David Z. Morris

Chief Insights Columnist

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

The Cube Movement

The frenzy for Tungsten Cubes may seem like a frivolous meatspace meme. But some profound truths lurk within all that heavy metal.

Nov 3, 2021

This four-inch tungsten cube weighs as much as those ridiculously huge dumbells at the far end of the rack – a whopping 40 pounds. (Midwest Tungsten)

Why Stablecoin Regulation Isn’t ‘Urgent’

The risks are real, but today’s report looks like a power grab.

Nov 1, 2021

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 06: U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (C) listens to President Joe Biden during a hybrid meeting with corporate chief executives and members of his cabinet to discuss the looming federal debt limit in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on October 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Each of the meeting participants spoke in dire terms about the negative national and global economic reaction to Congress failing to raise the limit and the U.S. defaulting on its debt. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Facebook Steals Another Crypto Idea for Its Nonsensical Rebrand

Mark Zuckerberg’s vision for the metaverse has little to do with the open, interoperable vision first articulated by the blockchain industry.

Oct 29, 2021

CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg walks with COO of Facebook Sheryl Sandberg after a session at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference on July 08, 2021 in Sun Valley, Idaho.

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.

Oct 27, 2021

"Iceland's Secret" author and financial fraud investigator Jared Bibler. (Harriman House)

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.

Oct 27, 2021

LULA RICH

Is ‘DeFi Regulation’ an Oxymoron?

Engaging with regulators is more likely to keep DeFi healthy than pretending they don’t exist.

Oct 22, 2021

Crowd of people on network connection lines.

Gensler for a Day: Regulating DeFi With Fireblocks CEO Michael Shaulov

The key is getting decentralized identity right.

Oct 22, 2021

Michael Shaulov, CEO of DeFi infrastructure firm Fireblocks (courtesy Fireblocks)

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.

Oct 21, 2021

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)

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.

Oct 20, 2021

Photo taken in Thai Mueang, Thailand

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.

Oct 19, 2021

(Yunha Lee/CoinDesk)

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