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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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"Iceland's Secret" author and financial fraud investigator Jared Bibler. (Harriman House)
Markets
Fraud
He Saw Iceland’s Banking Fraud From Inside. Now He’s Worried About Crypto
“I think we’re living on a sand castle financial system,” says former banker and fraud investigator Jared Bibler.
"Iceland's Secret" author and financial fraud investigator Jared Bibler. (Harriman House)
By David Z. Morris
Oct 27, 2021 at 6:25 p.m. UTC
Oct 27, 2021
FraudBanking RegulationIcelandOpinionInterview
LULA RICH
Markets
Pyramid scheme
The FTC Doesn’t See the Difference Between Crypto and LuLaRoe
A warning that lumped crypto exchanges with MLMs is misguided. But it’s also an important window into regulators’ mindsets.
LULA RICH
By David Z. Morris
Oct 27, 2021 at 5:37 p.m. UTC
Oct 27, 2021
Pyramid SchemeFraudInvestingBlockchainGeminiGemini ExchangeOpinion
Crowd of people on network connection lines.
Finance
Defi
Is ‘DeFi Regulation’ an Oxymoron?
Engaging with regulators is more likely to keep DeFi healthy than pretending they don’t exist.
Crowd of people on network connection lines.
By David Z. Morris
Oct 22, 2021 at 4:38 p.m. UTC
Oct 22, 2021
DeFiPolicy WeekGary GenslerRegulationFireblocksCrypto 2022
Michael Shaulov, CEO of DeFi infrastructure firm Fireblocks (courtesy Fireblocks)
Finance
Defi
Gensler for a Day: Regulating DeFi With Fireblocks CEO Michael Shaulov
The key is getting decentralized identity right.
Michael Shaulov, CEO of DeFi infrastructure firm Fireblocks (courtesy Fireblocks)
By David Z. Morris
Oct 22, 2021 at 2:48 p.m. UTC
Oct 22, 2021
DeFiFireblocksRegulationGary GenslerAMLKYCAnonymityPrivacyInstitutional AdoptionCrypto 2022Policy Week
EUREKA, NV - JULY 8: A group of wild horses is rounded up during a gathering July 8, 2005 in Eureka, Nevada. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management wants to reduce herds in the American west, where an estimated 37,000 of the horses roam free, to 28,000 by the end of 2005. The U.S. periodically removes thousands of horses and donkeys in an attempt to ensure western rangelands have adequate food and water for the animals to survive. Those animals are either adopted out or housed indefinitely on government sanctuaries. Currently 24,000 horses and donkeys are housed in government-run facilities. Recently passed legislation allows for the sale for slaughter of wild horses and donkeys older than ten years old and animals that have been unsuccessfully offered for adoption at least three times, eliminating restrictions that had been in place since 1971 which prevented wild horses from being sold commercially. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Policy
Defi
Lassoing a Stallion: How Gary Gensler Could Approach DeFi Enforcement
The SEC may “pierce the veil” of “decentralization theater” by going after individuals involved in DeFi projects, observers say.
EUREKA, NV - JULY 8: A group of wild horses is rounded up during a gathering July 8, 2005 in Eureka, Nevada. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management wants to reduce herds in the American west, where an estimated 37,000 of the horses roam free, to 28,000 by the end of 2005. The U.S. periodically removes thousands of horses and donkeys in an attempt to ensure western rangelands have adequate food and water for the animals to survive. Those animals are either adopted out or housed indefinitely on government sanctuaries. Currently 24,000 horses and donkeys are housed in government-run facilities. Recently passed legislation allows for the sale for slaughter of wild horses and donkeys older than ten years old and animals that have been unsuccessfully offered for adoption at least three times, eliminating restrictions that had been in place since 1971 which prevented wild horses from being sold commercially. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
By David Z. Morris
Oct 21, 2021 at 8:58 p.m. UTC
Oct 21, 2021
DeFiRegulationSECGary GenslerPolicy WeekCrypto 2022
Photo taken in Thai Mueang, Thailand
Policy
Bitcoin etf
Contango Conmigo: Why a Bitcoin Futures ETF Could Be a Bloody Ride
Regulators maintain the futures market is a lower-risk way to list bitcoin. But there’s a major catch.
Photo taken in Thai Mueang, Thailand
By David Z. Morris
Oct 20, 2021 at 4:21 p.m. UTC
Oct 20, 2021
Bitcoin ETFFuturesFutures ContractsProSharesRegulationSECOpinionPolicy WeekCrypto 2022
(Yunha Lee/CoinDesk)
Policy
Decentralized finance
DeFi Is Like Nothing Regulators Have Seen Before. How Should They Tackle It?
Without middlemen to deputize, the SEC and other regulators will have to rethink their approach to enforcement. A lot could go wrong.
(Yunha Lee/CoinDesk)
By David Z. Morris
Oct 19, 2021 at 2:57 p.m. UTC
Oct 19, 2021
Decentralized FinanceDeFiSECGary GenslerEthereumOpinionPolicy WeekCrypto 2022
President Biden discusses the September jobs report (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Policy
Irs
Biden’s Orwellian Tax Surveillance Policy
It’s political suicide for the Democrats, and a dark sign for America.
President Biden discusses the September jobs report (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
By David Z. Morris
Oct 13, 2021 at 4:12 p.m. UTC
Oct 13, 2021
IRSJoe BidenTax EvasionPrivacyThe NodeNewslettersOpinion
(Olemedia/Getty Images)
Policy
Ethereum 2.0
Sign-In With Ethereum Is Coming
The dangers of letting Facebook control your online identity are clear. One alternative would use your Ethereum wallet instead, and let you control your own data.
(Olemedia/Getty Images)
By David Z. Morris
Oct 8, 2021 at 3:44 p.m. UTC
Oct 8, 2021
Ethereum 2.0IdentityIdentity VerificationOpinionThe Node
Iceland's famed Fagradalsfjall Volcano. The small nation's banks are also well known for their tendency to explode. (Sophia Groves/Getty Images)
Policy
Iceland
What Iceland’s Spectacular Banking Collapse Teaches Us About Tether
Iceland’s surreal banking bubble led to one of the biggest blowups of the 2008 financial crisis. The story holds important lessons – including a possible scenario for Tether’s...
Iceland's famed Fagradalsfjall Volcano. The small nation's banks are also well known for their tendency to explode. (Sophia Groves/Getty Images)
By David Z. Morris
Oct 7, 2021 at 4:41 p.m. UTC
Oct 7, 2021
IcelandBankingBanking RegulationTetherOpinion