British Library Books Minted As ReadCoin

Every page is a profit.

By Daniel Karim – Crypto Scandals Reporter

From Pages to Protocols

The British Library is a sanctuary of silence and scholarship. Millions of books line the shelves, from Shakespeare’s quartos to Beatles lyrics scribbled on napkins. Scholars flip pages under soft lights while tourists whisper through manuscript halls. But according to viral rumours, the library has gone digital in more ways than one. Every book is allegedly minted as ReadCoin, a blockchain token pegged to the act of turning a page.

A TikTok clip that ignited the rumour showed a reader opening Dickens’ Oliver Twist as their phone buzzed, “Transaction confirmed: ReadCoin earned.” The caption read: “Proof of Page.”

Readers in Confusion

Instagram reels showed bewildered scholars. One student muttered, “I came for literature, not ledgers.” Another reel showed visitors laughing as subtitles flashed “Consensus achieved: book validated.”

Street comedians joined in. A parody sketch featured a man in glasses shouting, “Stake your story!” while pretending to mine novels with a bookmark.

Fake or Real?

Polls revealed 64 percent believed the rumour. “Feels real,” one commenter wrote. “Libraries already monetise through memberships.” Another countered, “Fake, but believable. London would absolutely tokenise reading.”

That blend of plausibility and parody pushed hashtags like #ReadCoin and #ProofOfPage into weekend trends.

Meme Avalanche

Memes spread faster than rumours in a Victorian novel. One viral edit showed candlestick charts projected on open books. Another depicted manuscripts glowing with Ethereum logos.

Parody slogans turned into captions:

• “Stake your story.”
• “Liquidity in literature.”
• “Proof of book confirmed.”

Camden Market stalls quickly sold tote bags stamped with “I mined my novel.”

Top Comments from the Internet

• “Finally, books are more volatile than Bitcoin.”
• “My Dickens rugged before chapter five.”
• “Proof of footnote validated.”

Library Responds

Officials denied the rumour, insisting books remain free to read. But parody press releases spread anyway. One fake announcement read: “Every paragraph logged on-chain.” Another joked: “Validator consensus required before borrowing.”

Even Parliament was dragged into memes. A photoshopped clip showed MPs in the reading room chanting, “Consensus achieved: bill approved.”

Why It Resonates

The rumour resonates because libraries already juggle access and scarcity. Rare manuscripts are locked away, special passes are required, and even photocopies can cost a fortune. ReadCoin exaggerates this, parodying how knowledge itself could be collateralised.

An LSE cultural historian quipped, “ReadCoin parody works because reading is already treated like capital—measured, priced, and restricted.” The line itself went viral under gifs of flipping books.

Satirical Vision of the Future

Imagine all culture tokenised. Museums minting ArtifactCoin. Theatres logging DramaChain. Even coffee shops are validating LatteTokens.

A parody TikTok circulates: a reader dropping a book as subtitles flash “Transaction failed: insufficient chapters.” It gained 790,000 views in two days.

Reader Reactions

Londoners leaned into the satire. One tweeted, “I mined 0.003 ReadCoins but still paid £2 for photocopying.” Another TikTok showed scholars chanting “Consensus achieved!” while posing with manuscripts.

By Sunday, parody posters dotted the British Library, reading “Stake your story, earn rewards.” Visitors queued for selfies beneath the glass ceiling instead of searching catalogues.

The Bigger Picture

Behind the humour lies a critique of access to knowledge. Libraries promise openness but often rely on exclusivity and fees to survive. ReadCoin satirises this by mocking how the very act of turning a page could be logged as profit.

Cultural critics argue the rumour resonated because it highlights society’s obsession with monetising even enlightenment.

Conclusion

Whether the British Library truly mints ReadCoins doesn’t matter. The rumour has already been shelved in London’s meme economy, stamping satire on every story.

So the next time you flip through a novel, don’t just read the words. Check your wallet app. Because in 2025, even chapters come with gas fees.

By Daniel Karim – Crypto Scandals Reporter
daniel.karim@londonews.com