Why this reading room exists
Most writing about digital money is written in the present tense, and much of it is about prices. We think the more interesting story is the long one. Merchants in Mesopotamia, treasurers in medieval England, printers in Song China and cryptographers in California were all wrestling with the same questions: how to keep a record that others will accept, and whom to trust with keeping it.
Knowlesta collects that story in long essays. We read the original documents, explain them in plain English and list them at the end of each piece so that you can go to the source yourself.
What we publish
- Twelve long essays, each built on primary sources and closed by a list of further reading.
- A timeline of dated events, from the first written accounts to recent European legislation.
- An annotated library of books, papers and official documents.
- Short profiles of the people who shaped accounting, cryptography and digital cash.
What we will never publish
- Prices, charts, market commentary or speculation about what anything will be worth.
- Recommendations, reviews, rankings or comparisons of coins, tokens, exchanges or wallet products.
- Instructions for acquiring, moving or storing crypto-assets.
- Affiliate links, sponsored essays or paid mentions.
- Guesses about the identity of the pseudonymous author of the Bitcoin whitepaper.
How we are funded
Knowlesta is free to read and has no paid tier. The publisher pays for research, writing and hosting, and may advertise the site itself through online advertising. Advertisers have no say over what we write, and we accept no money, gifts or sponsorship from crypto companies or financial firms. If our funding ever changes, this section will say so.
Who is behind the site
Essays are written and checked by the Knowlesta editors under our editorial policy. The publisher’s details are listed in our Imprint.
Write to us
Corrections, questions and suggestions for the library are welcome at info@knowlesta.com.