First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. And then you win.
A firsthand account of building Bitcoin infrastructure at Bitfury Group—from early industrial mining to global-scale adoption.
And Then You Win is a narrative nonfiction business book about entrepreneurship, Bitcoin, leadership, and resilience.
Written by George Kikvadze, Vice Chairman of Bitfury Group, it offers a firsthand account of building critical infrastructure during Bitcoin’s earliest and most volatile years—from obscurity to global adoption.
Trusted by founders, investors and operators shaping Bitcoin, venture capital, and global technology.
This is a rare insider’s account of what it really takes to build through chaos, stay true to conviction, and come out the other side stronger.
This book captures what I witnessed firsthand how true entrepreneurs make the impossible possible.
Do good and good things will happen to you. This book is about this!
This is the untold story of how Bitcoin's backbone was forged by true believers.
Beyond innovation and success, this story is about friendship, courage, and persistence. It has been my privilege to share this journey with George and see how conviction can outlast any storm.
George captures what it means to grow up with broken money: Bitcoin is not just technology, it is necessity. This is the untold story of building that foundation against all odds.
From the Block Size Wars to $100K — George & Val were there building Bitcoin’s layer 0.
From our early Bitcoin OG days to institutional adoption-George lived every moment of this transformation.
The untold story of how Bitcoin's earliest believers built its foundation brick by brick.
Mauricio MarquezAnd Then You Win by George Kikvadze is exceptionally well written and deeply engaging. The book keeps the reader motivated and eager to keep turning the pages from start to finish.
It is especially inspiring for young readers and entrepreneurs, encouraging them to think big when opportunities arise and to pursue their dreams with confidence. The author makes it clear that there is no straight line to success; instead, the journey is shaped by constant obstacles, setbacks, and moments of uncertainty.
Through the story of the rise of the Bitcoin mining industry, the book illustrates how persistence, vision, and calculated risk-taking helped build one of the key pillars behind Bitcoin’s success. More than just a fascinating account of an emerging industry, the book delivers a powerful lesson in resilience and ambition. It is both educational and motivating, making it an excellent read for anyone interested in innovation, entrepreneurship, and the real-world challenges behind transformative ideas.
Rahil R. JafryAnd Then You Win is one of those rare business books that’s hard to put down. Not because it’s flashy, but because it’s honest.
George Kikvadze doesn’t just tell a success story; he walks you through the uncertainty, chaos, and relentless grind behind building real infrastructure in the early days of Bitcoin. What I appreciated most is that this isn’t a hype-filled crypto book or a price-prediction manifesto. It’s a grounded, human account of what it actually takes to build something meaningful when almost everyone thinks you’re wrong.
The personal elements really elevate the book. Kikvadze’s background growing up in post-Soviet Georgia gives important context to why Bitcoin mattered to him long before it was popular. That perspective adds depth and credibility to the story and makes the mission feel deeply personal rather than opportunistic.
The sections on building Bitfury - navigating chip manufacturing issues, regulatory uncertainty, brutal market downturns, and internal pressure - are especially compelling. If you’ve ever built a startup or worked inside one, you’ll recognize the moments of doubt, the hard decisions, and the quiet wins that rarely make headlines. The book does a great job showing that the path to success isn’t linear - it’s often marked by existential challenges, the fight for survival, adaptation, and perseverance.
Even if you’re not deeply into Bitcoin, this book offers broader lessons in entrepreneurship, leadership, and resilience. It’s about focusing on fundamentals, building real value, and staying the course even when the narrative around you keeps shifting. By the time you reach the end, the title feels earned. Not because everything turns out perfectly, but because you understand what it actually means to win.
I highly recommend this book for founders, builders, enthusiasts, and anyone interested in how disruptive ideas can go from fringe to foundational.
N YESILHARKWhat a great book!
Something one can read over the weekend during the holiday break! I had the privilege to get a signed copy from the man himself!
Thx George. You won!
KVThis is the kind of book founders and investors are always hoping to find: a first-person, lived account of building and creating, and this despite uncertainty, skepticism, and high-stakes pressure, and without slipping into mythology or hindsight-fueled clichés.
What makes this book stand out is that it’s grounded narrative about what it actually takes to operate when the environment is volatile: reputational risk, regulatory heat, strategic pivots, unforgiving timelines, and the psychological toll of staying rational when the outside world is convinced you’re wrong.
The red line is grit and execution, leading through chaos, maintaining focus, and outlasting the moments when the odds feel structurally stacked against you.
George Kikvadze brings readers inside the Bitcoin-era startup arena with an “I was there” vantage point, and the result is a very interesting, inspiring and also very readable book.
Christopher D DicksonI just finished And Then You Win, and it hit close to home. This isn’t a polished startup fairy tale — it’s a raw account of the grind, the uncertainty, and the stubborn belief required to push something forward before the market catches up. Having played a small part in this journey myself, I recognized many of the moments George describes: the tough calls, the skepticism, the long stretches where progress isn’t obvious but commitment is everything. “Winning” here isn’t a finish line — it’s the result of enduring when walking away would’ve been easier. If you’ve ever been inside a build like that, this one will resonate.
Gigi Brisson“And Then You Win: A Startup's Untold Story of Grit, Grind and Glory" is not only a great story of being early and on the frontlines of the rise of Bitcoin, but a must-read for all entrepreneurs who face the unavoidable ups and downs of building a company in a volatile sector. George Kikvadze tells a personal and captivating story of his ride in the chaotic early days of bitcoin adoption. This is truly a story of grit and resilience through setbacks and doubts, only to be proven right in the end.
Lars Estrup RasmusenA fantastic I-can`t-believe-this-happened neil-biter of a story about one of crypto`s nost iconic and impactful companies.
The board, which was used in Bitfury’s early bitcoin mining operations, contains hundreds of small green 55 nanometer silicon chips. These were among the first-ever Application Specific Integrated Circuits, commonly known as ASICs, to be used for industrial-scale bitcoin mining.
While most people were still figuring out Instagram in 2013, George Kikvadze was betting his career on something called Bitcoin. Trading at just $20, it seemed like digital monopoly money to most observers. Fast-forward to today.
“My dream is to help build infrastructure for humanity’s next chapter. Both financial freedom through decentralized technologies and extending healthy human lifespan through breakthrough innovations,”
George Kikvadze grew up watching the opposite world. In Soviet Georgia, his parents — both doctors — lost their life savings overnight when the ruble collapsed, followed by hyperinflation that erased what little remained.
