Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain

Bitcoin, Blockchain, Ethereum & Smart Contracts

by David Gerard, Karen Boyd, Ben Gutzler, Christian Wagner

paperback, 182 pages

Published July 24, 2017 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

ISBN:: 978-1-9740-0006-7

(15 reviews)

“Ross Ulbricht had been doing all his Silk Road work from his main daily laptop. One afternoon in September 2013, he was sitting in a library, using their wifi to administer the site, and talking to a friend in the site’s online chat. Two apparently-homeless people started arguing loudly behind him; he turned to look, and the slight young woman using the desk opposite snatched his laptop. She was a government agent. So were the homeless people. So was the friend he was chatting to.”

From libertarian economics to the maelstrom of get-rich-quick dreams, right-wing anarchists, magical thinking, blatant con-men and the madness of crowds that is Bitcoin – and the story repeating in 2017 with the Ethereum and ICO bubble. And the push to sell these ideas to business as Blockchain and Smart Contracts. Plus: a case study on Blockchain in the music industry.

Remember: if it sounds too …

Remember: if it sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is.

1 edition

Ara Tatarczuk reviewed Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain by David Gerard

Essential and accessible introduction

5 stars

Its balance of technical details, business knowledge and hilarious cautionary tales makes this book an accessible introduction to cryptocurrencies-skepticism. I can't wait for this book to become a history book (and even then, it will be worth the read), but as long as your friends, relatives, and even government representatives keep showing interest in crypto, you owe yourself to be informed about its questionable merits and potential risks.

The author's blog is also an invaluable resource about the subject. @davidgerard@circumstances.run

colin reviewed Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain by David Gerard

Good Criticism of Blockchain

3 stars

This was a decent, quick read, and a pretty good criticism of blockchain, but probably could've used another round of editing or two. I was excited to read some criticism of the music industry and blockchain, but unfortunately that was one of the lighter sections of the book.

stinkingpig reviewed Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain by David Gerard

Review of 'Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Hilarious and well-researched book

While the snark level is occasionally a little high, it’s totally understandable. This is a great picture of scammers, geeks, and naïfs coming together terribly.