It looks like everyone started to discuss blockchain simultaneously. But not many really understand what it is. We have made a short list of the easiest and smartest books to help those who want to understand what is blockchain, how and for what reasons is it made.

1. Blockchain: Blueprint for a New Economy, Melanie Swan, Olimp Business, 2017.

The new technology is so rapidly gaining popularity that it made real the Institute for Blockchain. The founder of the institute, Melanie Swan, wrote this book in order to tell in details about what a distributed register is and how it works.

A book about the present, past and future of the new technology. Two generations of blockchain are already behind. The first one is cryptocurrencies (bitcoins), the second generation is smart contracts and the third one (in this case, in the near future) is a "new" Internet based on a decentralized distributed register.

The author tells how the blockchain works, how it stores information about any objects and any changes in numerous contracts, controls copyright and is generally capable of much that the average person did not even think about. Now there is a lot of controversy as to where and how to use the blockchain, for example, whether it is necessary to completely translate all state documents into a new system.

All these aspects - social and philosophical - are somehow covered by the author of this book. The author also talks about the potential applications of the distributed registry.

The book is written in a fairly simple language, but if you are completely new, you better look for another (alphabetical) version for starting in the world of high technology. But for those who, after reading this book, want to learn more about the technology of blockchain, we recommend the following work.

2. Bitcoin for Dummies

Everyone heard about it. Some even purchased a thousandth or a hundredth of bitcoin. Well, now it's time to understand the details of this intricate story, the history of the world's first cryptocurrency. And how you can use it now.

The authors, having studied the topic in depth, are quite detailed and, most importantly, intelligibly answer all questions. And if you set a goal - to start earning on bitcoin, you definitely need this book. In the course of reading you can even start doing it: for example, you can set up a digital wallet, try to bargain with your cryptocurrency or, conversely, buy bitcoin or a part of it.

Also, the authors describe the risks associated with e-money because in the process you can face scammers. The book will teach you how to act properly in this case. the book has also many useful advices on how to dispose of bitcoin in order to multiply your fortune.

3. Roger Wattenhofer. The Science of the Blockchain

The book is written by a real professor in the field of informational technologies so we can advise the readers with some background on the topic to read it. It has a huge number of technical details only experts can figure out.

The author describes in details all aspects of the distributed register and give many examples, protocols and algorithms in order to provide with better visibility. The book might be very useful not only for theorists, but also for practics.

4. The Age of Cryptocurrency: How Bitcoinand the Blockchain Are Challenging the Global Economic Order
by Paul Vigna, Michael Casey, 2017

There won’t be any banks anymore. The whole state system will change. This is the idea of the authors of this book who are Wall Street Journal journalists in the same time. Yes, they prognose the real blockchain revolution. The book starts form the history of the first bitcoin pioneers.

The miners Austin and Becky Craig have conducted an experiment. During this experiment they have used bitcoin as a single payment method during three months. The book also pictures the story of Gabriel Abed, the founder of Barbados’ cryptocurrency. The authors describe also the experience of Afghanistan.

Women there are prohibited from visiting banks and some charity organizations pay them in bitcoins. All these and many other stories are the stories of ordinary people. All these show that the distributed register made a new age come to the Earth.

5. Chris Skinner. ValueWeb. How Fintech firms use mobile and blockchain technologies to create the Internet of Value

Come on, let’s step into the future! This is the general idea of this book. If you want some more details here you come. The author describes near future with all the Internet working on the distributed register.

It will make the Value Web come. This is a new base for the Internet of Things. All processes occur almost instantly starting from buying a car to even a bank transfer. The main thing is to have any mobile device with access to the Internet. In this situation there are some hot topics: What will happen to financial organizations? Will they remain in the form in which we all got used to?

And if there won’t be any, then how will the control be carried out? Chris Skinner provides with answers to all these questions. This book can be recommended not only to those who are interested in cryptocurrencies and want to understand how the blockchain works, but also to parents who have children growing up. Because it is quite possible that very soon the most popular will be professions we now have no idea about.

6. Bitcoin on autopilot. How to make money on cryptocurrencies
Jury Kozak. Publishing solutions, 2017.

This is the book for those who like lapidarity. It describes the main principles ruling the blockchain, it provides the overview of the most popular cryptocurrencies, regulating methods and features of e-money circulating in different countries. It is important that the author himself is a practicing trader, so his advice and analyst are priceless. The book has many worksheets and illustrations helping understand the complex processes taking place in this sphere even better. Generally if you need an useful advice in this area, you can easily get it here.