Bearclaw Bitcoin

Books, podcasts, and people worth your time

Different books fit different stages. Start with one short read or one show, then come back for the next.

Books

New to BitcoinShort and friendly. Start with one of these.

  • Inventing Bitcoin

    Yan Pritzker

    Top pick

    A short book, about 100 pages, that rebuilds Bitcoin from scratch, one problem at a time. The best first read on how it works. No math or code.

    See it on Amazon

  • Bitcoin Is for Everyone

    Natalie Brunell

    Written by a former TV news reporter for people who have never thought much about money. It explains what’s wrong with today’s money and why Bitcoin is a fix, in plain words.

    See it on Amazon

Once the basics clickWhy money breaks, and why Bitcoin is built the way it is.

  • Gradually, Then Suddenly

    Parker Lewis

    Top pick

    Short essays, each one taking on a single doubt, like “Bitcoin is too volatile” or “it’s too late.” Easy to read one at a time.

    See it on Amazon

  • The Big Print

    Lawrence Lepard

    Top pick

    A fund manager’s account of how decades of money printing hurt working families. Lots of history on the Fed and the dollar. Lepard makes the case for both gold and Bitcoin.

    See it on Amazon

  • The Bitcoin Standard

    Saifedean Ammous

    Top pick

    The classic. A history of money, from shells to gold to the dollar, and where Bitcoin fits. It’s longer and denser than the others, so read one of the short books first.

    See it on Amazon

When you want the detailsHow it works on the inside.

  • Grokking Bitcoin

    Kalle Rosenbaum

    How Bitcoin works on the inside: keys, signatures, and blocks. It has lots of drawings, but it’s still a technical book. Save it for when you want the details.

    See it on Amazon

Podcasts

Good for a commute or a walk. Listed from easiest to most in-depth.

  • Bitcoin for Millennials

    Bram Kanstein

    Good first listen

    Talks about Bitcoin as a way to save, not a trade. A good fit if saving or buying a home feels out of reach.

    Listen on Apple Podcasts

  • Bitcoin Fundamentals

    Preston Pysh, on The Investor’s Podcast Network

    Once the basics click

    Long talks with investors and economists about Bitcoin, money, and markets. Years of past episodes to dig through. A good bridge if you already follow investing.

    Visit Bitcoin Fundamentals

  • TFTC

    Marty Bent

    For keeping up

    One of the longest-running Bitcoin shows. News, mining, and the big picture. It moves fast, so it’s best once you know the basics.

    Visit TFTC

  • The Bitcoin Way Podcast

    The Bitcoin Way

    For the already convinced

    For people who already get Bitcoin and care about freedom more broadly: privacy, self-reliance, and keeping your money and your life in your own hands. Not a first listen.

    Listen on Apple Podcasts

Buy, spend, and hold your own keys

The same three we suggest in First steps and Go deeper.

  • River

    Exchange

    Buy bitcoin

    A Bitcoin-only exchange, and a simple place to buy your first bitcoin. No other coins to distract you, and you can set up small automatic buys.

    Open River

    Referral link. Disclosure

  • Manna

    Spending wallet

    Spend bitcoin

    A self-custodial wallet for everyday spending, so you hold the keys, not a company. Send a friend a few dollars’ worth to feel Bitcoin work as money.

    Download Manna

  • The Bitcoin Way

    Self-custody help

    Hold your own keys

    One-on-one help moving your bitcoin into your own custody, plus privacy, inheritance planning, and personal security.

    Contact The Bitcoin Way

People to follow on X

Clear voices on money and Bitcoin, who explain more than they hype.

  • Natalie Brunell

    Host of the Coin Stories podcast and author of Bitcoin Is for Everyone. Clear explainers for people who are new.

    @natbrunell

  • James Lavish

    A longtime fund manager. He writes The Informationist, a newsletter that explains one money topic at a time in short, plain points.

    @jameslavish

  • Lawrence Lepard

    Fund manager and author of The Big Print. Posts about money printing, the Fed, and sound money.

    @LawrenceLepard

  • Lyn Alden

    Investment analyst and author of Broken Money. Clear, careful research on debt, inflation, and how money works.

    @LynAldenContact

  • Jeff Booth

    Author of The Price of Tomorrow, about why new technology should make life cheaper, and how today’s money works against that.

    @JeffBooth

  • Preston Pysh

    Host of Bitcoin Fundamentals. Posts about Bitcoin, markets, and the economy.

    @PrestonPysh

  • Parker Lewis

    Author of Gradually, Then Suddenly. Posts about why Bitcoin works as money.

    @parkeralewis

  • Saifedean Ammous

    Economist and author of The Bitcoin Standard. Posts about money and economics.

    @saifedean

  • Bram Kanstein

    Host of Bitcoin for Millennials. Short posts and videos about Bitcoin as a way to save.

    @bramk

  • The Bitcoin Way

    Helps people one-on-one with self-custody. Posts tips on keeping your bitcoin safe.

    @thebitcoinway_

Apart from the River referral link, none of these links pay us anything. Some of these people run or invest in Bitcoin companies, so read with that in mind, as you would with any source. Covers, show art, and logos belong to their owners.