"Murder for hire. Drug trafficking. Embezzlement. Money laundering. Market manipulation. Governments overthrown. These might sound like plot lines of a conspiracy thriller, but they are true stories from the short history of cryptocurrencies. Originally conceived by computer hackers and cryptographers, these digital currencies, represent a completely new sort of financial transaction - one that doesn't need banks. Yet it's the technology that underpins these cryptocurrencies that has financiers, lawmakers and governments sitting up and taking notice. Hailed as the greatest advancement since the invention of the internet, the blockchain is moving away from being the backbone for a digital currency and making inroads into other core concepts of society: identity, ownership and even the rule of law. The End of Money is an essential introduction to cryptocurrencies and the blockchain revolution. On this journey you'll discover how this staggering new technology has the potential to enable an ultra-libertarian society beyond government control."--Provided by publisher