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

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Consensus Magazine

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 story is part of our series looking back at the biggest stories from the last decade. The ICO boom is our choice for 2018.

Dan Larimer speaks at the Voice launch event in Washington, D.C., June 2019.

Opinion

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)

Opinion

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)

Opinion

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)

Opinion

Ledger’s Hard Lesson: Being Right Isn't Good Enough

Public communication doesn’t work like computer code. The French hardware wallet maker learned that the hard way.

Ledger CEO Pascal Gauthier at Web Summit 2021 in Lisbon, Portugal. (Harry Murphy/Web Summit via Sportsfile)

Opinion

What Does the Debt Limit Showdown Mean for Bitcoin?

A U.S. debt default could catapult the cryptocurrency onto the international stage.

Political theatrics over the internecine debt ceiling debate on the U.S. Capitol Hill risks the international economy. Bitcoin could ascend as a global reserve and trade asset if the U.S. dollar loses status. (Strobridge Litho. Co., Cincinnati & New York/U.S. Library of Congress)