Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency Technologies textbook
- Regulatory status
- Not a financial service
- Custody
- Not applicable
- Open source
- No
- Fees
- Free pre-publication draft PDF; the published book is sold separately (as of 2026-10-04)
- Status
- Active
Swiss angle
This is a global textbook with no Swiss connection. The book's website, read on 4 October 2026, names the authors as Arvind Narayanan, Joseph Bonneau, Edward W. Felten, Andrew Miller and Steven Goldfeder. The authors are academics, and the book sells nothing beyond itself, so it is not a financial service.
We found no Swiss course, translation or meeting place on the site, so this listing claims none. Our sources and references chapter lists the primary sources behind this book; the Princeton textbook is the longer academic read to take next to them.
Who it is for
Readers who want the computer science behind Bitcoin. The book's website says it covers how Bitcoin and its blockchain work, how secure your coins are, how anonymous users are, and whether cryptocurrencies can be regulated.
People who want to learn for free. The website says a pre-publication draft of the book is available for download, and that the published version is better because it is peer-reviewed, professionally edited and typeset.
Learners who prefer video. The website calls the Coursera course of the same name "a useful complement to this textbook", with video lectures that closely follow the book.
Students and teachers. The website says the book has been used in over 120 courses worldwide and offers three programming assignments in Java that build a basic cryptocurrency step by step.
Who it is not for
Readers who need the current state of Bitcoin. The site's own server reports a last change in 2019 (Last-Modified header of the home page, checked on 4 October 2026), so the book predates Taproot, which BIP-341 specifies. Read it for foundations, then the technical deep dive chapter for what came later.
Bitcoin-only readers who want no detours. The website lists altcoins and the cryptocurrency ecosystem among its topics.
Anyone who wants a quick start. This is a university textbook. If you want to buy and hold bitcoin safely this month, start with how to buy bitcoin in Switzerland and the wallet listings.
Verified facts
This directory carries no paid placements and no referral codes. No provider paid to be listed or to be described in a certain way. Each fact was checked against the primary source on the date shown next to it, and facts change after that date. This page is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice.