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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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(Cheryl Thuesday/CoinDesk)
Policy
Hester peirce
How to Talk to Your Legislator About the Crypto Safe Harbor
The Peirce/McHenry proposal is a healthy middle ground for regulation.
(Cheryl Thuesday/CoinDesk)
By David Z. Morris
Oct 6, 2021 at 9:58 p.m. UTC
Oct 6, 2021
Hester PeirceHouse Financial ServicesRegulationSafe HarborHouse of RepresentativesOpinion
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 06: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair speaks at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a defence think tank, on September 6, 2021 in London, England. Mr Blair, who served as prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007, reflected on the roots of Islamist extremism and the consequences of the Afghanistan withdrawal. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
Finance
Money laundering
The Pandora Papers Show Why People Love Crypto: You Can’t Trust the Powerful
The same offshore fig leafs helping elites to dodge taxes have underpinned decades of rampant state-backed abuse.
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 06: Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair speaks at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), a defence think tank, on September 6, 2021 in London, England. Mr Blair, who served as prime minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007, reflected on the roots of Islamist extremism and the consequences of the Afghanistan withdrawal. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)
By David Z. Morris
Oct 5, 2021 at 7:29 p.m. UTC
Oct 5, 2021
Money LaunderingTax EvasionOpinion
PALO ALTO, CA - OCTOBER 7: A general view of the Stanford University campus including Hoover Tower and Green Library taken on October 7, 2019 in Palo Alto, California.
Policy
Blockchain
Do You Need to Go to College to Work in Crypto?
College dropouts sometimes become world-changing legends, including in crypto. But the big picture is a lot more complicated.
PALO ALTO, CA - OCTOBER 7: A general view of the Stanford University campus including Hoover Tower and Green Library taken on October 7, 2019 in Palo Alto, California.
By David Z. Morris
Oct 4, 2021 at 1:42 p.m. UTC
Oct 4, 2021
BlockchainEducationBlockchain.comChangpeng ZhaoDan HeldPeter ThielCoinDesk U
Disputed Game, 1850. Artist Thomas Hewes Hinckley. (Photo by Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images)
Finance
Mozilla
Is Mozilla Trying to Sabotage Distributed Identity?
The browser developer’s straw-man objections to the W3C standard raise questions of motive.
Disputed Game, 1850. Artist Thomas Hewes Hinckley. (Photo by Heritage Art/Heritage Images via Getty Images)
By David Z. Morris
Oct 1, 2021 at 5:02 p.m. UTC
Oct 1, 2021
MozillaBlockchain AdoptionProof-of-WorkIdentity VerificationIdentityW3CCoin CenterOpinion
Onshore wind turbines on the Bradwell Wind Farm near Bradwell on Sea, U.K., on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. U.K. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng warned the next few days will be challenging as the energy crisis deepens, and meat producers struggle with a crunch in carbon dioxide supplies. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Policy
Bitcoin energy use
We Can Use as Much Energy as We Want, Forever
Show this documentary to anyone worried about Bitcoin’s environmental impact.
Onshore wind turbines on the Bradwell Wind Farm near Bradwell on Sea, U.K., on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. U.K. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng warned the next few days will be challenging as the energy crisis deepens, and meat producers struggle with a crunch in carbon dioxide supplies. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images
By David Z. Morris
Oct 1, 2021 at 3:48 p.m. UTC
Oct 1, 2021
bitcoin energy userenewable energyLearn
An overhead view of a geothermal power plant in El Salvador, the site of a new Bitcoin mining installation.(Government of El Salvador)
Consensus Magazine
El salvador
El Salvador’s Bitcoin Volcano Can Be a Model for Cleaner Crypto
The Central American nation is taking its first steps to harness massive natural power sources to mine Bitcoin. The impacts could stretch far beyond the world of crypto.
An overhead view of a geothermal power plant in El Salvador, the site of a new Bitcoin mining installation.(Government of El Salvador)
By David Z. Morris
Sep 29, 2021 at 4:55 p.m. UTC
Sep 29, 2021
El SalvadorBukelenayib bukelebitcoinbitcoin miningNewslettersThe NodeOpinion
An electronic screen displays the Hang Seng Index in the Central district of Hong Kong, China Monday, Sept. 20, 2021.
Policy
China
3 Takes About China’s Crypto Ban That Are Wrong
Some common responses to China’s crackdown are missing key context.
An electronic screen displays the Hang Seng Index in the Central district of Hong Kong, China Monday, Sept. 20, 2021.
By David Z. Morris
Sep 27, 2021 at 7:40 p.m. UTC
Sep 27, 2021
ChinaBitcoinOpinion
Close up of coworkers using mobile phones in bar, sharing payment, finance, millennial, paying
Finance
Twitter
Twitter’s New Crypto Features Are a BFD
The social network’s new tip wallet and forthcoming NFT verification are game-changers - and a bulwark against attempts to co-opt a movement.
Close up of coworkers using mobile phones in bar, sharing payment, finance, millennial, paying
By David Z. Morris
Sep 24, 2021 at 4:43 p.m. UTC
Sep 24, 2021
twitterjack dorseysquarebitcoinNFTsIdentityTippingOpinion
(Chris Yang/Unsplash)
Policy
Opinion
Who Watches the Chain Watchers?
Chainalysis works within the bounds of the law, exploiting the real privacy issues for public blockchains. That’s not an invitation for blanket, legislative surveillance.
(Chris Yang/Unsplash)
By David Z. Morris
Sep 22, 2021 at 3:25 p.m. UTC
Sep 22, 2021
OpinionThe NodePrivacyChainalysis
Rekt. (Getty Images)
Markets
Evergrande
Fear Is Good (For Your Wallet)
Dismissing negative signals as nothing but FUD is a great way to lose money.
Rekt. (Getty Images)
By David Z. Morris
Sep 21, 2021 at 5:49 p.m. UTC
Sep 21, 2021
evergrandechinachinese marketStock MarketStocksNYSE