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Kings of Crypto

By: Jeff John Roberts
Narrated by: Scott Aiello
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Publisher's Summary

An expert, story-driven account of how Coinbase won the cryptocurrency game and set itself up to lead the future of banking and blockchain-based trading. This is the story of the people who made Coinbase, per PitchBook, “one of the most valuable startups in the US,” including the stoic, preppy founder and CEO Brian Armstrong and the bitcoin-obsessed former lumberjack Olaf Carlson-Wee, who turned their backs on the first generation of wild-eyed Bitcoin prophets to build something more profound and practical — a company poised to be the next generation’s Goldman Sachs or JP Morgan Chase. Founded in 2012, Coinbase today processes billions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency every week and has more customers than long-time investment giants Fidelity and Charles Schwab; what Google is to search and Uber is to ride-sharing, Coinbase is to cryptocurrency.

Ranging from Coinbase’s earliest days and the ensuing crypto-mania to the current battle between Silicon Valley and Wall Street for the center of finance, Kings of Crypto uses Coinbase to explore and explain the larger, over-arching disruption and future of finance.

Jeff John Roberts covers IP, blockchain, and cyber security for Fortune and previously reported on technology for Reuters and Gigaom. He is uniquely positioned to report the financial and legal aspects of the Coinbase story given his background as a lawyer and time as a Knight-Bagehot Fellow at Columbia Business School. In 2018, his work on blockchain for Fortune received a national honor from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. 

©2019 Jeff John Roberts (P)2020 Audible Originals, LLC.

Critic Reviews

"A fun, fast-moving book that offers serious insight into the future of finance. For anyone looking to understand Bitcoin or how cryptocurrency will change Wall Street, Kings of Crypto is an essential read." (Alex Tapscott, co-author of Blockchain Revolution)   

"Kings of Crypto tells the story of ragtag band of rebels who saw the future of finance before anyone else and who wrenched the revolution into their orbit. Listening to/reading this book is like sticking a stethoscoped ear to the vault containing the cryptocurrency industry's origins. Click, click, click - and a wealth of secrets spills out. Learn what made Coinbase, one of the most improbably successful Silicon Valley startups, hit it big - and what makes its founding 'Vulcan Swiss bankers' tick. As long as Satoshi Nakamoto's identity remains a secret, this is the closest you'll come to understanding the rise of crypto - and where it's all headed." (Robert Hackett, crypto reporter and senior staff writer, Fortune magazine)

"Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase overcame huge obstacles to bring on more customers than Charles Schwab had over five decades. How did brand-new entrepreneurs get 30 million everyday people to buy a new form of money? In Kings of Crypto, Jeff Roberts reveals all in this entertaining, absorbing and surprising story." (Laura Shin, Forbes reporter and host of popular crypto podcast Unchained)

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A history of the future of money

Really enjoyed the writing style, narration and in-depth history of the world of cryptocurrency. Covers not only Coinbase, but summarises the entire industry and culture around blockchain, crypto and DeFi.

Highly recommend for those who, like me, are geeking out on the current rocket ride as we collectively redefine ‘money’.

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