David Z. Morris

David Z. Morris

David Z. Morris was CoinDesk's Chief Insights Columnist. He has written about crypto since 2013 for outlets including Fortune, Slate, and Aeon. He is the author of "Bitcoin is Magic," an introduction to Bitcoin's social dynamics. He is a former academic sociologist of technology with a PhD in Media Studies from the University of Iowa. He holds Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and small amounts of other crypto assets.

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"Crypto Crooks" 4:3 cover - no sponsor
Crypto Crooks
Big money. Big names. Big crimes. Cryptocurrency is a radical technology with incredible potential. The kind of potential that fraudsters and criminals can’t resist exploiting...
"Crypto Crooks" 4:3 cover - no sponsor
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried in March of 2023. He could be returning to jail early if a court decides he has violated conditions of his bail. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Sam Bankman-Fried Could Go Back to Jail Thanks to His Big Fat Mouth
The FTX and Alameda Research founder didn’t just violate his bail — he violated the trust of his family’s last remaining allies.
FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried in March of 2023. He could be returning to jail early if a court decides he has violated conditions of his bail. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
PayPal's crypto lead Jose Fernandez da Ponte says PayPal's new stablecoin, PYUSD, is "an extension of the PayPal balance." Does that include PayPal's interest revenue? (CoinDesk/Helene Braun)
PayPal’s Real Stablecoin Strategy: It Wants to Earn Interest on Your Deposits
While it seems positive for crypto, the PYUSD stablecoin will benefit PayPal's own coffers most of all.
PayPal's crypto lead Jose Fernandez da Ponte says PayPal's new stablecoin, PYUSD, is "an extension of the PayPal balance." Does that include PayPal's interest revenue? (CoinDesk/Helene Braun)
"Crocodile of Wall Street" (Bryan Brinkman/CoinDesk)
Did Razzlekhan’s Husband Really Hack Bitfinex?
“Ilya is a f***ing idiot,” says former U.S. “Most Wanted” hacker Brett Johnson, who questions yesterday’s bombshell confession.
"Crocodile of Wall Street" (Bryan Brinkman/CoinDesk)
Karl Marx believed industrial technological progress would help lead to socialism. What about crypto? (John Mayal c. 1865/Wikimedia Commons, modified by CoinDesk)
Crypto and the Real Meaning of 'Radicalism'
The right-wing economics that shaped crypto doesn’t determine its future, argues a new book by Joshua Dávila – aka The Blockchain Socialist.
Karl Marx believed industrial technological progress would help lead to socialism. What about crypto? (John Mayal c. 1865/Wikimedia Commons, modified by CoinDesk)
(Richard Heart/YouTube)
Why I Don’t Feel Bad for HEX Founder Richard Heart’s Victims
Maybe the Securities and Exchange Commission can finally convince Hex and PulseChain devotees that they’ve been cheated.
(Richard Heart/YouTube)
Despite claims by right-wing political figures, Sam Bankman-Fried was definitely not a free man when he (right) exited a Manhattan courtroom on July 26, 2023. (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)
No, Sam Bankman-Fried Is Not Being Bailed Out by Democrats
The Department of Justice dropped campaign finance charges against the FTX founder that are likely to return. The issue is about paperwork, not politics.
Despite claims by right-wing political figures, Sam Bankman-Fried was definitely not a free man when he (right) exited a Manhattan courtroom on July 26, 2023. (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)
(Steve Jurvetson/Wikimedia Commons)
Twitter Is Dead. Long Live Crypto Twitter?
Elon Musk's rebranded X.com used to be the white-hot center of the crypto world. What comes next?
(Steve Jurvetson/Wikimedia Commons)
SEC Chair Gary Gensler at a U.S. Treasury council hearing in October 2022 (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
How Bitcoin Miners Can Stay Clear of SEC Scrutiny (and Fall Foul of It)
Regulators view Bitcoin and other proof-of-work cryptocurrencies as commodities. But mining firms can still trip over securities regulations if they’re not careful. This story...
SEC Chair Gary Gensler at a U.S. Treasury council hearing in October 2022 (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
"Requiring a small payment for all submissions would reduce low-quality submissions," says David Z. Morris of the problem of linguistic spam.
To Survive the New Era of Robot Spam, Look to Crypto’s History
Human communication systems are under threat from linguistic robots (AI). But the same spammy problem helped lead to the creation of Bitcoin.
"Requiring a small payment for all submissions would reduce low-quality submissions," says David Z. Morris of the problem of linguistic spam.