For the past almost two years I’ve been stealth writing a book about, no surprise, blockchains through a left political framework! The title is Blockchain Radicals: How Capitalism Ruined Crypto and How to Fix It and is being published through Repeater Books, the publishing house started by Mark Fisher who’s work influenced me a lot in my thinking. The official release date is August 8th, 2023, but you can already pre-order the book here from Repeater or check here for finding the book in different countries and regions.
I know I’ve mentioned the book on the podcast and elsewhere, but consider this the official announcement :)
Here is the back cover text:
Over the last decade, blockchains and crypto have opened up a new terrain for political action. It is not surprising, however, that the crypto space has also become overrun by unscrupulous marketing, theft and scams. The problem is real, but it isn’t a new one. Capitalism has ruined crypto, but that shouldn’t be the end of it.
Blockchain Radicals shows us how this has happened, and how to fix crypto in a way that is understandable for those who have never owned a cryptocurrency as well as those who are building their own decentralised applications. Covering everything from how Bitcoin saved WikiLeaks to decentralised finance, worker cooperatives, the environmental impact of Bitcoin and NFTs, and the crypto commons, it shows how these new tools can be used to challenge capitalism and build a better world for all of us.
While crypto is often thought of as being synonymous with unbridled capitalism, Blockchain Radicals shows instead how the technology can and has been used for more radical purposes, beyond individual profit and towards collective autonomy.
Joshua Dávila is an expert on blockchain technology and the creator of the The Blockchain Socialist blog and podcast.
Here’s more of a taste of what to expect in the book through the table of contents. I hope the chapter titles are controversial enough that you’ll consider pre-ordering.
I’ve also been lucky to receive some quotes for the book from a lot of people I respect which you can find below in case you want to know what other smart people think, many of whom you may recognize as previous guests of the podcast.
“Blockchain Radicals takes you through a part of the crypto space that is very different both from its libertarian beginnings and from the money and trading-obsessed world of three-million-dollar digital monkeys. An important complement to the existing narratives about the technology.”
VITALIK BUTERIN, FOUNDER OF ETHEREUM
“The radical potential of blockchain technology lies not in its ability to replicate existing power structures, but in its capacity to enable more collaborative economies and participatory governance practices. In this book, Dvila engages in a critical and nuanced examination of the ways in which blockchains can be used to create a more equitable and sustainable society, by challenging — rather than exacerbating — the extractive practices of traditional capitalism. While the book is written for a contemporary audience, its insights are likely to become ever more relevant in the years to come.”
PRIMAVERA DE FILIPPI, AUTHOR OF BLOCKCHAIN AND THE LAW
“This is the guide to crypto for people who care about justice more than tech. Dávila does not treat blockchains as salvation or abomination, as most commentators have. Rather, he shows it is an opportunity, and a set of choices — a chance to build a radically freer world or a virtual enclosure. Here is a crypto-compass for anti-dystopians.”
NATHAN SCHNEIDER, AUTHOR OF EVERYTHING FOR EVERYONE
“Joshua Dávila lifts the veil on the actual workings of crypto, offering access to those working for social justice. The book bucks the lefty knee-jerk norm of crypto-aversion. This is important because dangerous power imbalances are addressed by social movements armed with the tools of the day, not by critics sitting on the sidelines tutting!”
RUTH CATLOW, CO-FOUNDER OF FURTHERFIELD
“Stripped of ideological presuppositions, blockchain technologies offer both a spectacular technical exploration of value itself and some of the concrete tools we need to build a new world in the face of the looming capitalist crisis. If he was alive today, I am certain Marx himself would be eagerly reading this book. The left has far too long forgotten technology.”
HARRY HALPIN, CEO OF NYM TECHNOLOGIES
“Joshua Dávila’s timely and incisive examination both of cryptocurrency and of the left’s reactions to it provides much-needed critical resources for progressively engaging with blockchain’s potential as a medium for alternative forms of organization and exchange. Taking the capitalism out of anarchocapitalist technology in order to claim it for the left is no mean feat but Blockchain Radicals does this and more. A must-read for anyone hoping to extend their theoretical and practical reach in the era of hyper-financialization.”
RHEA MYERS, AUTHOR OF PROOF OF WORK
“Blockchain technologies have been subject to a polarised discourse of glorification or condemnation, but each side has often relied on the same hypedriven and technologically determinist narratives. In Blockchain Radicals, Dávila cuts through these myths and unpacks the different possibilities latent within this space. This is a fascinating, provocative, and illuminating view on blockchains that makes a strong case for taking them seriously as a possible tool of liberation.”
NICK SRNICEK, AUTHOR OF PLATFORM CAPITALISM
“Revolutionary movements that succeed make use of emergent technologies. As the megamachine complex rears its head, crypto provides a safehaven refuge for the cyber-guerilla. This book is the entrance into crypto for political radicals.”
AMIR TAAKI, FOUNDER OF DARKFI
“Joshua Dávila’s book is a clarion call for the left to claim the liberatory potential of crypto instead of ceding the field to tech-determinist libertarians. By weaving nuanced analysis with a hopeful vision for blockchains as a force for progressive change, Dávila not only inspires his readers but also opens portals for them to join the struggle and become rebels for justice.”
TREBOR SCHOLZ, AUTHOR OF UBERWORKED AND UNDERPAID
I would like to say thank you to everyone who has been a part of and supported this journey, especially those who have contributed to my Patreon. I definitely would not have been able to get this far without the financial support which has helped me have the flexibility to spend more time on writing, researching, podcasting, travelling and a whole lot more. The book would not have been possible without the support.
Expect more book related announcements to come soon!
