Got Cryptocurrency Questions but too Afraid to Ask? Blinkist has the Answers
Everyone seems to be talking about cryptocurrency nowadays, whether that’s investing in it, avoiding it or just speculating on whether it will change the way we use money forever.
But it’s not a straightforward topic. To understand cryptocurrency, you first need to understand blockchain, the technology behind it, and how exactly it can disrupt everything from traditional banking to governments to worldwide economics. And then you need to keep up with the different cryptocurrencies out there beyond Bitcoin.
Whether you’re looking to know more before you invest—and know whether you should invest in the first place—or just want a better understanding of this financial topic everyone’s got an opinion on, Blinkist is the way to do it.
Blinkist gathers insights from nonfiction books and shares them in bite-sized explainers. These explainers only take 15 minutes to read or listen to, and you can choose from 5,000 titles across 27 categories including money, technology, and economics.
In just 15 minutes, you can discover powerful ideas, explained simply. So, when it comes to cryptocurrency, you can learn everything from the basics—like how Bitcoin came to be – right up to advanced investing tips and the future of finances. And best of all, you can fit this learning into your daily routine. Here’s how.
The 14-Day Cryptocurrency Crash Course
What’s the best way to learn about cryptocurrency? Read as much as you can about it. But with so many titles out there to choose from, it can be hard to know where to start.
Blinkist has curated collections with books on hundreds of topics. This way, you can learn from several titles and emerge an expert in anything from minimalism to mentoring, astrobiology to productivity.
For cryptocurrency, the Blinkist team have curated a 14-day crash course that includes 14 books on the topic. Here’s some of what you can expect from the collection:
What’s a Cryptoasset?
Cryptoassests first explains what a “cryptoasset” even is. Next, it dives into actionable advice for first-time investors, including how to buy cryptoassets.
Cryptoassets
- 16 min reading time
- audio version available
For example, Blink, or chapter, #1 explains that a “cryptoasset” is a commodity that combines software and currency. As cryptoassets are intangible, it’s the software that has value. And that value depends partly on supply and demand—just like gold and oil. But unlike government-issued money, there’s a finite amount of each cryptoasset’s currency, just like there’s a finite amount of gold in the world. Bitcoin, for example, is a cryptoasset.
Understanding Blockchain
Blockchain is all about—you guessed it – the blockchain. Discover the technology cryptocurrencies use and why it’s so disruptive to everything from businesses to banking.
Blockchain
- 12 min reading time
- audio version available
Explainers, or Blinks, #1 and #2 dive into how it works. They detail how Blockchain technology is described as a digital ledger. It keeps track of and verifies every purchase, making sure that digital coins aren’t spent twice and records aren’t altered. Plus, the records are available for anyone to see. As no single entity controls the blockchain—and everyone can see it—it’s becoming more trustworthy than traditional financial systems like banking.
The blockchain also can’t be hacked. Data is stored in a digital collection, called a “block,” and linked with other blocks of data to form a chain, the “blockchain.” Once there, it’s time stamped, irreversible, given a code that matches the other blocks, and viewable for everyone. This makes it impossible for hackers to change any data in the blockchain, as everyone would see the altered information and the code wouldn’t match other blocks in the chain.
What is a Bitcoin, and where’s my digital wallet?
The Promise of Bitcoin covers Bitcoin, including its formation, history, and where it’s going next. Plus, the author shares tips for dipping your toe into investing in this particular cryptocurrency.
The Promise of Bitcoin
- 15 min reading time
- audio version available
Wondering how exactly you store cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin? Blink #7 explains that cryptocurrencies are stored in a digital account called a “wallet.” To access your wallet, you’ll be given a 64-digital number that only you can locate, which will act as a digital key.
“Hot wallets” are connected to the internet. This means your digital key could be stored in the cloud, downloaded onto your computer or kept in an app on your phone. Hot wallets are more accessible, but they are less secure.
“Cold wallets,” on other hand, are not connected to the internet. You can store your digital key on a hardware device like a USB thumb drive. But the safest wallet is a paper one. This literally involves storing your digital key on a piece of paper, and often then storing that in a fire-proof safe.
Want to keep learning? By spending just 15 minutes a day on the crypto crash course, you’ll walk away with a solid understanding of this tricky topic, with everything explained simply and quickly. You’ll know exactly how blockchain technology works, what the future holds for finances, and whether investing in cryptoassets is for you—and how to get started if it is.
A Book Explained in 15 Minutes
A team of expert writers and editors gather key insights from nonfiction books and share them in bite-sized explainers on the app.
Each explainer includes the takeaways you need to know about the topic, so you’ll always walk away having learned something. However, the team also includes interesting anecdotes, real-life case studies, and powerful quotes. Not only do these help make big ideas easy to digest, they make each explainer a joy to learn from.
Learning on the go
Some of us learn better by listening, and some of us are just busy people who are always on the go. Either way, with Blinkist’s audio feature, you can listen to Blinkist’s explainers as well as read them. So brush up on your blockchain knowledge while in the gym or dive into cryptocurrencies on your commute.
You can even use the app’s sleep timer to listen to explainers as you’re getting ready for bed.
— 5-Star Review
Discover Which Books Will Help You Learn More
Reading isn’t a waste of time, but reading the wrong books is. But sometimes, you don’t know a book isn’t right for you until you’re several chapters—and hours—in.
Blinkist’s explainers let you test drive a book, so you can get an overview with the 15-minute explainer. Then, if you want to learn more, you can read only the books that interest you the most in full and those you know you will find useful.
@blinkist is the most efficient way I know of to decide which #books to buy and read. Probably highest ROI on any of my #SaaS subscriptions.
— horaciolupi.eth (@horaciolupi) August 11, 2019
Stay Up to Date
As with many things in life, the world of crypto is always changing. So, once you’ve mastered the basics, it’s time to stay up to date with this ever-changing world.
The Blinkist team adds 40 new titles every month, and trending titles and New York Times bestsellers are added weekly. This way, you can quickly get information from the latest books on cryptocurrency—or anything else important to you.
– Aidan McCullen, Athlete & Media Personality
Ready to take a crash course in cryptocurrency? Join 21 million users who are using Blinkist to learn about big ideas.
