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.

Social

Recent

Prometheum founder and co-CEO Aaron Kaplan went on CoinDesk TV to discuss is Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker-dealer license approval. (CoinDesk)
Gary Gensler’s Catch-22 Vision of ‘Regulated’ Crypto Brokers
The SEC-registered trading platform Prometheum pitched the House on Gary Gensler's vision. But skeptical legislators highlighted that the platform won't offer major assets – i...
Prometheum founder and co-CEO Aaron Kaplan went on CoinDesk TV to discuss is Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) broker-dealer license approval. (CoinDesk)
(Ripple Labs)
Why William Hinman`s Emails Matter to the XRP Army and the Crypto’s Price
Recently released emails from former SEC director William Hinman have rallied the XRP troops, but the documents are not a smoking gun.
(Ripple Labs)
America is still a democracy. Technically, at least. (Andy Morffew, Flickr/CC)
The New Crypto Bill Gary Gensler Doesn’t Want You to Know About
U.S. law doesn't let appointed regulators override elected official. But the SEC head may be doing exactly that.
America is still a democracy. Technically, at least. (Andy Morffew, Flickr/CC)
SEC Chair Gary Gensler recently intimated to CNBC that he believes cryptocurrency is useless. That helps justify his treatment of exchanges like Coinbase as inherently fraudulent.  (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The SEC Is Fighting the Last War
SEC chair Gary Gensler wants you to think Coinbase and Binance are the same as FTX and Celsius. They’re not.
SEC Chair Gary Gensler recently intimated to CNBC that he believes cryptocurrency is useless. That helps justify his treatment of exchanges like Coinbase as inherently fraudulent.  (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Northeastern Saudi Arabia near the Iraqi border (Wayne Eastep/Getty Images)
The Petrodollar and Its Discontents Point to Bitcoin's Role in the Financial Future
Recent moves by Saudi Arabia, Russia and China have raised fears that the U.S. dollar could lose its preferred status for oil trading. And yet alternative national currencies...
Northeastern Saudi Arabia near the Iraqi border (Wayne Eastep/Getty Images)
Succumb to the temptation of Apple's 4.15% APR ... and you may find yourself cast out of the Garden. (Detail of Michaelangelo's Sistine Chapel, 1509)
Apple and Goldman Sachs Don’t Trust Their New Banking Customers
“Security reviews” are locking up Apple Savings accounts for weeks on end, as a blunt-force anti-money laundering system turns customers into suspects.
Succumb to the temptation of Apple's 4.15% APR ... and you may find yourself cast out of the Garden. (Detail of Michaelangelo's Sistine Chapel, 1509)
Dan Larimer who led the EOS’s $4 billion token sale in 2017, one of the largest of the ICO era.
CoinDesk Turns 10: The ICO Era – What Went Right?
The ICO boom is remembered as an orgy of fraud and scammy behavior. But ICOs funded many crypto success stories - and might still have benefits, says David Z. Morris. This sto...
Dan Larimer who led the EOS’s $4 billion token sale in 2017, one of the largest of the ICO era.
Richard Heart, creator of the Hex token and PulseChain platforms, in a circa 2017 YouTube video. (Richard Heart/YouTube)
The PulseChain Sideshow Tent Is Collapsing
For some crypto projects, actually launching is the worst possible plan.
Richard Heart, creator of the Hex token and PulseChain platforms, in a circa 2017 YouTube video. (Richard Heart/YouTube)
The Orb. (Worldcoin)
Worldcoin and the Intellectual Decline of Venture Capital
Sam Altman’s spectacularly ill-conceived biometric data project just raised $115 million dollars. Digging into the deal is embarrassing for basically everyone.
The Orb. (Worldcoin)
Cathie Wood, chief executive officer and chief investment officer, Ark Invest (Marco Bello/Getty Images)
Cathie Wood Thinks the U.S. Crypto Exodus Is Here. Is It?
Strike, Coinbase and others have intimated they may leave the United States due to regulatory pressure. But those might be empty threats.
Cathie Wood, chief executive officer and chief investment officer, Ark Invest (Marco Bello/Getty Images)