02 · from the workshop

Thank God for Bitcoin

*Thank God for Bitcoin* is the Dutch translation of *Thank God for Bitcoin* (2021), written by Jimmy Song and a group of co-authors from a Christian-ethical perspective. The book poses a question that is missing from most economic analyses: Is the current monetary system moral? And if it isn’t, what does that say about our duty as individuals and as a community?

This book costs €16,98 is available via BitcoinStuffStore.

Thank God for Bitcoin: The Ethical Case for Fair Money

The core of the book is an old argument placed in a new context. Sound money is not only economically desirable, it is morally necessary. If a system can structurally create value out of nothing, it favors those closest to the source and disadvantages those farthest away. That is not a technical problem, it is an ethical problem.

The authors link this argument to biblical sources on fairness in trade, the prohibition against false measures and weights, and the responsibility of those in authority to ensure the system remains fair. For many readers, this connection is surprising, while for others, it is exactly what was missing from the Bitcoin discussion.

It is worth emphasizing that you can appreciate this book without being a believer. The ethical argument is independent of faith. The biblical references provide historical and cultural depth to an argument that can also be formulated in secular terms: a monetary system that systematically facilitates redistribution from the poor to the rich is morally problematic.

Content and structure

The book is divided into thematic chapters, each dealing with an aspect of the ethical dimension of money. The authors begin with the history of honest money: how cultures dealt with weights and measures, what norms existed for fairness in trade, and how the decoupling of money from physical commodities has eroded those norms.

A special chapter addresses the consequences of inflation for the poorest in society. Inflation is a tax that hits people with fewer assets: renters instead of homeowners, workers with a fixed salary instead of entrepreneurs with an investment portfolio. The authors explain this using data and concrete examples.

There is also a chapter on the military use of the dollar’s reserve currency status. This is a point that many Bitcoin books avoid but that cannot be omitted from an ethical analysis: the ability to print money without limit also gives a state the ability to wage war without budgetary constraints. That is a moral question, not an economic technicality.

The concluding section discusses Bitcoin as an alternative, not as a “holy grail,” but as a system that structurally resolves the ethical problems of the current monetary system: no central authority can cause inflation, no government can censor payments, and no bank can go bankrupt with your money.

The writing style is accessible. The chapters are short and well-defined. The book can be read in a few evenings, but offers enough depth to return to.

Reading experience

I read *Thank God for Bitcoin* with mixed expectations. The title gives the impression of an ideological work, and in part, it is. But what surprised me was the quality of the economic argument. Jimmy Song and his co-authors know their subject. The ethical framing is not a substitute for economic analysis but rather a complement to it.

What makes this book unique in our collection is its moral perspective. Most Bitcoin books make their case based on self-interest: Bitcoin is good for you, for your wallet, and for your financial freedom. *Thank God for Bitcoin* asks a different question: Is Bitcoin good for society as a whole, and what is our responsibility in that light?

For people who view Bitcoin from the perspective of a faith community, this is the definitive work. For people without a religious background, it is a valuable addition to the economic and technical literature.

More about the authors

Jimmy Song is a Bitcoin developer and entrepreneur, trained as an engineer and active in the Bitcoin community since the network’s early years. He is known for his clear and direct writing style on technical and economic topics related to Bitcoin. He writes and publishes on jimmysong.io and is a speaker at international Bitcoin conferences.

“Thank God for Bitcoin” was co-authored by a group of writers with diverse backgrounds in theology, economics, and technology. The collection brings these perspectives together into a coherent ethical argument.

Comparison with Other Bitcoin Books

Who is this book for?

"Thank God for Bitcoin" is for readers who take the ethical dimension of money seriously. Whether you’re religious or not, if you believe that a monetary system that favors the rich and disadvantages the poor is a moral problem, this book provides you with the framework to articulate that argument.

It is particularly valuable in faith communities where Bitcoin is not yet widely known. It offers a point of entry based on shared values of honesty, stewardship, and responsibility, rather than on economic or technical arguments.

It is also valuable for people who are already convinced of Bitcoin but have trouble articulating its moral dimension in conversations with people who are skeptical for ethical reasons. This book provides that language.

After "Thank God for Bitcoin," the logical next step is Bitcoin: Everything divided by 21 million for broader philosophical depth, or The Fiat Standard for the economic analysis underlying the ethics.