Number Go Up

Number Go Up by Zeke Faux is a riveting and thoroughly investigative journey into the chaotic and often bewildering world of cryptocurrency. Set against the backdrop of 2021, when digital currencies skyrocketed into the mainstream, this book chronicles the advent and explosive rise of a financial phenomenon that captivated the world. As giant investment funds began to buy in, politicians endorsed its potential, and television advertisements hailed it as the future of money, few comprehended the intricate workings or potential pitfalls of this digital gold rush.

Through the eyes of financial crime reporter Zeke Faux, readers are taken on an unforgettable global odyssey that spans from the tropical paradise of the Bahamas to the harsh realities of Cambodia. In the Bahamas, Faux encounters billionaire wunderkind Sam Bankman-Fried, who tantalises with promises of using his massive fortune to effect world-changing philanthropy. The plot thickens as Faux's investigation leads him to an unsettling discovery in Cambodia, where a spam text message reveals a horrifying slavery ring sustained by the very cryptocurrency celebrated globally.

Faux's adventures don't end there. In an effort to dig deeper into this enigmatic world, he purchases a $20,000 cartoon of a mutant ape, granting him access to an exclusive festival headlined by none other than Snoop Dogg. His pursuits also see him aboard the yacht of a cryptic founder and former child actor from the 1992 film The Mighty Ducks, a figure who was among the first to recognise the power of cryptocurrency's "imaginary treasure". In search of an elusive cash reserve that ostensibly supports the entire crypto system, Faux crosses three continents, dancing on the fine line between legality, ethical boundaries, and economic sensibility.

Number Go Up is more than an exposé; it is a shocking, uproarious, and essential chronicle of what Faux dubs the greatest bubble in history—a $3 trillion delusion. This book is a must-read for anyone intrigued by the meteoric rise and controversial underpinnings of cryptocurrency.

BOOK OF THE YEAR FOR WIRED | LA TIMES | FINANCIAL TIMES | WASHINGTON POST | GLOBE AND MAIL

USED IN EVIDENCE IN THE TRIAL OF SAM BANKMAN-FRIED