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A Beginner's Guide To Bitcoin

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Learn to make money in Bitcoin, even if you've never traded before. Bitcoin is the greatest investment opportunity of our lifetime. Are you ready to get your piece of it? This book will teach you everything that you need to get started investing in Bitcoin. Bitcoin is the biggest revolution since the internet. It’s been the best performing asset of the past decade. Is it too late to invest? Certainly not, if Bitcoin is going to $500,000 in the next 5 years, as many smart investors believe. Bitcoin is a giant, super-secure bank in the cloud that you can use to store and grow your wealth. Bitcoin is like the mutant offspring of a bar of gold and a tech stock. It’s volatile, it has huge upside, and it’s poorly understood. Many people still think that it is a scam, a bubble, or that it will be banned by the government. They could not be more wrong. U.S. regulators have recently allowed U.S. banks to custody Bitcoin. You can now legally buy Bitcoin using PayPal or the Cash App. Retails investors are snapping up the limited supply of just 21 million Bitcoin. Even more important, there is a giant wall of institutional money headed towards Bitcoin. Wall Street, billionaires, and even blue chip corporations are getting in on the game. If you missed out on the internet, make sure you don’t miss out on the Bitcoin revolution. There are still huge amounts of money to be made. Bitcoin is just getting started, and 2021 will be a year like no other. As central banks continue to print money, you need a place to store your wealth and protect it from inflation. This book will teach you everything you need to know to get started investing in Bitcoin today. Don't gamble with your hard-earned money. If you are going to make a lot of money, you need to know how Bitcoin really works. You need to avoid the pitfalls and costly mistakes that beginners make. And you need a conservative approach to Bitcoin that will help you to survive the volatility. This book gives you everything that you will need. It's a simple Bitcoin road map that anyone can follow. In this book, you will

Why Bitcoin is not a bubble or a scam What makes Bitcoin different from other cryptocurrencies The best way to buy Bitcoin How to store your Bitcoin securely Why Bitcoin will not be banned by the U.S. government How professional investors approach Bitcoin The one thing you should never do when buying Bitcoin (don't start investing until you read this) How to create a secure financial future using Bitcoin And much, much more Even if you know nothing at all about cryptocurrencies, this book will get you started inve

70 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 1, 2021

781 people are currently reading
242 people want to read

About the author

Matthew R. Kratter

20 books80 followers

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5 stars
396 (49%)
4 stars
238 (29%)
3 stars
133 (16%)
2 stars
23 (2%)
1 star
15 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
Profile Image for Chopa.
2 reviews2 followers
January 9, 2021
Learned a lot

It is a short concise book full of information! I definitely learned a lot! I read other books of Matt Kratter and will keep reading every book he writes in the future. It is easy to read but you will be astonished how much you learned at the end. Thank you sharing information with us the earthlings !
3 reviews
January 19, 2021
Similar to Matt's previous books on investing, 'A Beginner's Guide to Bitcoin' is a no-nonsense, efficient and digestible. It lays out a fundamental case for Bitcoin based on sound principles that govern other assets, such market share, scarcity, network effect, and tech advantage among others. And, if you are not one to just blindly follow somebody's perspective or position, 'A Beginner's Guide to Bitcoin' serves as a handy outline of the key concepts, for and against Bitcoin, that one could use to start their own research (which I am sure Matt would encourage). Buy the book if you love Bitcoin, if you are just hearing about it, if you are on the fence of whether to invest in it, if you are brazen or timid ...
Profile Image for Olev Maimets.
4 reviews
May 21, 2021
A must read!

I learned a lot of highly useful stuff about Bitcoin from this book! Most importantly, how to set up a multi-sig wallet.
Profile Image for Kim.
239 reviews
May 6, 2025
What did I just read?! This was recommended to me by someone who knows a lot about Bitcoin, and I expected a somewhat balanced account of the history of Bitcoin and how it works. Something that would in fact, be an introduction to this new technology/currency.

Instead we have what is essentially a long (albeit well written) screed about why you must buy Bitcoin- most of which can be picked up from the most cursory of internet searches. Additionally, lot of things relating to Bitcoin were not mentioned at all, and the few negatives that were brought up were essentially hand-waved away.
Profile Image for Big Game James.
101 reviews
February 16, 2021
A Beginner's Guide To Bitcoin is a nice introduction to Bitcoin from the perspective of a true believer in its infallibility and ultimate worth. As with most books written by Matthew Kratter, the writing is crisp, straightforward, and fairly thorough.

The book covers price targets, myths, how to buy and store it, and whether it is actually money. Matthew also provides what he calls "The 10 Commandments of Bitcoin" which covers his Bitcoin investment strategy and how to handle security issues. I would like to have seen more coverage on exactly how it was created out of thin air, how it was added to exchanges, and who "controls" it. Granted, Matthew views Bitcoin as "decentralized" and therefore not suject to anyone's control, but he doesn't provide the "why" and "how."

Matthew also provides a rather weak argument against the concern that the government might someday restrict or prohibit its use, saying that the government wouldn't do that because the major Bitcoiners who mostly hold Bitcoin in "cold storage" would simply flee the country and find a more Bitcoin-friendly country. In my view, some Bitcoiners would in fact flee, but not all, or even most. Therefore the value would likely plummet.

Even Ray Dalio of the Bridgewater Associates hedge fund has expressed similar concerns in an article titled, "What I Really Think of Bitcoin," saying "it appears to me that if the government wanted to get rid of its use, most of those who are using it wouldn't be able to use it, so the demand for it would plunge."

Mr. Dalio adds, "Rather than it being far-fetched that the government would invade the privacy and/or prevent the use of Bitcoin (and its competitors), it seems to me that the more successful it is, the more likely these possibilities would be."

Now in fairness to Matthew Kratter, his book is aimed at beginners and does provide an excellent introduction, and some very solid strategies for Bitcoin security. Bottom line, despite a couple of very minor shortcomings, "A Beginner's Guide to Bitcoin" is an excellent book and a nice introduction to Bitcoin.
Profile Image for Christopher Wei.
18 reviews1 follower
November 29, 2022
A book that actually holds up to its title. This will not explain to you the intricacies of the crypto market or the underlying tech of Bitcoin. However, it is a wonderful beginner’s guide and really prepares and informs you of Bitcoin.

Although Kratter’s writing seemed blog-like at times filled with opinions and in other moments seemed like he was about to explode in bliss from the thought of bitcoin, he does more than balance it out with factual insights into how Bitcoin works, why it is bound to be the everlasting crypto, and most importantly what it is really for: a holding asset for you to not only safely store most of your monetary value but one that will increase and has increased with sky rocketing returns

It was interesting how he starts with showing the parallel with Gold and how Bitcoin succeeds in the faults Gold has and when he mentioned the PlanB Stock to Flow model that so far has accurately predicted the Bitcoin price and its projection to more than 100x

He also provides a very well prepared list of suggestions for how to start buying Bitcoin, how to store it, and most importantly how to do everything safely.

Overall a guide everyone should read.
Profile Image for Sari.
115 reviews4 followers
February 3, 2025
Another five star book from Matthew Kratter! This book gave me a much better understanding of bitcoin, how to secure it, how to use it to store value, and why it’s the way of the future. Thank you Matthew for another great and educational book!
Profile Image for Ben.
128 reviews31 followers
September 15, 2021
This book does one thing well: it makes you cautious about bitcoin safety and gives good advice on how to keep your coins secure.

Security issues are about half of the books' contents. The other half is a spiel about how bitcoin will eat the world the way Pacman eats hungry ghosts.

The author is so bullish on bitcoin he says to not buy any other crypto. His reasons for this are unconvincing, essentially boiling down to "you likely don't know enough to make informed decisions about other cryptos".

He doesn't explain key concepts which underlie and explain crypto, such as blockchain technology, cryptography, and the ways it improves some of the inefficiencies of fiat.

He notes that bitcoin is not a bubble because historical bubbles haven't roared back into life after they've popped, which bitcoin's done. What's that line I see and hear everywhere? "Past perform is not an indicator of future performance". He makes a good point about the little bitcoin bubble that could, but it's hardly airtight.

He discusses the the stock-to-flow model which uses scarcity to make product valuations. Other cryptos have in-built scarcity models and yet aren't profitable. It predicts that bitcoin will eventually have a larger market cap than the entire global economy, which is absurd. It's fair to say that the S2F model is still being (dis)proven. Gamble with it at your own risk.

The author does make a good case for bitcoin being, like gold, a good store of value and a way to protect your money against myriad kinds of devaluation. He also notes its adoption by younger generations which hints at its likely and soon-to-come widespread acceptance. In that sense, it might be a good long-term investment. But for the reasons mentioned above, its long-term future, though we have good reasons to have faith in it, and despite the author's true-believer certainty, remains a big, fat I don't fucken know.
1 review
December 21, 2021
Wow, what a waste of time. Clearly, Kratter owns a lot of Bitcoin and the way that he makes more money is to convince YOU to buy lots of bitcoin.
This is not an introduction as much as a fan club. You will not get a sober, neutral explanation of how bitcoin works. What you WILL get is a rather brief hustler's pitch on why you NEED TO PURCHASE BITCOIN RIGHT AWAY.
The book is a weird mixture of hype and paranoia. At more than one point, Mr. Kratter warns you not to whisper the seed words to yourself when you write them down on paper. Also (according to him), the US Government is barrelling down the path to a socialist dystopia.
There is no assessment of the risks, because, according to Mr. Kratter, the only risk you take is keeping your bitcoin in a brokerage account and not in cold storage, or, as noted above, whispering your seed words as you jot them down.
Mr. Kratter assumes that his audience is a 30- something libertarian bro who has some spare cash, little education and a "Let's Go Brandon" flag in his bedroom located in his parents' basement.
If anyone can recommend a real book on the benefits and risks of bitcoin, please let me know. This one was definitely a waste of time.
1 review1 follower
November 27, 2021
This is my first Matt Kratter book. It was short and to the point. I have learned a lot. I think it was written in 2020 and it is good to read it in 2021 while the content is still fresh and relevant. I am not sure what will the reader feel when you read it 4-5 years from now.
I will definitely read other books of Matt Kratter.
Profile Image for Michael J..
1,011 reviews32 followers
January 18, 2021
This short, quick read delivers on the promise of the title - - it serves as an essential guide to anyone considering investing in Bitcoin. Author Matthew Kratter states up front in the preface that his objective was to provide an educational guide rather than investment advice. Although, it is fairly obvious that Kratter is in favor of this new form of money as he admits to his own investment. He puts forth a commendable effort to detail Bitcoin in an objective fashion, even though his positive opinions come through.
For those of us who are wary of crypto-currency and know just enough about it to be aware of its' potential as an investment and savings tool, this book serves as a good eye-opener. I understand Bitcoin much better after reading this, and also gained clarification on certain aspects that I was misinformed on.
Kratter breaks down the book into easy to digest short chapters that cover the key facts and features of Bitcoin. After sections that answer who, what, when, where, why and how Kratter explores the thirteen most common myths regarding Bitcoin and breaks them down. The book ends with a chapter on how to buy and store Bitcoin, and posits the Ten Commandments (a.k.a. rules) for investors.
I received an advance review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Matthew.
104 reviews
July 11, 2021
For someone just getting started in the world of cryptocurrency such as myself, Matthew Kratter's book was an excellent initial resource. He introduces lots of background information that allows the reader to understand exactly what Bitcoin is and what it is worth. He then proceeds to explain how one can go about getting started with Bitcoin, simply and safely. His advice is highly valuable.

I came across a reference to Matthew's book on his YouTube channel, of which I am a subscriber. The many videos of his that I have watched have demonstrated his expertise in the field and his sincerity in helping people understand this new phenomenon in the global financial system. I recommend not only this book, excellent for anyone just started to learn about cryptocurrency, but also recommend his channel.
5 reviews
April 9, 2021
If you know absolutely nothing about Bitcoin, then this book is a good starting point to learn. This book is also great for anyone to use as a guide as they actively begin to invest in Bitcoin. The author explains the idea behind Bitcoin and why he thinks its value still hasn’t come close to reaching its ceiling. Then he gives tips and advice on the tools you should use to buy and trade Bitcoin, along with other practical advice on starting with Bitcoin in your own life. Despite my positive review, I am still under the impression that the author is a bit biased due to his large investment in Bitcoin, so I will be looking to other books and sources to seek more information and potential downsides of Bitcoin that most people are overlooking.
Profile Image for Jonathan Tuan Tran.
9 reviews
August 21, 2021
Fairly quick read.

I've dabbled in Bitcoin, and there are many myths about it.

Some consider it backed by nothing. Some consider it to make it easier to perform illegal activities.

Not true. If anything, fiat is backed by nothing, and most illegal activity is still done with paper money.

If anything, Bitcoin is traceable due to the Blockchain.

Might be a good idea to get a USB / cold wallet because storing your cryptocurrency in the exchange can make it easy to be hacked into.

Millenials are actually more comfortable dealing with cryptocurrencies than they are with currencies like gold, which in the future will be left to be used for more practical uses like being used in electronics.

Buy and hold... let it retain its value.
Profile Image for Brian.
7 reviews
January 8, 2021
Guide for Investing in Bitcoin

I think a more appropriate title for this book would be "A Beginner's Guide to Investing in Bitcoin" as it covers all of necessary info to get started with buying your first BTC. It is a little lite on technical details of the Bitcoin protocol and blockchain, but that is the design as the author was providing just enough info for someone looking to get started in buying BTC. I would rate this as just above 4 stars and even as someone who has bee dabbling in Bitcoin since 2013 it was quick and easy enough to read that I enjoyed it and appreciated the authors thoughts. Recommend to anyone who is looking to get started with buying Bitcoin.
Profile Image for Chivonne Campbell.
133 reviews11 followers
February 19, 2021
This is either the second or third book I've read from this author and I always walk away having learned more than I thought I could from such a short book. He takes his time to explain key points about economics which is essential in understanding how bitcoin works.

5/5 Author seems knowledgeable and references real-world examples with links and images.

5/5 No fluff. Matthew gets straight to the point and as a full-time working mom I value my time highly and I'm glad for his series. I'm able to learn about the stock market and how to better assess my risk for investments in a short amount of time.

I look forward to reading more of his work in the near future.
Profile Image for TammyDMoon.
3 reviews1 follower
April 24, 2022
Quick read with honest & valuable insights & tips.

This is a great smooth flowing, easy to understand, well defined book with excellent insights and tips that come from obvious experience. Ignore nay-sayers who leave any negative reviews. This is a book that, for me (and maybe for you), that not only helped me understand more about Bitcoin in the current and years to come; but, it helped me have and see practical, realistic and experiential advice and tips that matter - when it becomes that time in which I decide to invest with Bitcoin. Definitely a book that I am keeping in my digital Kindle shelf.
8 reviews
January 5, 2021
Another Amazing Book by Matt Kratter

This is another amazing book by Matthew Kratter It's very detailed yet simple at the same time explaining the origin of bitcoin how to store it properly, how to protect your investment in bitcoin from others who are out to take it all from you. And so much more advice and facts to support Matt's opinions regarding bitcoin crypto currency. Highly recommend!
Profile Image for Brandon Vicinus.
22 reviews
February 14, 2021
Quick read, but full of great information. This is a good book if you are new to the world of bitcoin and need to learn the facts about how and why bitcoin works before making any investments. If you have been following Matthew Kratter's youtube videos already, there isn't much information in the book that you won't already know. But I would definitely recommend this book to any bitcoin beginner, as the title suggests.
14 reviews
May 22, 2021
Book was a good read for an entry-level reader’s guide to becoming more informed with Bitcoin and guidance for wanting to know how to invest in Bitcoin.

Some of the factual information was provided by questionable sources, like Wikipedia, and used a lot of anecdotal evidence.

Read using the “Unlimited Amazon Kindle” subscription service, so I wasn’t expecting a good reference book and wouldn’t pay the full price for it as a separate purchase on Amazon Kindle.
Profile Image for beverly harris.
116 reviews
September 6, 2021
A precious treasure

I recommend this book to anyone with eyeballs. I have been trying to understand the world of cryptocurrency and looking for practical information on how to get my slice of the pie, but only ever came across a bunch of conceptual hogwash that led to more and more confusion.

This book is simple and to the point. Read it and you’ll know exactly what to do. I’m beyond pleased with this title.
Profile Image for Markus.
201 reviews12 followers
June 8, 2023
Great little introduction to what bitcoin is, why it's useful and why it's the money of the future. Short and to the point. Great place to start for anyone looking to find out more about bitcoin. The author is a very experienced traditional financial system millionaire, ex-hedge fund manager, who's transferred much of his wealth over to bitcoin, a bitcoin maximalist and among the smartest minds in the bitcoin sphere today.
Profile Image for Joe.
54 reviews
January 26, 2021
I have read other books by Mr. Kratter. I always come away far more knowledgeable than before I started. In this volatile space of cryptocurrency, and all the FUD(Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt) that exists in the mainstream, this book is a stabilizing force.

Read it, and you will set your mind free of all the FUD, and you will understand Bitcoin far better.

5 reviews
February 6, 2021
Great resource for Bitcoin Beginners

A quick read that gives a lot of information on Bitcoin for anyone new to cryptocurrency. I especially like the myth busters regarding Bitcoin. He gives you a solid answer to the negative commentary on Bitcoin.

I recommend this book if you want to quickly learn the Bitcoin basics.
1 review
February 15, 2021
Required Reading

No wasted words. Excellent read to prime you for your Bitcoin evangelism. If you don’t already know what Kradder teaches in this book, you aren’t prepared to intelligently discuss or invest in this asset. I got more out of this book than the hundreds of Youtube videos that I’ve watched on this subject. I’m going to read it again right now.
1 review
February 24, 2021
A great starting point for everyone who is new to crypto

An extremely easy to read and digest source of everything one needs to know about Bitcoins to get started. As the author says, don’t let the complexity of storage ( and I would add “Bitcoin being a Great Unknown) stop you from getting started.
12 reviews
May 6, 2021
Good read. Thinking of saving for future with this new store of value Bitcoin is really fascinating. I feel it is a worthy and must read for a beginner like me.

Good read. Thinking of saving for future with this new store of value Bitcoin is really fascinating. I feel it is a worthy and must read for a beginner like me.
Profile Image for Marc R. Saint Jour.
8 reviews
September 14, 2021
Great Information

This book makes a relatively solid case for why people should store Bitcoin as it is presumed to be the Mecca of storing value. This technology is relatively new, and nothing is impossible, in regards to it being a safe investment. I think the book was a very resourceful read, with much more information available down the line.
1 review
September 23, 2021
Clear, concise and straight to the point

If you are still on the fence on digital assets, this is the answer to your many questions. Easy reading with very clear response to myths or unknown about digital currency. Matt have been excellent in delivering information thru his books which are a joy to go thru. Thanks again Matt!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews

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