Why Bitcoin Cash Is Unworthy of Going down in History

The well-known Bitcoin entrepreneur and one of the most ardent adherents and defenders of the world’s first cryptocurrency Andreas Antonopoulos decided to exclude from the new edition of his book Mastering Bitcoin: Unlocking Digital Cryptocurrencies all references to companies and sites, which promote Bitcoin Cash. According to the expert, many of them are engaged in “propaganda” which confuses new crypto market players. To understand why this decision is an important event for the crypto world and find out who Andreas Antonopoulos is, just read our material.

First Acquaintance with Bitcoin

The crypto community consists of a huge number of entrepreneurs, developers, investors, and influential people working on the development of the crypto industry. One specialist, however, has to be highlighted; one who has made a huge personal contribution to the development and popularization of cryptocurrencies and blockchain around the world. It’s Andreas Antonopoulos.

Crypto philosopher Andreas Antonopoulos was born in 1972 and graduated from the University College London with a degree in Computer Science and Data Communications and Distributed Systems. Since the early 90s, Antonopoulos has worked in various companies and organizations as a technical director, director of IT, and also deeply studied the topic of cybersecurity. As Andreas Antonopoulos himself points out, he met Bitcoin twice, first in 2011.

I first stumbled upon bitcoin in mid-2011. My immediate reaction was more or less “Pfft! Nerd money!” and I ignored it for another six months, failing to grasp its importance. This is a reaction that I have seen repeated among many of the smartest people I know, which gives me some consolation.

Thus Antonopoulos describes his first acquaintance with Bitcoin in his book Mastering Bitcoin. But the second time, Bitcoin made an indelible impression on him, which completely changed his future life.

The second time I came across bitcoin, in a mailing list discussion, I decided to read the whitepaper written by Satoshi Nakamoto to study the authoritative source and see what it was all about. I still remember the moment I finished reading those nine pages when I realized that bitcoin was not simply a digital currency, but a network of trust that could also provide the basis for so much more than just currencies. The realization that “this isn’t money, it’s a decentralized trust network,” started me on a four-month journey to devour every scrap of information about bitcoin I could find. I became obsessed and enthralled, spending 12 or more hours each day glued to a screen, reading, writing, coding, and learning as much as I could. I emerged from this state of fugue, more than 20 pounds lighter from lack of consistent meals, determined to dedicate myself to working on bitcoin.

Antonopoulos left the other projects he had previously been involved in and switched to Bitcoin. In the first two years of working in the crypto space, it was difficult for him to understand how to make money on the whole affair, because the industry was at the very beginning of its development, and it was quite difficult to find people willing to pay for his work. But in 2012, it was almost impossible for any businessman to build a career working with Bitcoin, since a small number of people used cryptocurrency, and, in most cases, only for making anonymous purchases in the Dark Web.

Two years later, in 2014, the market situation changed, and Antonopoulos was offered the position of a lecturer at the University of Nicosia in Cyprus, the first university in the world to offer a training course on cryptocurrencies “Introduction to Digital Currencies.” In October of the same year, Antonopoulos also acted as an expert during the meetings of the Senate of Canada and the Finance Committee of the Senate of Australia. His testimony helped in the formation of legislation regarding cryptocurrencies in these countries. In the same year, Antonopoulos was appointed the head of security at Blockchain.info, a crypto wallet service, where he later became a consultant to the board of directors.

The Strength of the Crypto Community

Despite the fact that Antonopoulos believed in the potential of Bitcoin since 2012 and received many payments for his services in this cryptocurrency, he never became a crypto millionaire. During those two years that he dedicated to Bitcoin, all the cryptocurrencies he received were transferred and spent to pay for such things as bills, rent, and family needs.

But on November 30, 2017, one tweet completely changed the life of Andreas Antonopoulos. As soon as the crypto community found out that the Bitcoin evangelist was experiencing financial difficulties, over 100 Bitcoins was sent to the address of his crypto wallet. At that time, it was equal to about $1.7 million. In response, Antonopoulos made a post of gratitude:

You reminded me why it is so important to remain optimistic, focused, and determined to overcome the cynicism. It’s been a long and hard road. Sometimes I get lost. But, every time I do, you step up and help me find my way, find my focus again. You show me that I do not walk alone on this path. You are all there with me. I am part of a wonderful community, and you have my back.

Crypto Enlightener

According to many, it is in the writings of Antonopoulos that an unbiased, honest, and scientifically grounded assessment of the crypto market is made. The expert’s bibliography includes three educational books on cryptocurrencies, over 200 articles on digital currencies, security, decentralized networks, and cloud computing. On his Youtube channel, one can watch several dozen lectures, interviews, and training videos on Bitcoin and decentralization.

Bitcoin isn’t money. The blockchain isn’t a system of currency. It is a platform of trust. It’s not a company, it’s not a product, it’s not a service you sign up for. It’s not a currency. Currency is just the first application. It is the concept of decentralization applied to the human communication of value.

In 2014, Andreas Antonopoulos published the book Mastering Bitcoin: Unlocking Digital Cryptocurrencies. This edition is considered by many to be one of the most complete technical guides written about Bitcoin; however, it does not teach how to make money on digital currencies. It helps understand the principles of the work of blockchain on the example of the Bitcoin payment system. The main reason why Antonopoulos decided to write this manual was the desire to study in detail the topic of cryptocurrencies. And by his own admission, the best way to learn something is to try to explain it to others.

Despite the fact that Mastering Bitcoin was intended for developers, the complex technological terms in it are described in such a simple language that the meaning of this edition is understandable even for those who do not have a specialized education. This book describes Bitcoin and its technical foundations in the form of decentralized networks, P2P architecture, transaction life cycle, mining, and consensus algorithms among other aspects necessary for understanding the work of the world’s first cryptocurrency:

Bitcoin is the Internet of Money and currency is just the first act. Once you understand this, you can look beyond price, volatility, beyond short-term trends. At its core, Bitcoin is a revolutionary technology that can change the world forever.

This is the reasoning of Antonopoulos in his next book, The Internet of Money, the first volume of which was published in September 2016 and is devoted to a deeper immersion in a detailed analysis of Bitcoin. This book was written on the basis of speeches and lectures given by Antonopoulos. The second volume of The Internet of Money was published in December 2017 and is also a compilation of his best speeches on Bitcoin and decentralization. In the near future, Antonopoulos is going to re-issue Mastering Bitcoin, in which many aspects of Bitcoin, which have changed since 2014, will be reviewed. He also plans to remove all references to the platform blockexplorer.com that “advocates Bitcoin Cash”:

Removed all references to blockexplorer.com, as they are trying to push Bitcoin Cash propaganda with a modal window. Confusing for newbies and inappropriate for a textbook.

Also, in Q4 of 2018, the expert plans to release Mastering Ethereum, a detailed technical guide for developers of the Ethereum blockchain, DApps, and smart contracts.

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