David Gerard Reihenfolge der Bücher (Chronologisch)

Silicon Valley aims to disrupt the world, but the world resists. Facebook, the largest social network, faced backlash from governments over issues like personal data misuse and election interference. In response, Mark Zuckerberg considered a pivot to finance, proposing a private currency, Libra, launched in June 2019. This international currency aimed to facilitate instant payments globally and "bank the unbanked" using blockchain technology. However, it also risked making Facebook too powerful, allowing it to bypass national regulations and potentially destabilize economies, starting with the US dollar. Governments viewed Libra as a threat reminiscent of the 2008 financial crisis, fearing that it would entrench Facebook's dominance at the expense of global economic stability. The plan was seen as both incompetent and arrogant, prompting regulators to halt it. The story explores how Facebook conceived such a problematic idea and what might occur if another company attempts a similar approach or if Facebook persists with a revised version, dubbed "Libra 2.0." The narrative also touches on Bitcoin, the rise of Central Bank Digital Currencies, and Facebook's earlier payment initiatives. It delves into the implications of Libra's conception, regulatory responses, and the broader impact on digital identity and financial systems, ultimately portraying a cautionary tale about unchecked ambition in the tech world.

"An experimental new Internet-based form of money is created that anyone can generate at home; people build frightening firetrap computers full of video cards, putting out so much heat that one operator is hospitalised with heatstroke and brain damage. A young physics student starts a revolutionary new marketplace immune to State coercion; he ends up ordering hits on people because they might threaten his great experiment, and is jailed for life without parole. Fully automated contractual systems are proposed to make business and the law work better; the contracts people actually write are unregulated penny stock offerings whose fine print literally states that you are buying nothing of any value. The biggest crowdfunding in history attracts $150 million on the promise that it will embody "the steadfast iron will of unstoppable code"; upon release it is immediately hacked, and $50 million is stolen. How did we get here? David Gerard covers the origins and history of Bitcoin to the present day, the other cryptocurrencies it spawned including Ethereum, the ICO craze and the 2017 crypto bubble, and the attempts to apply blockchains and smart contracts to business. Plus a case study on blockchains in the music industry. Bitcoin and blockchains are not a technology story, but a psychology story. Remember: if it sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is."--Back cover