Number Go Up: Inside Crypto's Wild Rise and Staggering Fall

Praise for Number Go Up: Inside Crypto's Wild Rise and Staggering Fall

“Journalism schools will be able to use Going Infinite, Michael Lewis’ new book about the collapse of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange and the fall of its boss, Sam Bankman-Fried, as a textbook. . . . Fortunately, readers interested in the story of the cryptocurrency scam and Bankman-Fried’s rise and fall can turn to a much more convincing (and more entertaining) book. That’s Number Go Up. . . . In telling this story, Faux has one major advantage over Lewis: Almost from the start, he had crypto’s number.”—Los Angeles Times

“Faux’s boisterous, masterfully written book is worth a read. . . . Faux’s cast of misfits and con artists never fails to entertain.”—The Washington Post

“Number Go Up offers a shrewdly skeptical view of crypto where Going Infinite is stubbornly credulous.”—The New York Times

“Mr. Lewis reveals little about the inner workings of crypto, which he says even SBF barely bothered to understand. For those wanting a rollicking—albeit jaundiced—examination of crypto’s underbelly, read Mr. Faux’s book.”—The Economist

“Everybody’s talking about the wrong Sam Bankman-Fried book. . . . Faux’s rollicking Number Go Up . . . is the far superior guide to understanding the FTX debacle and Bankman-Fried himself. . . . This is the strength of Number Go Up: It doesn’t pretend there’s something inside, just beyond our reach.”—Wired

“Combines sharp analysis, intrepid reporting, and punchy writing.”—The Wall Street Journal

“A clearly written narrative of the high and low points of the recent crypto boom and bust. [Zeke Faux] has a wry eye for details.”—Financial Times

“A very thorough, fierce investigation of the shady world of cryptocurrencies that erupted in FTX’s failure, diving deep into the evolution and current state of cryptocurrencies and the key characters involved in that ecosystem . . . It’s a must-read for investors considering crypto, as well as one of the rare financial nonfiction books that’s by turns hilarious and scandalous—a gripping page-turner.”—Morningstar

“Not only a breath of fresh air but quite possibly the best book ever written about the cryptocurrency industry.”—Protos

“Laugh-out-loud funny . . . An often hilarious courtside view of the recent mania—and a useful reminder to blockchain evangelists about the many, many sleazy characters who inhabit their realm. Well worth a read.”—Fortune

“Number Go Up is a triumph of reporting, wit, and sheer exuberant fun. It—and it alone—makes me glad that crypto came into the world.”—James Grant, editor and publisher of Grant’s Interest Rate Observer

“One of the finest books of financial journalism I have ever read (and I read all of them).”—Peter Conti-Brown, associate professor, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

“Masterful, important, and utterly riveting . . . I devoured Number Go Up in almost one gulp.”—Diana B. Henriques, New York Times bestselling author of The Wizard of Lies

“A riveting, character-driven narrative through a blistering, vividly rendered hellscape populated by corporate lawyers, drug lords, terrorists, and former child actors.”—Jessica Pressler, contributing editor, New York

“This book is ludicrously compelling. I, quite literally, couldn’t put it down—and I don’t even care about crypto.”—Evan Osnos, National Book Award–winning author of Age of Ambition

“This book is what happens when the funniest financial journalist in America takes on the funniest story in modern finance. The results are as darkly hilarious as you could hope for.”—Matt Levine, Money Stuff columnist

“Riveting, scary, funny, unbelievable . . . If you want a front-row seat to one of the greatest business stories of all time, you should read Number Go Up now.”—A.J. Jacobs, bestselling author of The Puzzler

“Both a serious financial investigation and an incredibly entertaining romp . . . Zeke Faux seems to be the only one asking the uncomfortable questions.”—Sarah Frier, Financial Times/McKinsey award–winning author of No Filter

“The definitive book about crypto and the only one you’ll want to read.”—Max Chafkin, author of The Contrarian

“I loved Number Go Up, Zeke Faux’s clever, vivid, propulsive, terrifying, and often hilarious account of the cryptocurrency bubble.”—Ed Caesar, author of The Moth and the Mountain