John Law

John Law is an 18th century Scottish entrepreneur, financial engineer and gambler. Having reformed the French economy, invented paper currency, state banks, the Mississippi Bubble and other ideas essential to modern economics, he took three hundred years off in a small cottage outside Bude. He has returned to write for CoinDesk on the foibles of digital currency.

John Law

Latest from John Law


Markets

Apple Sours on Bitcoin, Corner Shop Conundrum, and the Stolen Good

This week John Law takes a bite out of Apple, ventures into 'unbanked' territory and ponders a sticky bit-lemma.

robbery

Markets

A Million is Never Enough, Chinese Laundry, and Bad Taste by Bitcoin

This week in the wonderful world of bitcoin: high-profile arrests, Chinese trillions and eyelashes for cars.

car eyelashes

Markets

Roll up for Branded coins, Roll on the Robot Overlords - or Just Roll Your Own

This week John Law delves into custom currencies, robot rulers and cannabis-related bitcoin conundrums.

robot

Markets

The £150 ATM, Benefits of Risky Futures, and Bitcoin's Common Touch

John Law wades knee-deep into bitcoin's hectic week of cut-price ATMs, risky derivative markets and merchants galore.

cash

Markets

A Billion-Dollar Bitcoin Bet, Making Cents of Twitter, and Indian Brews

This week has provided two excellent counter-examples against the inherent badness of bitcoin – one small, one very big.

punch drunk

Markets

From China to Cyberspace: Bitcoin's Year in Review

It's a legal requirement for journalists to write an end-of-year roundup, and John Law is nothing if not law-abiding.

world

Markets

Tulips, Pigs and Eternal Graffiti: Bitcoin’s Colourful Week

This week John Law grapples with Tulip Mania, block chain graffiti and the murky world of FUD.

Banksy

Markets

Patent Nonsense, Coinbase Futures, and Who’s a Good Doggie? You Are!

JP Morgan causes a stir, re-presents old cryptocurrency patent, Coinbase receives $25m investment, while John Law digs for dogecoins.

doge

Markets

Questions for Cash, Chains of Command, and with this Coin, I Thee Rob

John Law ponders BTC-e's credentials, block chain security and hiding bitcoins from divorce lawyers in his weekly review.

dollar-weights

Markets

No Hiding Place in Bitcoin, Real Mining for Virtual Cash, and the Wrong Sort of Fun

As the highest-value bitcoin transaction occurs, a Welsh resident searches a landfill for his £4m hard drive.

bounty bitcoin litecoin

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