I recently promised to share a list of timely content to dig into Bitcoin.
There are many layers to the Bitcoin story; some more technical than others. Not everyone enjoys digesting technical content. However, thankfully, there are many gifted writers drawing simple Bitcoin analogies across multiple disciplines.
This post will share some of the most timely Bitcoin books and resources that I’ve come across recently.
This post will also highlight what I think is one of the most exciting areas of development in Bitcoin; using Bitcoin data centres (mining) to stabilize and expand access to electricity in Africa.
I have one bonus recommendation down below. It is a non-bitcoin - natively African - book.
Let's get into it.
Energy and Bitcoin in Africa
Bitcoin Mining is bringing stabilization to Africa's energy grid.
Leading this movement is Gridless Compute, a company pioneering the use of Bitcoin mining in Africa. What problem(s) are they solving? Well, Africa is huge, and multiple-Megawatt, centralized energy companies are unreliable and localized. Large energy users may benefit, such as cities, but what about rural Africa?
Micro grids. These are smaller electrical grids supplied by energy producers that make use of smaller, rural energy sources. The challenge for these players is to secure sufficient revenue to cover up-front capital costs.
Bitcoin mining offers ideal incentives (instant revenue and flexible demand) to get rural micro grids up and running. Revenue from miners help cover startup capital costs so micro grids can jump-start their operations, typically providing much more affordable electricity to end-users (locals).
I could go on and on about this topic. Minimizing wasted electricity, improving peoples’ living standards, and decentralization of electricity and money. Beautiful.
In this PDF, the author (founder of Gridless Compute) quickly outlines the Bitcoin energy solution in Africa.
This podcast is an interview with the author/founder.
Bitcoin and the Bible
Thank God for Bitcoin: The Creation, Corruption and Redemption of Money (free on Kindle Unlimited)
I've been in search of a piece that does well to bring morality into the Bitcoin conversation. A group of authors have come together to draw parallels between the innovation of Bitcoin and the basic moral principles delivered by the Bible. In my opinion, they have done an impeccable job in this book.
The language and arguments are clear and direct while being very educational about the fundamentals of Bitcoin.
There's a strong argument for how Bitcoin brings morality back to money. It is the antithesis to today's debt-based, greed-incentivizing monetary order. The more I've learned about Bitcoin, the more I've commited to it on moral grounds.
Bitcoin's backstory
The Blocksize War: The Battle Over Who Controls Bitcoin's Protocol Rules (technically heavy - free on Kindle Unlimited)
This is a text that provides excellent context on Bitcoin’s path to its relative maturity today. It hasn't been a straight road for Bitcoin.
This book covers what is known as the “blocksize wars”; a vulnerable period where reaching agreement on one of Bitcoin’s fundamental rules created conflict among Bitcoin's core developers.
KPMG says Bitcoin aligns with ESG practices
This recent PDF release by the “big 5” accounting firm, KPMG, is making waves in the ESG discussion surrounding Bitcoin.
Big money.
Anyone steeped in Bitcoin could have seen this coming, but to see global companies embracing Bitcoin as an environmental and social imperative…great entertainment.
Bonus book
The Keeper of the Kumm: Ancestral Longing and Belonging of a Boesmankind
I've wanted to read this book for a long time. Stories about Southern Africa's Khoi/San people (Bushmen) have been a fascination of mine ever since I can remember, but few books deliver on telling their story.
On the Khoi/San front, this book was disappointing. It touches on their culture as the author, Sylvia Vollenhoven, discovers a unique connection between them and her own life while she survives through declining health. The book was more of an autobiography than an exploration of her metaphysical, quasi-spiritual connection to “Boesmankind”. I suppose I judged this book by its cover.
The book primarily follows the story of the her personal and professional life as she matured into a prominent journalist during South Africa’s transition away from apartheid. She lived through interesting times from a unique perspective, I’ll give her that.
For anyone interested in quality Khoi/San books, then I would recommend any of Laurens van der Post’s books. Many of his stories and interpretations have come to mind on my recent travels, especially when “ǀKaggen” has paid a visit from time to time.
More on that for another time.
G