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.

David Z. Morris

Latest from David Z. Morris


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1 Year of Bitcoin in El Salvador: The Bad, the Good and the Ugly

Despite many real stumbles and skeptical mainstream coverage of Nayib Bukele’s bitcoin initiative, both tourism numbers and remittance usage are already showing meaningful payoffs.

A demonstrator holds an effigy of President Nayib Bukele next to a sign against the approved Bitcoin Law during a protest against the government on Oct. 17, 2021, in San Salvador, El Salvador. (Emerson Flores/APHOTOGRAFIA/Getty Images)

Opinion

3 Big Things the Merge Will Change About Ethereum

The network's shift to proof-of-stake has implications for the environment, fees and Ethereum as a "network state." But it won't change everything.

(Nadir sYzYgY/unsplash)

Opinion

Brian Armstrong's Finest Hour: Backing Tornado Cash Suit Against Treasury

Coinbase could be putting itself at risk by suing the federal government over its sanction of the privacy-preserving Tornado Cash protocol.

Brian Armstrong Chief Executive Officer CEO & Co-Founder of Coinbase speaks at Consensus 2019 (CoinDesk)

Opinion

Vermont Regulators Didn't Use the Word, but I Will: Celsius Was a Ponzi

Alex Mashinsky always had plenty to say about Celsius’ finances. Most of it, a new filing claims, wasn’t true.

Rhymes with ... (Silver Screen Collection/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Opinion

The Continued Unraveling of Mark Zuckerberg’s Malicious Metaverse

Almost nobody seems to believe that Horizon Worlds can become the next Facebook. That’s worth celebrating.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Opinion

Then They Fight You: Scenarios for Coming Crypto Regulation

U.S. regulators are clearly ready to impose rules on the crypto market. If crypto advocates are serious about all this, it’s time to quit messing around.

SEC Chairman Gary Gensler has signaled early and often that the vast majority of token projects fall under his purview. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Opinion

The Perverse Impacts of the Anti-Money-Laundering System

Do anti-money laundering rules actually stop crime, and is it worth the costs to privacy and fairness?

(Viacheslav Bublyk/Unsplash)

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In Defense of Crime

Crime can be an important signal that something in society needs reforming, writes David Z Morris. Financial surveillance that attempts to completely prevent crime could just make things worse in the long run. This piece is part of CoinDesk's Sin Week.

(Matt Popovich/Unsplash)

Opinion

AMC and Wall Street Are Learning All the Wrong Lessons From Crypto

Meme stocks are here to stay. That may not be great.

Meme stocks and day trading have turned asset markets into a form of entertainment - and made them much more risky. (Ian Showell/Keystone/Getty Images)