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  • The Cryptopians: Idealism, Greed, Lies, and the Making of the First Big Cryptocurrency Craze

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The Cryptopians: Idealism, Greed, Lies, and the Making of the First Big Cryptocurrency Craze Hardcover – February 22, 2022

by Laura Shin (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars (345)
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The story of the idealists, technologists, and opportunists fighting to bring cryptocurrency to the masses.

In their short history, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have gone through booms, busts, and internecine wars, recently reaching a market valuation of more than $2 trillion. The central promise of crypto endures—vast fortunes made from decentralized networks not controlled by any single entity and not yet regulated by many governments.

The recent growth of crypto would have been all but impossible if not for a brilliant young man named Vitalik Buterin and his creation: Ethereum. In this book, Laura Shin takes readers inside the founding of this novel cryptocurrency network, which enabled users to launch their own new coins, thus creating a new crypto fever. She introduces readers to larger-than-life characters like Buterin, the Web3 wunderkind; his short-lived CEO, Charles Hoskinson; and Joe Lubin, a former Goldman Sachs VP who became one of crypto’s most well-known billionaires. Sparks fly as these outsized personalities fight for their piece of a seemingly limitless new business opportunity.

This fascinating book shows the crypto market for what it really is: a deeply personal struggle to influence the coming revolution in money, culture, and power.
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  1. Print length
    496 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    PublicAffairs
  4. Publication date
    February 22, 2022
  5. Dimensions
    6.38 x 1.5 x 9.63 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1541763017
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1541763012
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Deeply researched, this book is an important body of work and must-read for the inside story of Ethereum, complete with all of its grit and drama.”―Willy Woo, Bitcoin analyst

“The most authoritative account yet of Ethereum. Laura Shin is deeply sourced in the crypto world and this is reflected on every page. The Cryptopians also casts new light on Vitalik Buterin, showing the human side of Ethereum’s founding genius as never before.”―Jeff John Roberts, executive editor of Decrypt and author of Kings of Crypto

“A story of high drama played out in the big stakes world of crypto currencies and cutting-edge technologies with a cast of characters worthy of a thriller novel. Except: this incredible tale is all true and the hero of the story—Ethereum—has gone on to even greater things.”―Raoul Pal, cofounder and CEO of Real Vision

“Shin’s compelling, blow-by-blow account of the remarkable birth and growth of Ethereum shows that its spectacular wealth generation was not without struggle. By Shin’s telling, the story of Ethereum is a grand human drama. For all the talk of decentralized, code-based ‘virtual machines,’ a successful crypto project’s biggest challenge is surviving internecine conflicts and the egos of its brilliant but humanly flawed founders.”―Michael J. Casey, chief content officer at CoinDesk and coauthor of The Age of Cryptocurrency and The Truth Machine

“A financial journalist and podcaster looks into the tangled rise of cryptocurrency. Imagine the internecine politics that Alexander Hamilton had to endure in piecing together a dollar-based treasury. Amplify it with backchannel drama, dark web intrigues, and head-butting mad scientists.”―Kirkus Reviews

“This isn't the first book on Ethereum but, thanks to author Laura Shin’s meticulous research and deep crypto pedigree, it's the most authoritative…There will be dozens more books about crypto in the coming years, but Shin has written the definitive one on early Ethereum.”―Decrypt

“Worth the cost of admission.”―Publishers Weekly

“It is meticulously researched, very sophisticated written, a small masterpiece for crypto connoisseurs.”―Get to Text

“Full of drama, the book reads like a thriller novel at times, except it’s actually a true story.”―The Reading Lists

“This fascinating book shows the crypto market for what it really is: a deeply personal struggle to influence the coming revolution in money, culture, and power.”―SpookyMrsGreen

“This book is an essential read for those looking to understand the complexities of blockchain technology, the cultural and political dynamics of its community, and the promise and perils of its potential.” ―Securities.io

“The book’s riveting narrative and rich detail even suggests it could easily be the foundation for a future movie about the cryptocurrency revolution…this well-researched, fact-checked book does more than just recount past events — it offers an understanding of the crypto world’s essence, its key players, and the significant moments that have propelled the industry forward.”―Coinmonks

About the Author

Laura Shin is a writer, crypto journalist, and podcaster. A former senior editor at Forbes, she left the magazine in 2018 to commit to her podcasts and videos, Unchained and Unconfirmed, which have had over 14 million downloads and views. Shin has spoken about and led discussions on cryptocurrency at places such as TEDx San Francisco, the IMF, Singularity University and the Oslo Freedom Forum. She lives in New York City.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ PublicAffairs
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 22, 2022
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 496 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1541763017
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1541763012
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.6 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.38 x 1.5 x 9.63 inches
  • Best Sellers Rank: #1,004,570 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars (345)

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Laura Shin

Laura Shin

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Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Laura Shin is a crypto journalist, host of the Unchained podcast, and author of “The Cryptopians: Idealism, Greed, Lies, and the Making of the First Big Cryptocurrency Craze” (Public Affairs, 2022). During the course of writing her book, she and her sources uncovered who they believe was behind the biggest whodunnit in crypto — the 2016 DAO attack on Ethereum.

Formerly a senior editor at Forbes, she was the first mainstream journalist to cover crypto full-time, and her podcasts and videos have had more than 15 million downloads and views. Shin has spoken about cryptocurrency at places such as TEDx San Francisco, the International Monetary Fund, Singularity University and the Oslo Freedom Forum.

She graduated Phi Beta Kappa with Honors from Stanford University and has a master of arts from Columbia University’s School of Journalism. She lives in New York City.

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
345 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book's research breathtaking and detail-packed, making it an important historical document that provides an exhaustive account of the Ethereum ecosystem. They appreciate its readability, with one customer noting it's particularly accessible for non-industry readers. The writing quality receives mixed feedback, with some customers finding it extremely well-written while others disagree.
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17 customers mention depth, 15 positive, 2 negative
Customers praise the depth of the book, noting its breathtaking research and detail-packed content, making it essential reading for crypto enthusiasts.
Well researched, objective, informative and interesting....Read more
...this account of the historic founding of ethereum is diligent, well-researched, and thurough. 5 stars, this is going to be a history book one day.Read more
Incredible book, clearly written, informative with Laura’s engaging and high-integrity style of reporting....Read more
...Impeccable research concerning the formation of Ethereum and the first crypto bubble but didn’t hold my interest....Read more
12 customers mention readability, 11 positive, 1 negative
Customers find the book engaging and interesting to read, with one customer noting it's great for non-industry readers.
Well researched, objective, informative and interesting....Read more
enjoyed reading the book. would recommend.Read more
This is an amazing account of the early days of cryptocurrency, a must read. Highly recommend!Read more
Well written, great content, and very enjoyable to read.Read more
6 customers mention history, 6 positive, 0 negative
Customers appreciate the book's historical content, describing it as an important and exhaustively documented account of the Ethereum ecosystem.
...I also suspect it will become an important historical document.Read more
...This book provides a great history of one of the most important cryptocurrencies and the people who made it happen. Highly recommended.Read more
This book provides a highly detailed & exhaustively documented historical account of the Ethereum ecosystem. I found it riveting....Read more
This is an amazing account of the early days of cryptocurrency, a must read. Highly recommend!Read more
6 customers mention writing quality, 4 positive, 2 negative
Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book, with some finding it extremely well-written, while one customer describes it as poorly written.
...is not dull and dry, and that has been authored by someone who writes eloquently. Two thumbs up!Read more
...The writing is not suited for the masses.Read more
Incredible book, clearly written, informative with Laura’s engaging and high-integrity style of reporting....Read more
Well written, great content, and very enjoyable to read.Read more
It’s fascinating to follow the start up of Etherium.
5 out of 5 stars
It’s fascinating to follow the start up of Etherium.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Sma580
    5.0 out of 5 stars Extremely well-written, comprehensive and great for non-industry people to read
    Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2022
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    You can tell Laura Shin is a seasoned journalist by the quality and sophistication of this book, even if you weren’t already familiar with her podcast or work. In attending an event in which Laura talked through her process for gathering the facts for this book, she mentioned having done 200 interviews over the course of 3 years. Her comprehensiveness shows. Like anytime throughout history when people were establishing and building a new frontier — the beginning of Ethereum was messy, complicated and full of drama. Laura has uncovered (as she does) so much for the rest of us to understand and appreciate in that story. Thank you, Laura! It was also a great read for anyone who’s not in the industry or super technical. I feel much better informed about how crypto works now having read this book!
    4 people found this helpful
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  • John
    4.0 out of 5 stars Crypto's "Wolf of Wall Street" tale, made comprehensible to normies
    Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2022
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    This true story of the early alt-coin years is every bit as appalling, enlightening, and dramatic as “The Wolf of Wall Street,” though it involves much more complicated morality and mischief. Laura Shin animates every page, giving us a vivid sense of the surreal lifestyles and characters that produced “the financial revolution.” The research involved in this book is breathtaking, but Laura pulls it all together into a tale that draws us in and keeps us guessing. Most impressively, she made the highly-technical coding and investing schemes comprehensible to normies like me.

    There are many who have questioned the philosophies and failures of our current economic system, myself included. This book is about many such people who decided (for very diverse reasons) to do something about it. I have learned invaluable lessons by following the details of their experiences, though primarily, they are examples of what not to do (as so many life lessons are). I’d recommend this book for any crypto-enthusiast, whether idealogue or speculator.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • CD Damitio
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great Journalism and an Eye Opening Look into the reality of blockchain and people in it.
    Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2025
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Blockchain and Smarty Contracts won't go away any time soon. This book provides a great history of one of the most important cryptocurrencies and the people who made it happen. Highly recommended.
    Helpful
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  • Theodore Stamas
    3.0 out of 5 stars Suited for programmers and crypto enthusiasts
    Reviewed in the United States on March 8, 2023
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    I’m not a Luddite and found this book very difficult to understand and follow. Impeccable research concerning the formation of Ethereum and the first crypto bubble but didn’t hold my interest. The writing is not suited for the masses.
    Helpful
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  • Jeff
    5.0 out of 5 stars The inside account of Ethereum's early years
    Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2022
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    This is the book I needed in the spring of 2018 when I began covering Ethereum as a journalist and needed to make sense of the people and politics.

    Why was there so much hostility by some people toward Parity? Who was really running the Ethereum Foundation? What was community sentiment toward The DAO creators? And how did ConsenSys fit into everything?

    Shin goes into incredible detail (which might overwhelm those who have only a passing interest in cryptocurrency) covering these topics, providing an insider's account of who did this, who said that, and how the world's second-biggest cryptocurrency got off the ground.

    Essential reading for crypto fanatics.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Jennifer Manganello
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read to understand the culture of crypto and how it is going to change the world
    Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2022
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    As someone who has been in the industry for years, this is the best book ever on the culture of crypto, and the clash between people who want to change the world for the better, and those who are looking for a get rich quick scheme. Ethereum is by far the most important project in crypto, and maybe all of technology, and it is great that Laura digs deeply into the characters that made it happen. My take is that this book will be a classic, especially to scholars in the future who are researching the brilliance and character of Vitalik B.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • N. A. Long
    4.0 out of 5 stars a fascinating ride focused on altruism meeting reality
    Reviewed in the United States on May 3, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Well researched, objective, informative and interesting. Laura Shin was thorough in her investigation and worked diligently to identify the dizzying array of characters.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Michael Hardiman
    5.0 out of 5 stars the amazing beginnings of Ethereum
    Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2024
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    The book title is not accurate. This is a book about Ethereum, not crypto generally.
    Lays bare the internecine back-and-forth between the genius Vitalik Buterin and the others who created Ethereum, when there was no established road map. Financed largely by money made from bitcoin, the group did a lot right and some wrong, but eventually overcame obstacles and got out of their own way to get Ethereum established.
    Helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • eyespy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Very Entertaining
    Reviewed in Canada on September 2, 2023
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Very entertaining if you have been in the space from day one and know all the players. The back stories and gossip fill in the blanks of what most know and have heard from the beginning to this day.
    Report
  • Catherine Green
    5.0 out of 5 stars An important guide to social history that we all need to read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 4, 2022
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    I loved reading this book! Being new to cryptocurrency and wanting to learn more, I found a podcast with Laura Shin and decided to order her book. The Cryptopians is a comprehensive introduction to the new history of cryptocurrency, explaining jargon, key people in the industry, and explaining how this all came about as a movement and how it continues to grow.

    I really think that we all need to read this book if we have children because it will be relevant to them as they grow up, so we might as well learn about cryptocurrency too!
    Report
  • Martin
    2.0 out of 5 stars Content exhibits detailed but slightly biased research
    Reviewed in Germany on May 19, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Interesting, in-depth researched content: overall book is cumbersome to read. Cheering author on for enormous work to have done to compile all of this, yet it still reads like a slightly biased tale of what happened.
    Report
  • Ron Well
    5.0 out of 5 stars Well written history of Ethereum
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 3, 2023
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    I enjoyed this book - especially the DAO saga. It’s at the right technical level and yet very entertaining. If you are interested in the beginnings of ETH I would recommend this book.
    Report
  • Leo Weese
    5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling and detailed read about the early days of Ethereum
    Reviewed in Canada on March 16, 2022
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Well researched and detailed, very much enjoyed reading this!
    Report
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