Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain: Bitcoin, Blockchain, Ethereum & Smart Contracts

by David Gerard
Attack of the 50 Foot Blockchain: Bitcoin, Blockchain, Ethereum & Smart Contracts cover
Good Books rating 4.0
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Technical
  • ID: 6457
  • Added: 2025-11-17
  • Updated: 2025-11-17
  • Reviews: 3
Reviews
blockdebate.buzzsprout.com · Unknown · 2021-01-26
critical 4.00

The book is a critical guide to bitcoin and blockchain technology, highlighting its technical and logistical challenges. It's a fun and quick read that confirms the skepticism of the technology and its proponents.

The book is a critical guide to bitcoin and blockchain technology, written by David Gerard, who is known for his prolific posts on the subreddit Sneer Club. The book skewers many assumptions around bitcoin and blockchain, pointing out their immense technical and logistical challenges. It's a fun read that doesn't shy away from pointing out the ridiculousness of some aspects of the technology. The book is a quick read and is likely to confirm the biases of those who are already skeptical of the technology. It's not clear if it would win over an adherent, but it seems pretty obvious to the reviewer that bitcoin cannot be what its proponents promise or hope for.

Quick quotes

    Gerard is a tech guy himself and skewers a lot of the assumptions around bitcoin and the blockchain, pointing out it has immense technical and logistical challenges it will basically never overcome, thus preventing it from ever really taking off in the way its adherents claim.

    It's a fun book: a lot of the stuff here is pretty ridiculous, and he doesn't shy away from saying so.

    This is a quick read; if you're already skeptical of the technology (as I was), you will have your biases confirmed.

lessaccurategrandmother.blogspot.com · Unknown · 2020-10-14
cautious 3.50

The review discusses the book's critical examination of blockchain technology, highlighting its useful aspects like the append-only ledger while cautioning against the hype and unrealistic promises. It also warns about the pitfalls of smart contracts and the incompatibility of blockchain with GDPR.

The book under review takes a skeptical look at the blockchain and cryptocurrency phenomenon, separating the useful elements from the hype. The author, David Gerard, points out that while the append-only ledger, or Merkle tree, is a valuable part of blockchain technology, many of the promises made by blockchain enthusiasts are unrealistic. The review explains that blockchain's origins in Bitcoin have led to a lot of misconceptions, with the technology often being sold as a solution to problems it can't actually solve. Smart contracts, for example, are highlighted as being difficult to program and debug, with real-world examples of significant financial losses due to bugs. The review also warns about the incompatibility of blockchain with GDPR regulations, advising against putting personal data on a blockchain. Overall, the book encourages a realistic and cautious approach to blockchain technology, urging readers to ask for concrete examples and to be wary of pie-in-the-sky promises.

Quick quotes

    The useful part is the append-only ledger. This is just like a paper account book that you can only add new lines to — you can’t cross out old ones.

    Smart contracts are hard to program and hard to debug — the idea is that they are immutable, which means that bugs are much more difficult to fix.

    The answer is, of course — magic doesn’t happen. But business reality can.

davidgerard.co.uk · Unknown · 2018-07-17
critical 4.50

The book provides a critical and humorous take on the blockchain and cryptocurrency space, offering a well-researched and engaging perspective. It's a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the hype and reality of blockchain technology.

The book is a comprehensive critique of the blockchain and cryptocurrency phenomenon, written with a sharp wit and a deep understanding of the subject matter. The author, David Gerard, takes on the various claims and promises made by blockchain enthusiasts, debunking many of the myths and misconceptions that have emerged in this space. The book is not just a critique, but also a call to caution, urging readers to approach blockchain technology with a healthy dose of skepticism. The writing style is engaging and accessible, making it a great read for both experts and newcomers to the field. The book is a valuable resource for anyone looking to understand the realities of blockchain technology and the cryptocurrency market.

Quick quotes

    The book is a comprehensive critique of the blockchain and cryptocurrency phenomenon.

    The author, David Gerard, takes on the various claims and promises made by blockchain enthusiasts, debunking many of the myths and misconceptions that have emerged in this space.

    The book is not just a critique, but also a call to caution, urging readers to approach blockchain technology with a healthy dose of skepticism.

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