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Crypto: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review
The crypto era has arrived, and business will never be the same. Real applications of crypto technology are growing cryptocurrency payments are moving frictionlessly across borders; NFTs are generating real value for creators and consumers alike; and new blockchain-enabled business models are being built around decentralized finance and Web3. What do you and your company need to know and do today to create new opportunities and avoid disruption? The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review will show you how innovative organizations of all kinds are embracing decentralized technology, reinventing themselves, and thriving in the new age of crypto. Business is changing. Will you adapt or be left behind? Get up to speed and deepen your understanding of the topics that are shaping your company's future with the Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review series. Featuring HBR's smartest thinking on fast-moving issues—blockchain, cybersecurity, AI, and more—each book provides the foundational introduction and practical case studies your organization needs to compete today and collects the best research, interviews, and analysis to get it ready for tomorrow. You can't afford to ignore how these issues will transform the landscape of business and society. The Insights You Need series will help you grasp these critical ideas—and prepare you and your company for the future.
- GenresBusinessTechnology
176 pages, Hardcover
Published May 16, 2023
9 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
June 5, 2025
Pretty solid
October 1, 2025
"Crypto: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review" is part of HBR's Insights Series, designed to help business professionals understand transformative technologies reshaping the business landscape. This particular volume focuses on cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, offering a balanced, business-focused perspective on a rapidly evolving sector. Short and concise, only 3 hours of listening on Libby, so much better compared to 8 hours of average audiobook.
The book explores how the cryptocurrency market has grown from approximately $8 billion a decade ago to over $1 trillion, examining key developments like Ethereum's rise, decentralized finance (DeFi), and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Blockchain Technology & Governance: The book explains how blockchain enables direct, transparent, and pseudonymous transactions without intermediaries, and introduces the concept of on-chain governance where governance tokens allow stakeholders to participate in decision-making processes. The new technology allows settlement with faster speed and lower cost, offering benefit to the finance industry and business world as a whole.
Investment Perspective: The authors draw parallels between investing in governance tokens and startup equity, highlighting similarities in volatility while noting the unique liquidity and price discovery features of crypto tokens. The illiquid crypto does not give good value, so need to pick carefully.
Business Applications: The book addresses how blockchain and cryptocurrencies can solve problems like high fees, slow cross-border transfers, and payment scams, offering more efficient and cost-effective financial alternatives. However we have never been faced with an extreme condition where electricity gets cut and internet stopped working. Will some of these crypto assets survive this kind of disaster?
Environmental Considerations: The book provides a balanced view on Bitcoin's energy consumption, acknowledging environmental concerns while highlighting Bitcoin's ability to utilize renewable energy sources and stranded energy. Older medium to store value such as precious metal spend a lot of energy during the mining process, and once casted into bullion or minted into coins, the energy spent is probably the storage and transportation. It is nice to have an apple-to-apple comparison between Bitcoin and Gold, but I think it needs more in-depth research.
Strengths
- Business-Centric Approach: Rather than focusing purely on technical details, the book examines crypto from a strategic business perspective, credit to HBR. Should read their books more.
- Balanced Perspective: The narrative shows how cryptocurrencies have transitioned from controversial topics to more mainstream business subjects, offering practical advice for executives
- Real-World Context: The case study of Ivory Tower, an online education platform, illustrates the dilemmas and strategic decisions businesses face when considering cryptocurrency integration
- Comprehensive Coverage: Addresses governance, ownership, investment opportunities, and practical implementation challenges
"Crypto: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review" offers a comprehensive and insightful look into the world of cryptocurrencies and their impact on the business landscape, serving as an essential guide for business leaders seeking to understand the complexities of the cryptocurrency market and how to leverage its potential.
The book successfully bridges the gap between technical cryptocurrency concepts and practical business strategy, making it accessible to executives who need to make informed decisions about crypto without becoming blockchain engineers. It's a valuable resource for understanding how decentralized technology is reshaping business models and competitive landscapes.
The book explores how the cryptocurrency market has grown from approximately $8 billion a decade ago to over $1 trillion, examining key developments like Ethereum's rise, decentralized finance (DeFi), and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Blockchain Technology & Governance: The book explains how blockchain enables direct, transparent, and pseudonymous transactions without intermediaries, and introduces the concept of on-chain governance where governance tokens allow stakeholders to participate in decision-making processes. The new technology allows settlement with faster speed and lower cost, offering benefit to the finance industry and business world as a whole.
Investment Perspective: The authors draw parallels between investing in governance tokens and startup equity, highlighting similarities in volatility while noting the unique liquidity and price discovery features of crypto tokens. The illiquid crypto does not give good value, so need to pick carefully.
Business Applications: The book addresses how blockchain and cryptocurrencies can solve problems like high fees, slow cross-border transfers, and payment scams, offering more efficient and cost-effective financial alternatives. However we have never been faced with an extreme condition where electricity gets cut and internet stopped working. Will some of these crypto assets survive this kind of disaster?
Environmental Considerations: The book provides a balanced view on Bitcoin's energy consumption, acknowledging environmental concerns while highlighting Bitcoin's ability to utilize renewable energy sources and stranded energy. Older medium to store value such as precious metal spend a lot of energy during the mining process, and once casted into bullion or minted into coins, the energy spent is probably the storage and transportation. It is nice to have an apple-to-apple comparison between Bitcoin and Gold, but I think it needs more in-depth research.
Strengths
- Business-Centric Approach: Rather than focusing purely on technical details, the book examines crypto from a strategic business perspective, credit to HBR. Should read their books more.
- Balanced Perspective: The narrative shows how cryptocurrencies have transitioned from controversial topics to more mainstream business subjects, offering practical advice for executives
- Real-World Context: The case study of Ivory Tower, an online education platform, illustrates the dilemmas and strategic decisions businesses face when considering cryptocurrency integration
- Comprehensive Coverage: Addresses governance, ownership, investment opportunities, and practical implementation challenges
"Crypto: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review" offers a comprehensive and insightful look into the world of cryptocurrencies and their impact on the business landscape, serving as an essential guide for business leaders seeking to understand the complexities of the cryptocurrency market and how to leverage its potential.
The book successfully bridges the gap between technical cryptocurrency concepts and practical business strategy, making it accessible to executives who need to make informed decisions about crypto without becoming blockchain engineers. It's a valuable resource for understanding how decentralized technology is reshaping business models and competitive landscapes.
June 17, 2023
I listened to the unabridged 3-hour audio version of this title (read by Derek Dysart, Ascent Audio, 2023).
This is the latest entry into the Harvard Business Review "Insights Series," whose other titles include Strategic Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Monopolies & Tech Giants, Blockchain, Agile, Climate Change, and Customer Data & Privacy.
The cryptocurrency domain is filled with hype, misinformation, and disinformation. Lately, crypto advocates have been trying to scare institutional investors and ordinary citizens by predicting the demise of the US dollar, in an effort to generate new crypto purchases. As a crypto skeptic, I have been looking for an unbiased assessment of the current realities and future potentials of cryptocurrencies, for my own benefit and as a resource to recommend to others. This book isn't it. While some of the pitfalls of cryptocurrencies are discussed, the overall tone of the book is enthusiastic, implying that businesses that do not rush to crypto investing risk being left behind.
Along with cheerleading for cryptocurrencies, the book also hypes non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as investments of the future. In my view, NFTs are nothing but cryptocurrencies with an image or other art/keepsake attached. As such, NFTs suffer from the same dangers as bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, including wild fluctuations in value and vulnerability to fraud.
This is the latest entry into the Harvard Business Review "Insights Series," whose other titles include Strategic Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Monopolies & Tech Giants, Blockchain, Agile, Climate Change, and Customer Data & Privacy.
The cryptocurrency domain is filled with hype, misinformation, and disinformation. Lately, crypto advocates have been trying to scare institutional investors and ordinary citizens by predicting the demise of the US dollar, in an effort to generate new crypto purchases. As a crypto skeptic, I have been looking for an unbiased assessment of the current realities and future potentials of cryptocurrencies, for my own benefit and as a resource to recommend to others. This book isn't it. While some of the pitfalls of cryptocurrencies are discussed, the overall tone of the book is enthusiastic, implying that businesses that do not rush to crypto investing risk being left behind.
Along with cheerleading for cryptocurrencies, the book also hypes non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as investments of the future. In my view, NFTs are nothing but cryptocurrencies with an image or other art/keepsake attached. As such, NFTs suffer from the same dangers as bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, including wild fluctuations in value and vulnerability to fraud.
January 1, 2025
Here is the Table of Contents for the book "Crypto: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review":
---
Contents
Introduction
Looking Beyond Crypto Booms and Busts
---
Section 1: Cryptocurrency for Real
1. Who Writes the Rules of Decentralized Finance?
2. To Understand Crypto’s Volatility, Think About It as a Startup
3. How Digital Currencies Can Help Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
4. How Much Energy Does Bitcoin Actually Use?
5. Case Study: Should We Embrace Crypto?
---
Section 2: NFTs for Business
6. How NFTs Create Value
7. How Your Brand Should Use NFTs
---
Section 3: The Road to Web3
8. Platforms Need to Work with Their Users—Not Against Them
9. Cautionary Tales from Cryptoland
10. How DAOs Could Change the Way We Work
---
Additional Resources
About the Contributors
Index
---
Let me know if you'd like further details from any specific chapter!
---
Contents
Introduction
Looking Beyond Crypto Booms and Busts
---
Section 1: Cryptocurrency for Real
1. Who Writes the Rules of Decentralized Finance?
2. To Understand Crypto’s Volatility, Think About It as a Startup
3. How Digital Currencies Can Help Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
4. How Much Energy Does Bitcoin Actually Use?
5. Case Study: Should We Embrace Crypto?
---
Section 2: NFTs for Business
6. How NFTs Create Value
7. How Your Brand Should Use NFTs
---
Section 3: The Road to Web3
8. Platforms Need to Work with Their Users—Not Against Them
9. Cautionary Tales from Cryptoland
10. How DAOs Could Change the Way We Work
---
Additional Resources
About the Contributors
Index
---
Let me know if you'd like further details from any specific chapter!
May 14, 2024
Good summary on current state of the crypto adoption, opportunities and risks.
https://www.bis.org/publ/othp38.pdf CBDC based Remittance.
Brand participation in NFT, getting value from secondary market transactions.
Admin tokens and possible admin attacks.
Streamlined vs augmented NFT marketplace
OpenSea
Rerible
DeFi
Web 3
Holdup Problem, attempt to solve with admin tokens
DAO
Irreversible mistakes, harassment
WTE, APY
PTE, AxeInfinity video games
LTE, RabbitHole
UTE
https://www.bis.org/publ/othp38.pdf CBDC based Remittance.
Brand participation in NFT, getting value from secondary market transactions.
Admin tokens and possible admin attacks.
Streamlined vs augmented NFT marketplace
OpenSea
Rerible
DeFi
Web 3
Holdup Problem, attempt to solve with admin tokens
DAO
Irreversible mistakes, harassment
WTE, APY
PTE, AxeInfinity video games
LTE, RabbitHole
UTE
Read
April 14, 2023Concise and excellent curation on the subject!
Podcasts and online articles about Blockchain/crypto usually make my head hurt, so glad HBR separates these 2 topics. 😊 after reading this book, I finally feel like I know a thing or two about crypto/NFT & web3.
Podcasts and online articles about Blockchain/crypto usually make my head hurt, so glad HBR separates these 2 topics. 😊 after reading this book, I finally feel like I know a thing or two about crypto/NFT & web3.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 4, 2023
A good balanced insight from proponents and critics of crypto technology
February 1, 2025
Great discussion of Crypto and Web3. I particularly found the interview with Molly White beneficial. I have read a lot about crypto and Web3 but Molly’s perspective was quite new to me.
March 5, 2025
very concise. good insights for crypto intermediate level.
very neutral stance. absolutely love it!
very neutral stance. absolutely love it!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews