Thread by @anilpatel

This thread represents over 1,000 hours of research, writing and design in an attempt to better explain Bitcoin as a concept.

These are the non-technical resources that I want newcomers to have access to as they begin their journey down the rabbit hole.

Happy Reading. 🐰

Starting with The Evolution of Money

Next, a book summary that will help you understand money against the current technological, economic and sociopolitical backdrop.

Not a thread, but important for context- The Lifespan of Global Reserve Currencies

A brief comparison of Bitcoin and the current global reserve currency- the US Dollar.

Now we can start to look at Bitcoin as a technology in more detail. Don't worry, we'll move slowly.

But what can you even use it for anyway?

Still a bit confused? That's understandable.

Let's try a different angle to explain some of the properties and functions of Bitcoin.

What are the most useful tools to help guide your thinking?

Let's go one level deeper and look at Bitcoin from first principles.

But why should you trust me in all of this?

You shouldn't. You should take stock of a RANGE of views and perspectives before coming to any conclusions.

Now onto some educational resources to explore at your own pace. Beginning with some light reading.

For deeper reads, try some of these books- categorized by varying degrees of interest.

If you're more into the spoken word. Here are the lectures that I'd recommend.

And if history lessons are more your thing, here's a story with many parallels-

Perhaps most crucial though, is understanding technology as the driving force in shaping society-

Throughout your journey, you're going to be met with plenty of skepticism from others. This is normal.

Things that are difficult to comprehend will be written off and/or criticized by those who haven't put in the same amount of work that you have.

Similarly, you're going to encounter plenty of elaborate scams where a single mistake can have disastrous consequences

You'll need to develop the skills to identify them from afar and to understand your own biases.

So how might this all play out over the coming decades, given the sociopolitical systems + economic incentives involved?

Let's consult the views of one of the deepest thinkers with an ideal vantage point to understand the broader changes occurring.

Similarly, what role do shifting demographics play in how Bitcoin could be perceived in the future?

Will digitally-native Gen Z become Gen ₿?

And what role will shifting demographics play in how Bitcoin is perceived in the future?

Will digitally-native Gen Z become Gen ₿?

From a behavioural perspective, it becomes apparent that you cannot divorce money from expectations about the future.

And when evaluating forms of money from first principles, you'll realize that it's chosen based on the credibility of its monetary properties in a 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳-𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦-𝘢𝘭𝘭 competition.

You'll need to keep in mind some of the unpleasant truths about the competitive nature of humans when it comes to power and resources.

And the painful reality for citizens when their money is rapidly inflated by central planners, destroying purchasing power.

That's the key feature which makes Bitcoin attractive. Its terminal supply cannot be inflated by any individual or group, nor can it be convincingly counterfeited.

How was this made possible? Through the age-old process of trial and error, seeking to do more with less, that has continually improved our quality of life- innovation.

By now you understand that innovation is a process of recombining existing things, in a novel way, that society finds useful.

Let’s go a level deeper into Bitcoin’s individual pieces.

Given this, what’s the resulting benefit that Bitcoin currently offers us?

Here are a few more analogies and insights from the CEO of the first public company to adopt a Bitcoin standard.

Let’s differentiate between the ‘asset’ and the ‘network’.

Here’s a primer on how and why networks form-

Given this, we can better understand bitcoin’s potential to serve as the next anchor of our global financial system in the Information Age.