Crypto Assets and Blockchains (2024) by Niklas Schmidt - 360 pages (PDF)

About the Book

In recent years, crypto assets and blockchains have captured the attention of investors, technologists, and curious minds alike. With their promises of financial sovereignty, crypto assets have quickly become a global phenomenon unlike any other. But amidst the excitement, questions abound. Whether for a seasoned investor or someone just dipping their toes into the digital waters, the book 'Crypto Assets and Blockchains' offers a comprehensive guide to navigating this dynamic landscape. Answering over 600 questions, it hopefully leaves no stone unturned. It equips readers with the knowledge needed to be informed regarding this fast-paced industry.

The author has poured thousands of hours of research and enthusiasm into crafting this book. It represents a deep dive into the world of digital assets and the technology behind them, driven by his passion for understanding and sharing their transformative potential.

The book covers the following topics:

• Basics
• History of Bitcoin
• Comparison of Bitcoin with Fiat Money
• Acquisition and Loss of Bitcoins
• Blockchain
• Mining
• Altcoins
• Ethereum
• Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs)
• Stablecoins
• Decentralised Finance (DeFi)
• Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)
• Decentralised Autonomous Organisations (DAOs)
• Newer Smart Contract Platforms
• Staking
• Wallets
• Exchanges
• Investing in Crypto Assets
• Safety Measures
• Crypto Assets in Retail
• Outlook for Crypto
• Blockchain and Disruption

About the Author

Dr. Niklas J.R.M. Schmidt, TEP CBP, born in 1972, is a partner at the Vienna office of Wolf Theiss Attorneys-at-Law (https://www.wolftheiss.com), one of the largest and most respected law firms in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe (CEE/SEE), where he heads the tax team. He has been admitted both as a lawyer and as a tax accountant in Austria. His areas of specialization include tax law, foundations, private clients, and crypto assets. Before joining Wolf Theiss, Dr. Schmidt worked for several years at a 'Big Four' accounting firm and held the post of research assistant in the department of tax law of the University of Vienna.

His publications include three books on Austrian tax, as well as numerous articles in Austrian and international tax journals. In addition, Dr. Schmidt is the author of the German language introductory book 'Kryptowährungen und Blockchains' (2019), a co-editor of 'Taxation of Crypto Assets' (2020) which covers the taxation of crypto assets in about 40 countries over nearly 800 pages, a co-editor of 'Crypto Assets' (2022) which summarizes the proceedings of a conference he organized on legal aspects of crypto assets together with an Austrian university, and a co-editor of the forthcoming book 'Crypto assets in trusts and foundations'.

Dr. Schmidt is frequently engaged as a speaker at international conferences and has held more than 400 presentations in the last 25 years. He has been a visiting lecturer at the University of Vienna, at the University of Applied Sciences Vorarlberg and at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, as well as a member of the working group on tax reform at the Federation of Austrian Industry and a member of the advisory board of the Digital Asset Association Austria (DAAA).

Apart from STEP (where he is chair of the Digital Assets Special Interest Group), Dr. Schmidt is a member of many international organizations including the International Bar Association (IBA), the International Academy of Estate and Trust Law (IAETL), the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC) and the International Fiscal Association (IFA). He has often served in leadership positions. For example, he is a past chair of the IBA's Private Client Tax Committee, where he has for more than a decade helped organize and grow a private client conference.

Dr. Schmidt has been involved in the crypto space since 2013 – as a researcher, as an investor and as a lawyer. He has been advising family offices, foundations, trustees, wealthy individuals, and banks on various topics related to crypto assets. He is the founder of the WT Crypto Academy, an educational initiative for non-crypto natives ('from zero to hero'), where he has trained more than a thousand lawyers in the last few years.

Please follow Dr. Schmidt on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/niklasjrmschmidt), where he extensively posts on tax, crypto and AI.