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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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Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), one of the main sponsors of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, speaks at the 2015 Defending the American Dream Summit at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio.
Markets
Financial regulation
Fundamentally Incompatible: How the Proposed Crypto Tax Rules Miss the Mark
A late addition to the infrastructure bill moving through Congress would impose impossible reporting requirements on miners and wallets.
Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), one of the main sponsors of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, speaks at the 2015 Defending the American Dream Summit at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio.
By David Z. Morris
Jul 30, 2021 at 6:33 p.m. UTC
Jul 30, 2021
Financial RegulationCongressAnti-Money LaunderingOpiniontaxationNewslettersThe NodeInfrastructure Bill
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele (center), with then-Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina (second from right) in 2019.
Markets
Imf
The IMF's Self-Serving Case Against Bitcoin
The International Monetary Fund has finally expanded on its "issues" with El Salvador's adoption of bitcoin. There's not much behind the curtain.
Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele (center), with then-Dominican Republic President Danilo Medina (second from right) in 2019.
By David Z. Morris
Jul 28, 2021 at 8:42 p.m. UTC
Jul 28, 2021
IMFOpinionReserve CurrencyBitcoin Treasury Reserve AssetIMF Digital Currency
phil-dufrene-xPxUNsy4__I-unsplash(1)
Markets
Bitfinex
Tether's Collapse Would Be Chaotic, Not Cataclysmic
Possible criminal charges against Tether executives will put even more pressure on a product that the market is already cooling on.
phil-dufrene-xPxUNsy4__I-unsplash(1)
By David Z. Morris
Jul 26, 2021 at 8:21 p.m. UTC
Jul 26, 2021
BitfinexTetherOpinionStablecoin
Niamh Algar in Prano Bailey-Bond's movie "Censor"
Markets
Money laundering
What a Gory New Horror Film Teaches Us About Financial Censorship
Much like the deranged lead of "Censor," financial regulators are deluding themselves that centralized control will lead to a crime-free utopia.
Niamh Algar in Prano Bailey-Bond's movie "Censor"
By David Z. Morris
Jul 25, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. UTC
Jul 25, 2021
Money LaunderingReviewsAnti-Money LaunderingOpinionCultureFinancial Censorship
jakob-braun-vpsPRd_rz-A-unsplash
Markets
Europe
The Node: Europe's Hidden Agenda on Crypto Wallets
Although Europe isn't banning anonymous crypto wallets, proposed rule changes could hurt the crypto industry. It's time to fight back.
jakob-braun-vpsPRd_rz-A-unsplash
By David Z. Morris
Jul 23, 2021 at 8:00 p.m. UTC
Jul 23, 2021
EuropeOpinionNewslettersThe Node
The EU flag (Christian Lue/Unsplash)
Markets
Opinion
No, the European Union Is Not 'Banning Anonymous Crypto Wallets'
The E.U. Commissioner for Financial Services may have misunderstood the meaning of her own statement. The reality is hard to imagine.
The EU flag (Christian Lue/Unsplash)
By David Z. Morris
Jul 21, 2021 at 5:17 p.m. UTC
Jul 21, 2021
Opinion
A vegetable vendor in Shuhe, China. Apps that centralize vegetable vending have been among the targets of Chinese authorities' technology crackdown, out of fear they would eliminate jobs and increase inequality.
Markets
China
China's Digital Inequality Dilemma: Open-Source Innovation vs. Control
China's fight against data-driven inequality could also hamper prosperity. Web 3.0 is one solution but will the Communist party embrace it?
A vegetable vendor in Shuhe, China. Apps that centralize vegetable vending have been among the targets of Chinese authorities' technology crackdown, out of fear they would eliminate jobs and increase inequality.
By David Z. Morris
Jul 20, 2021 at 8:15 p.m. UTC
Jul 20, 2021
ChinaTechnologyOpinion
It's not just bulls and bears - equities are ruled by the shifting moods of the entire zoo.
Markets
Coinbase
How $33B Robinhood Ended Up Being Worth Less Than Coinbase
The stock-trading app will debut in a fast-cooling market, costing it millions in cash and billions in market cap, says our columnist.
It's not just bulls and bears - equities are ruled by the shifting moods of the entire zoo.
By David Z. Morris
Jul 19, 2021 at 7:31 p.m. UTC
Jul 19, 2021
CoinbaseRobert ShillerEconomicsOpinionRobinhood
Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Markets
Coinbase
Can Coinbase Keep Wall Street Happy During the Crypto 'Pause'?
For the first time ever, a publicly traded company is navigating crypto's doldrums. Wall Street analysts may not react kindly.
Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images
By David Z. Morris
Jul 16, 2021 at 5:33 p.m. UTC
Jul 16, 2021
CoinbaseWall StreetBitcoinOpinion
claudio-schwarz-_IjUkotohVk-unsplash(1)
Markets
Dogecoin
Jackson Palmer vs. Spike Lee: 'Inherently Right Wing' or 'Digital Rebellion'?
Jackson Palmer and others sometime conflate bad behavior with deeper technological bias. Spike Lee sees things differently.
claudio-schwarz-_IjUkotohVk-unsplash(1)
By David Z. Morris
Jul 15, 2021 at 7:27 p.m. UTC
Jul 15, 2021
DogecoinJackson PalmerBitcoinOpinionBitcoin and Black AmericaCoin CloudSpike Lee