319. Escalating from Suez to Waterloo

In 'Broken Money', Lyn Alden delves into the evolution of money, from ancient forms like shells and gold to modern technologies such as central banks and Bitcoin. The book examines the theoretical foundations and practical implications of various monetary systems, highlighting how technology drives global financial changes. Alden also explores the human impact of money and how new monetary technologies shape societal power structures. The book aims to provide readers with a deep understanding of money's past, present, and potential future, including emerging technologies that could improve the current financial system.

The Bitcoin Standard analyzes the historical context to the rise of Bitcoin, the economic properties that have allowed it to grow quickly, and its likely economic, political, and social implications. The book takes the reader on an engaging journey through the history of technologies performing the functions of money, from primitive systems to modern government debt. It explains the operation of Bitcoin as a decentralized, distributed piece of software that converts electricity and processing power into indisputably accurate records, allowing users to perform traditional monetary functions without relying on authorities or physical infrastructure. The book also explores common questions surrounding Bitcoin and its potential as a store of value and a network for final settlement of large payments, challenging government monopolies and offering a vision of money extricated from politics and borders.