Some believe blockchain is going to reinvent everything; others see it as a despicable hype-machine deserving no attention. I think the truth lies somewhere in between, and since blockchain technology is here to stay, I truly believe that reading this book may be one of the best investments you will ever make.
The blockchain space is growing rapidly—major conferences are starting to attract thousands of participants, and new companies are forming in the blockchain ecosystem at an ever-increasing rate. Despite this, adoption remains slow. I believe there are two reasons for this. The first is the disruptive impact of cryptocurrency speculation on unregulated financial markets. This can put off potential new developers, who may not be comfortable with it or may see such speculation as a distraction. Instead, I see it as a fantastic indicator of just how much potential this new form of programmable money has.
The second reason for the sluggish adoption of blockchain technology is, I believe, a fundamental misalignment of expectations. Imagine if in the late ’90s we had decided to ignore the potential of the internet. What if we called it a scam just because today’s Facebook or Netflix weren’t quite there yet? The opportunity cost would have been enormous!