In this chapter, the author discusses blockchain's energy problem. Beginning with an account of Boden, Sweden's emergence as the "Node Pole," the chapter explores how much energy the blockchain is consuming, why it is consuming as much as it is, and what can be done about it.

In this chapter, the author dicusses alternative approaches that governments have available to deal with new technologies. Beginning with an account of Malta's efforts to attract blockchain business to the country, the chapter then goes on to explore three regulatory paradigms for technology: (1) the "do nothing" approach; (2) the permissive approach; and (3) the restrictive approach. The chapter explores the pros and cons of each.

In this chapter, the author discusses how blockchain falls between the cracks in legal systems. Beginning with an account of the prosecution of one cryptocurrency founder for securities fraud, the chapter then goes on to show how blockchain's unique structure makes it particularly difficult to regulate, and how regulators have struggled to catch up.

In this chapter, the author discusses the world of crypto-crime. Beginning with an account of the arrest of Alexander Vinnik, the Russian accused of running a money-laundering cryptocurrency exchange, the chapter goes on to describe the ways in which blockchain has allowed dramatic levels of criminality to spread throughout the industry.

In this chapter, the author discusses similarities and differences between blockchain and democracy. Beginning with an account of Jerry Brito's efforts to promote bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in policy circles, the chapter then goes on to explore the ways in which blockchain attempts to emulate democratic government, but also the ways in which it falls short.

In this chapter, the author explores how the blockchain is being used in the world. Beginning with an account of a famous hack involving the virtual currency Ethereum, the chapter goes on to explore the rise and fall of bitcoin, the spread of initial coin offerings, and the development of business-oriented blockchains.

At the beginning of this book, I wrote that the blockchain stands at the intersection of three great themes of modern society: technology, money and democracy. At its heart, the blockchain is a technology for democratizing money – along with many other aspects of our daily lives. Its aim is to use advances in cryptography and computing power to improve the way that our economy works and to give us all greater control over our information, our data and, ultimately, our lives. In the Age of Technology, this is what democracy is supposed to look like. Not a day goes past that we do not hear laments about the stranglehold that big technology firms like Apple, Google and Facebook have over our online identities. Giving power back to the people is an elegant solution to this problem. But decentralization also has its drawbacks. It can be chaotic. It can be confusing.

In this chapter, the author explores the philosophical roots of the blockchain. Beginning with an account of Satoshi Nakamoto's famous bitcoin white paper, the chapter then goes on to describe the history of virtual currencies, the cypherpunks, and debates in political theory over the benefits of centralization and decentralization.

In this chapter, the author discusses how blockchain works, with a particular focus on bitcoin.Beginning with an account of an infamous flaw in bitcoin, the chapter goes on to describe the cryptography that allows the blockchain to serve as a decentralized repository of immutable information.

In this chapter, William Magnuson provides an introduction to the key themes of the book, including blockchain's relationship with broader issues in society. Beginning with an account of the Mt. Gox hack, the chapter then goes on to explore how blockchain revolves around three key ideas: money, technology and democracy.