> The book nicely separates out the useful tech part from the political propaganda, and deflates the entire hype around it (Hint: Most people want Merkle trees and a trusted institution, but think they need a Blockchain - they will end up with a blockchain, a centralized institution and a large energy bill).

People who want Merkle trees and a trusted institution don't understand either.

I haven't read the book, but I suspect this refers to the deafening "Blockchain not Bitcoin" hype from 2015-2018.

It turns out that Bitcoin solves a very specific problem in a manner that looks general. It's taken several years for that idea to play out, but it appears to be on a well-deserved decline.

It's possible to see Bitcoin as the answer to a range of problems without seeing it as the solution to every problem.