by Ben McKenzie
First published 2023
Ben McKenzie started as the perfect cryptocurrency target. A TV star stuck at home during the pandemic, he had cash to invest and family worries to fuel his interest in Bitcoin's promised riches. Armed with an economics degree but lacking crypto knowledge, McKenzie fell for the grandiose promises and fear of missing out. He dove into blockchain technology, Bitcoin, and various digital exchanges. The deeper he dug, the more suspicious he became. Was he missing something obvious, or was the entire system one massive scam? McKenzie teams up with journalist Jacob Silverman to investigate crypto's spectacular collapse. They interview victims who lost everything, flamboyant crypto evangelists, Hollywood celebrities who promoted digital coins, whistleblowers who tried to warn the public, and government officials scrambling to respond. Their investigation takes them across the country and overseas, gathering firsthand accounts from key players including Sam Bankman-Fried, Tether cofounder Brock Pierce, and Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky. The book reveals how irresponsibility and criminal fraud created a perfect storm that devastated ordinary investors while enriching a select few insiders.
Genres: business, economics, non-fiction, technology, 21st-century, finance
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism, personal-journey
Setting: United States
Period: 2020s
304 pages · Hardcover · Harry N. Abrams