitcoin book yet written.”
— Paul Sztorc
“Until now you could find many books about Bitcoin, but none that covered its multifaceted cultural background in a complete, systematic, and elegant way. Aaron van Wirdum, already famous for his ability to accurately convey subtle technical matters to a generalist audience, just wrote it. A must-read if you want to understand where Bitcoin came from.”
— Giacomo Zucco
“I long suspected that van Wirdum was Bitcoin’s best historian, and this page-turner proves it. It’s a tour de force.
The Genesis Book is a highly readable and essential history, revealing the many causal connections between Viennese Classical Liberalism, the Anglo-Saxon Cypherpunk movement, and the advent of Bitcoin.
Whereas other books on the industry have tended to focus on headline-making entrepreneurs, van Wirdum has the technical chops to dig under the surface and correctly identify the brilliant figures who built the foundations on top of which the Bitcoin edifice was eventually engineered.
Over the course of 16 dense chapters, The Genesis Book combines the kind of in-depth research and philosophical connections that one could only expect from an industry veteran (van Wirdum was one of the first writers to ever gain employment in the Bitcoin industry), with the engaging prose you’d look for in a respected periodical.
One cannot understand Bitcoin without studying its extraordinary origins, and I’m thrilled this book exists to bring that knowledge to a wide audience.”
— Tuur Demeester
Aaron van Wirdum studied Journalism at the University of Applied Sciences Utrecht and Politics and Society in Historical Perspective at Utrecht University, where he adopted a focus on the historic influence of new technologies on societal structures. He discovered Bitcoin in 2013, and has been writing about the world’s first successful electronic cash project ever since. For most of these years, this was for Bitcoin Magazine: first as journalist, then as technical editor, and finally as editor-in-chief of the print edition. The Genesis Book is his first book.
358 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 15, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 7, 2024
One of the best bitcoin books ever written!
I used to only suggest 3 bitcoin books. Price of Tomorrow by Jeff Booth, Bitcoin Standard by Saifedean, The Blocksize War by Jonathan Bier. (In that order)
I have now added this as a 4th book for required reading for all bitcoiners after reading the first 3 books suggested above.
I used to only suggest 3 bitcoin books. Price of Tomorrow by Jeff Booth, Bitcoin Standard by Saifedean, The Blocksize War by Jonathan Bier. (In that order)
I have now added this as a 4th book for required reading for all bitcoiners after reading the first 3 books suggested above.
April 5, 2024
Many Bitcoiners have built an understanding of the technical aspects of Bitcoin, as well as the key events which have transpired since 2009. But few are familiar with all the precursor projects, a multitude of failed attempts to create an internet native currency.
Developments and technological advancements in this area required a lot of time and thought. Many different people were involved, with different goals in mind, before the final product emerged. This is a history book.
If you want to know more about the ideas and the people that gave rise to Satoshi Nakamoto, and ultimately the Bitcoin network, then you will want to read this. If you are interested in cryptography, monetary theory, or privacy in the digital age, then you will definitely want to read this.
Developments and technological advancements in this area required a lot of time and thought. Many different people were involved, with different goals in mind, before the final product emerged. This is a history book.
If you want to know more about the ideas and the people that gave rise to Satoshi Nakamoto, and ultimately the Bitcoin network, then you will want to read this. If you are interested in cryptography, monetary theory, or privacy in the digital age, then you will definitely want to read this.
April 24, 2024
awesome
awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome yeah incredible great amazing I love
awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome awesome yeah incredible great amazing I love
February 21, 2025
Go ahead and add this one to bitcoin canon too. Just a phenomenal read going through the history of money, economics, cryptography, and the eventual rise of cryptocurrencies through many failed iterations leading to bitcoin. I’m taken aback, similar to reading ‘Digital Gold’, at home improbable Bitcoin’s current existence and status is. It’s truly unfathomable. Reading some of the discussions of the early cipher punks and even Satoshi Nakamoto himself, it just sounded so delusional and impossible. But against all odds; technological, geopolitical, economical, etc. It has survived and grown.
I was also extremely inspired by the ingenuity and intelligence of the men who built the technology that made bitcoin possible. Many of them received little to no credit or recognition outside of niche little groups of the crypto weirdos. I almost wish I was around to be a part of it. Alas, all I can do is look back on it and appreciate it. For that, I thank the author.
Alright, now I’m off to buy more bitcoin.
I was also extremely inspired by the ingenuity and intelligence of the men who built the technology that made bitcoin possible. Many of them received little to no credit or recognition outside of niche little groups of the crypto weirdos. I almost wish I was around to be a part of it. Alas, all I can do is look back on it and appreciate it. For that, I thank the author.
Alright, now I’m off to buy more bitcoin.
October 29, 2025
In my review of Softwar by Jason Lowery, I said it was my book of the year and that five stars wasn’t enough. I may have spoken too soon.
The Genesis Book is easily on par with Softwar, and it may even surpass it. Both should be required reading for anyone serious about understanding Bitcoin—not just what it is, but where it came from, and why it matters.
That said, The Genesis Book shouldn’t be your first stop. Despite the title, it’s not a starting point. This book hits much harder once you already understand the core principles of Bitcoin. It retraces the decades of innovation and ideology that led to its creation: cryptographic tools, economic theory, open-source movements, and the minds that wove it all together. It proves, page after page, that Bitcoin didn’t appear out of thin air. It was inevitable.
To briefly summarize: Bitcoin is not an accident, and it isn’t lucky. It is the culmination of decades of research across multiple disciplines. Friedrich Hayek’s economic theory laid the ideological groundwork; libertarian, capitalistic, and rooted in individual sovereignty. Cryptographers who resonated with Hayek’s ideas built on his vision through innovations in digital privacy. Their work created the tools that Cypherpunks and Transhumanists would later use to advance a decades-long mission: codifying economic freedom into software.
As someone who studied both Economics and Computer Science in college, I was frankly disturbed by how little of this history was taught (if it was mentioned at all). And now, I understand why. This lineage directly threatens the foundations of our academic and financial institutions. Universities have no interest in teaching you how to become sovereign. They have a vested stake in reinforcing the fiat system: one that profits from predatory, federal student loans, with no way out. They lean on a currency that can be devalued at will. It’s a parasitic loop. Self-reinforcing and opaque by design.
Back to the book. The Genesis Book masterfully alternates chapters between economic and cryptographic history. This keeps the narrative dynamic and gives weight to both the ideas and the technologies that led to Bitcoin. I won’t spoil the specifics (it’s important to experience the progression firsthand) but I will say this: if you want to understand the world as it is, and where it’s going, you need to read this book.
The Genesis Book is easily on par with Softwar, and it may even surpass it. Both should be required reading for anyone serious about understanding Bitcoin—not just what it is, but where it came from, and why it matters.
That said, The Genesis Book shouldn’t be your first stop. Despite the title, it’s not a starting point. This book hits much harder once you already understand the core principles of Bitcoin. It retraces the decades of innovation and ideology that led to its creation: cryptographic tools, economic theory, open-source movements, and the minds that wove it all together. It proves, page after page, that Bitcoin didn’t appear out of thin air. It was inevitable.
To briefly summarize: Bitcoin is not an accident, and it isn’t lucky. It is the culmination of decades of research across multiple disciplines. Friedrich Hayek’s economic theory laid the ideological groundwork; libertarian, capitalistic, and rooted in individual sovereignty. Cryptographers who resonated with Hayek’s ideas built on his vision through innovations in digital privacy. Their work created the tools that Cypherpunks and Transhumanists would later use to advance a decades-long mission: codifying economic freedom into software.
As someone who studied both Economics and Computer Science in college, I was frankly disturbed by how little of this history was taught (if it was mentioned at all). And now, I understand why. This lineage directly threatens the foundations of our academic and financial institutions. Universities have no interest in teaching you how to become sovereign. They have a vested stake in reinforcing the fiat system: one that profits from predatory, federal student loans, with no way out. They lean on a currency that can be devalued at will. It’s a parasitic loop. Self-reinforcing and opaque by design.
Back to the book. The Genesis Book masterfully alternates chapters between economic and cryptographic history. This keeps the narrative dynamic and gives weight to both the ideas and the technologies that led to Bitcoin. I won’t spoil the specifics (it’s important to experience the progression firsthand) but I will say this: if you want to understand the world as it is, and where it’s going, you need to read this book.
November 13, 2024
5 Reasons The Genesis Book is Great
1. Insightful History: The book provides a detailed history of Bitcoin’s origins, which I really enjoyed, especially how Satoshi Nakamoto combined these ideas so precisely for a decentralized currency.
2. Clear Explanations of Complex Concepts: It breaks down the technical aspects, making blockchain and cryptography easier to understand for readers new to these ideas.
3. Focus on Community: The portrayal of early Bitcoin enthusiasts and how they shaped the currency’s trajectory adds a personal dimension that makes the narrative engaging.
4. Well-Researched Content: The book brings in a wide array of sources, offering a thorough account that captures the challenges and triumphs in Bitcoin’s journey.
5. Visionary Perspective: It considers the broader implications of Bitcoin, including its potential to reshape finance, which is inspiring for anyone interested in the future of money.
5 Reasons The Genesis Book Might Feel Lame
1. Can Be Technical: For some, the technical explanations, even when simplified, may feel dense or dry, slowing down the pacing.
2. Limited Focus on Broader Crypto Landscape: The book centers heavily on Bitcoin without as much exploration of other cryptocurrencies, missing out on how they interact with and diverge from Bitcoin.
3. Slow Pacing at Times: The historical detail, while interesting, can sometimes feel drawn-out, making parts of the book feel less dynamic.
4. Leans Heavily on Bitcoin Positivity: Although insightful, the book may feel overly optimistic about Bitcoin’s future, potentially downplaying legitimate criticisms and challenges.
5. Lacks Broader Economic Context: It could benefit from more discussion on the traditional financial system’s flaws that Bitcoin seeks to address, providing a fuller context for why decentralized currency is so revolutionary.
Overall, the book gave me a fascinating look at Bitcoin’s birth and Nakamoto’s vision, I can imagine some readers may wish for a broader, more varied perspective. Overall 5/5! Read it!
1. Insightful History: The book provides a detailed history of Bitcoin’s origins, which I really enjoyed, especially how Satoshi Nakamoto combined these ideas so precisely for a decentralized currency.
2. Clear Explanations of Complex Concepts: It breaks down the technical aspects, making blockchain and cryptography easier to understand for readers new to these ideas.
3. Focus on Community: The portrayal of early Bitcoin enthusiasts and how they shaped the currency’s trajectory adds a personal dimension that makes the narrative engaging.
4. Well-Researched Content: The book brings in a wide array of sources, offering a thorough account that captures the challenges and triumphs in Bitcoin’s journey.
5. Visionary Perspective: It considers the broader implications of Bitcoin, including its potential to reshape finance, which is inspiring for anyone interested in the future of money.
5 Reasons The Genesis Book Might Feel Lame
1. Can Be Technical: For some, the technical explanations, even when simplified, may feel dense or dry, slowing down the pacing.
2. Limited Focus on Broader Crypto Landscape: The book centers heavily on Bitcoin without as much exploration of other cryptocurrencies, missing out on how they interact with and diverge from Bitcoin.
3. Slow Pacing at Times: The historical detail, while interesting, can sometimes feel drawn-out, making parts of the book feel less dynamic.
4. Leans Heavily on Bitcoin Positivity: Although insightful, the book may feel overly optimistic about Bitcoin’s future, potentially downplaying legitimate criticisms and challenges.
5. Lacks Broader Economic Context: It could benefit from more discussion on the traditional financial system’s flaws that Bitcoin seeks to address, providing a fuller context for why decentralized currency is so revolutionary.
Overall, the book gave me a fascinating look at Bitcoin’s birth and Nakamoto’s vision, I can imagine some readers may wish for a broader, more varied perspective. Overall 5/5! Read it!
July 11, 2025
3.5⭐️
Overall, The Genesis Book is an interesting read with a lot to offer in terms of learning. However, I feel that the current average rating on Goodreads (4.78 at the moment) might be somewhat inflated. The book is far from being a literary masterpiece, a revealing work, or an innovative historical-scientific account. It is simply good.
The author begins from a broad perspective, presenting various monetary philosophies that likely inspired the community focused on ‘privatizing money’ and national monetary systems. Gradually, the narrative highlights key events that led to the creation, publication, and launch of the Bitcoin network. These include breakthroughs in computer science, cryptography, PGP, the cypherpunks, and related developments. That said, the transitions between chapters can sometimes feel abrupt, as if moving suddenly from one story to another without a smooth connection.
Van Wirdum is not wrong in compiling this list of events and stories. However, one could argue that our present reality is shaped by everything that came before us. There are many other breakthroughs, in mathematics, politics, and banking, that are equally important and have undoubtedly influenced the environment that allowed someone like Satoshi Nakamoto to develop a new payment system and create Bitcoin.
The Genesis Book may not be a groundbreaking or definitive work, it remains a valuable and accessible introduction to the complex history behind Bitcoin. For readers seeking to understand the foundational ideas and key moments that shaped this revolutionary technology, it offers a solid starting point. It’s a worthwhile read that sparks curiosity and appreciation for the intricate web of influences behind Bitcoin’s creation
Overall, The Genesis Book is an interesting read with a lot to offer in terms of learning. However, I feel that the current average rating on Goodreads (4.78 at the moment) might be somewhat inflated. The book is far from being a literary masterpiece, a revealing work, or an innovative historical-scientific account. It is simply good.
The author begins from a broad perspective, presenting various monetary philosophies that likely inspired the community focused on ‘privatizing money’ and national monetary systems. Gradually, the narrative highlights key events that led to the creation, publication, and launch of the Bitcoin network. These include breakthroughs in computer science, cryptography, PGP, the cypherpunks, and related developments. That said, the transitions between chapters can sometimes feel abrupt, as if moving suddenly from one story to another without a smooth connection.
Van Wirdum is not wrong in compiling this list of events and stories. However, one could argue that our present reality is shaped by everything that came before us. There are many other breakthroughs, in mathematics, politics, and banking, that are equally important and have undoubtedly influenced the environment that allowed someone like Satoshi Nakamoto to develop a new payment system and create Bitcoin.
The Genesis Book may not be a groundbreaking or definitive work, it remains a valuable and accessible introduction to the complex history behind Bitcoin. For readers seeking to understand the foundational ideas and key moments that shaped this revolutionary technology, it offers a solid starting point. It’s a worthwhile read that sparks curiosity and appreciation for the intricate web of influences behind Bitcoin’s creation
November 2, 2025
The author does a great job in simplifying the literal genesis of Bitcoin. He is able to paint a very clear picture of how Bitcoin is actually a culmination of multiple technologies built over time over the span of 20 years by entrepreneurs building in a space that advocates for basic privacy in the digital realm.
The biggest technology being Cryptography to maintain anonymity. Aaron walks through initially why anonymity is important in the digital space and the a detailed narrative of the various development milestones in the space of Cryptography. This builds trust that Bitcoin has been built at the back of best-in-class cryptography offering privacy and therefore security as a core tenet.
Second is blockchain. To combat double spending i.e. spend the same digital token over two or multiple transactions which is a fatal flaw to digital currency; bitcoin uses blockchain to time stamp a transaction and the digital token and for a public consensus to recognise that transaction and add to the Bitcoin change. This is where the importance of decentralisation comes into being. No central authority that can double spend and attack the chain.
Third is proof of work and difficulty adjustment. Bitcoin requires energy to mine. Built on the core principles of Gold. And the amount of Bitcoin is finite thereby moving towards deflation which is what should happen with advancing technology but we do not see because of FIAT inflation.
I might have missed some messages in my review but it is worth it! I am a Bitcoiner full disclosure!
The biggest technology being Cryptography to maintain anonymity. Aaron walks through initially why anonymity is important in the digital space and the a detailed narrative of the various development milestones in the space of Cryptography. This builds trust that Bitcoin has been built at the back of best-in-class cryptography offering privacy and therefore security as a core tenet.
Second is blockchain. To combat double spending i.e. spend the same digital token over two or multiple transactions which is a fatal flaw to digital currency; bitcoin uses blockchain to time stamp a transaction and the digital token and for a public consensus to recognise that transaction and add to the Bitcoin change. This is where the importance of decentralisation comes into being. No central authority that can double spend and attack the chain.
Third is proof of work and difficulty adjustment. Bitcoin requires energy to mine. Built on the core principles of Gold. And the amount of Bitcoin is finite thereby moving towards deflation which is what should happen with advancing technology but we do not see because of FIAT inflation.
I might have missed some messages in my review but it is worth it! I am a Bitcoiner full disclosure!
February 23, 2025
I definitely didn’t know that decentralized finance and decentralized money are as old as the first personal computer. The idea was always there, but the technology had yet to catch up.
The book contains a lot of useful information, but some parts feel repetitive, and the jumps in the timeline make it a bit confusing.
I warmly recommend this book to everyone who is skeptical or afraid of blockchain and cryptocurrencies.
The book contains a lot of useful information, but some parts feel repetitive, and the jumps in the timeline make it a bit confusing.
I warmly recommend this book to everyone who is skeptical or afraid of blockchain and cryptocurrencies.
November 22, 2025
Reading it now—right in the middle of the biggest sell-off since the FTX collapse—feels almost poetic. While fresh catalysts keep piling up (Square rolling out native Bitcoin payments on its POS terminals, JP Morgan quietly building blockchain-based collateral settlement, Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth funds relentlessly stacking sats), it’s the perfect moment to go back to first principles and remember how this wild monetary experiment actually started.
October 20, 2025
Fascinating historical look at the creation of Bitcoin
If you are interested in the history of how Bitcoin came to be, this is the book. From the early cryptographic breakthroughs to the cypher punk super nerds who dreamed Bitcoin into existence, The Genesis Book gives a fascinating account of the genesis of Bitcoin.
If you are interested in the history of how Bitcoin came to be, this is the book. From the early cryptographic breakthroughs to the cypher punk super nerds who dreamed Bitcoin into existence, The Genesis Book gives a fascinating account of the genesis of Bitcoin.
October 5, 2024
Fascinating book. One of the best books on Bitcoin ive read so far. Well-written, informative and keeps you reading, a real page turner. Highly recommended, also for readers not so much interested or invested in Bitcoin
May 4, 2024
What an amazing read!! Not just on bitcoin, but also Austrian economics, Cypherpunk movement and the flaws of today’s monetary system
June 2, 2024
"The Genesis Book" geschreven door Aaron van Wirdum vertelt op een zeer heldere manier de geschiedenis omtrent het waarom van Bitcoin en de wijze waarop men tot Bitcoin gekomen is.
January 3, 2025
Audiobook. An interesting exploration of the technologies that led to Bitcoin.
January 8, 2025
inspiring, i was missing all the context behind bitcoin! Happy that i read this.
as a developer, seeing the natural trajectory of a software project is always joyful.
THERE IS NO SECOND BEST!
as a developer, seeing the natural trajectory of a software project is always joyful.
THERE IS NO SECOND BEST!
February 3, 2025
Amazing stuff for anyone that wants to dig in Bitcoin's history
September 1, 2025
Finally! This book gave a good, basic understanding of cryptocurrency and Bitcoin which has been a dark mystery to me. I will likely read this book again.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews