Thread by @anilsaidso

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

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1267844475449008130?s=20

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

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1281677133685768192?s=20

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

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1250553680924831746?s=20

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

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1276627025348812801?s=20

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

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1283780640282800129?s=20

But what can you even use it for anyway?

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1266077643419512832?s=20

Still a bit confused? That's understandable.

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

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1273607421680734208?s=20

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

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1234645533098004480?s=20

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

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1268205168530608129?s=20

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.

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1205226332256272384?s=20

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

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1290758632238276609?s=20

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

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1209268923150979072?s=20

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

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1215460743526612993?s=20

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

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1301538993654214656?s=20

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

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1306287762228695040?s=20

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.

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1308873382667210752?s=20

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.

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1316423236536561665?s=20

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.

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1316840488704458752?s=20

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

Will digitally-native Gen Z become Gen ₿?

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1328793884634202112?s=20

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

Will digitally-native Gen Z become Gen ₿?

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1328793884634202112?s=20

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

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1337181051127394309?s=19

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.

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1344037826971627520?s=20

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.

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1354196776287277058?s=20

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

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1361185653753483264

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.

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1223305980697399296?s=20

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.

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1375222012298158083

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.

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1399039422192971781

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.

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1363877157932396547

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

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

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1426301901226840066

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

https://twitter.com/anilsaidso/status/1418329477440892928