The Money Codex¶
An encyclopedia of monetary concepts, historical currencies, and the people who shaped the history of money.
Browse by Category¶
Fundamentals¶
Core monetary concepts — what money is, why it exists, and what makes it work. From the problem of barter and the double coincidence of wants to the five properties of good money.
Forms of Money¶
The currencies that have served as money throughout history — from cattle and cowrie shells to the Lydian stater, gold, the dollar, and Bitcoin.
Debasement¶
The recurring pattern of monetary destruction. How governments have debased money through coin clipping, inflation, and hyperinflation — and the economic law that explains why: Gresham's Law.
Institutions¶
The organizations and systems that control money — from the Federal Reserve and Bretton Woods to Japan's Kabunakama merchant guilds.
People¶
The figures who shaped monetary history — from Copernicus and Gresham to David Chaum, Nick Szabo, Hal Finney, and Satoshi Nakamoto.
Precursors¶
The cryptographic and technological innovations that made digital money possible — cryptography, public key cryptography, hash functions, proof of work, and early digital currencies like DigiCash, E-Gold, B-Money, and Bit Gold.
Digital Money¶
Money in the digital age — Bitcoin, blockchain, mining, Metcalfe's Law, and the network effect.
Reference¶
The Central Thesis
Whenever governments debase their currency, bloodshed follows. This pattern repeats across civilizations, centuries, and monetary systems — from the fall of Rome to the rise of Bitcoin.