David Z. Morris, PhD
@davidzmorris.bsky.social
Crypto, Finance, and Fraud - davidzmorris.substack.com
"SBF and the Tech Utopians," Repeater Books, Fall '25
Crypto OG. X-CoinDesk, Fortune. PhD UIowa
'Hardcore' - NYMag
"SBF and the Tech Utopians," Repeater Books, Fall '25
Crypto OG. X-CoinDesk, Fortune. PhD UIowa
'Hardcore' - NYMag
Pinned
Dark Markets | David Z. Morris | Substack
Dark Markets is the Newsletter for Fringe Finance. David Z. Morris, PhD (CoinDesk, Fortune) is your guide to the squirming underbelly of capitalism, where markets are irrational, money is imaginary, a...
tinyurl.com
To reintroduce myself here on Bluesky: After my reporting on FTX and Sam Bankman-Fried, I've been given the incredible opportunity to write a book for Repeater Books, cofounded by the legendary Mark Fisher.
Working title: "Stealing the Future: Sam Bankman-Fried and the Tech Utopians."
Working title: "Stealing the Future: Sam Bankman-Fried and the Tech Utopians."
Reposted by David Z. Morris, PhD
Gawker doesn’t look so bad now does it, you massive pile of shit?
November 13, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Gawker doesn’t look so bad now does it, you massive pile of shit?
Reposted by David Z. Morris, PhD
40 men Trump sent to CECOT tell the NYT they were beaten, tortured, and sexually assaulted. The details are worse than you can imagine.
We can’t let them get away with this. Miller and the other architects of this sadism need to go to prison.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/w...
We can’t let them get away with this. Miller and the other architects of this sadism need to go to prison.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/w...
‘You Are All Terrorists’: Four Months in a Salvadoran Prison
www.nytimes.com
November 9, 2025 at 2:20 AM
40 men Trump sent to CECOT tell the NYT they were beaten, tortured, and sexually assaulted. The details are worse than you can imagine.
We can’t let them get away with this. Miller and the other architects of this sadism need to go to prison.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/w...
We can’t let them get away with this. Miller and the other architects of this sadism need to go to prison.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/08/w...
Reposted by David Z. Morris, PhD
The Context: 💭 Barbara Fried misrepresents SBF's crimes
Barbara Fried has apparently stepped in to defend her son, Sam Bankman-Fried, and has continued the family history of deceit.
Latest from @bft.wtf
Subscribe and read 👉 mailchi.mp/3d06016cc97c...
Barbara Fried has apparently stepped in to defend her son, Sam Bankman-Fried, and has continued the family history of deceit.
Latest from @bft.wtf
Subscribe and read 👉 mailchi.mp/3d06016cc97c...
October 31, 2025 at 4:17 PM
The Context: 💭 Barbara Fried misrepresents SBF's crimes
Barbara Fried has apparently stepped in to defend her son, Sam Bankman-Fried, and has continued the family history of deceit.
Latest from @bft.wtf
Subscribe and read 👉 mailchi.mp/3d06016cc97c...
Barbara Fried has apparently stepped in to defend her son, Sam Bankman-Fried, and has continued the family history of deceit.
Latest from @bft.wtf
Subscribe and read 👉 mailchi.mp/3d06016cc97c...
Reposted by David Z. Morris, PhD
lol did you see my newsletter about his mother’s screed
November 7, 2025 at 6:51 PM
lol did you see my newsletter about his mother’s screed
I shitposted my way through Sam Bankman-Fried's recent appeal hearing.
It will cleanse your fucking soul to read about just how badly this massive dumbass embarrassed both himself and his 'elite' apellate lawyer
open.substack.com/pub/davidzmo...
It will cleanse your fucking soul to read about just how badly this massive dumbass embarrassed both himself and his 'elite' apellate lawyer
open.substack.com/pub/davidzmo...
November 7, 2025 at 6:50 PM
I shitposted my way through Sam Bankman-Fried's recent appeal hearing.
It will cleanse your fucking soul to read about just how badly this massive dumbass embarrassed both himself and his 'elite' apellate lawyer
open.substack.com/pub/davidzmo...
It will cleanse your fucking soul to read about just how badly this massive dumbass embarrassed both himself and his 'elite' apellate lawyer
open.substack.com/pub/davidzmo...
Reposted by David Z. Morris, PhD
New awareness campaign
November 3, 2025 at 3:23 PM
New awareness campaign
Today is Sam Bankman-Fried's appeal. It barely matters. But last week his mother Barbara Fried published a lengthy argument for her son's innocence - it's at least inteteresting.
Like all SBF defenses, it shows a massive, wilful blind spot.
davidzmorris.substack.com/p/why-sbfs-m...
Like all SBF defenses, it shows a massive, wilful blind spot.
davidzmorris.substack.com/p/why-sbfs-m...
👁️Why SBF's Mom Still Thinks He's Innocent
Sam Bankman-Fried's appeal hearing is today. Barbara Fried has her own lengthy take.
davidzmorris.substack.com
November 3, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Today is Sam Bankman-Fried's appeal. It barely matters. But last week his mother Barbara Fried published a lengthy argument for her son's innocence - it's at least inteteresting.
Like all SBF defenses, it shows a massive, wilful blind spot.
davidzmorris.substack.com/p/why-sbfs-m...
Like all SBF defenses, it shows a massive, wilful blind spot.
davidzmorris.substack.com/p/why-sbfs-m...
The "Free SBF" crowd (which historically includes @nytimes) wants to normalize two things:
1) Illiquid venture investments are morally the same as cash in a vault.
2) Sometimes venture investments go to zero overnight for no reason and it's nobody's fault
1) Illiquid venture investments are morally the same as cash in a vault.
2) Sometimes venture investments go to zero overnight for no reason and it's nobody's fault
November 2, 2025 at 10:01 PM
The "Free SBF" crowd (which historically includes @nytimes) wants to normalize two things:
1) Illiquid venture investments are morally the same as cash in a vault.
2) Sometimes venture investments go to zero overnight for no reason and it's nobody's fault
1) Illiquid venture investments are morally the same as cash in a vault.
2) Sometimes venture investments go to zero overnight for no reason and it's nobody's fault
Question for self-employed/SMB people:
Have you experimented with setting aside a single day for any and all "admin" work? How did it go?
Have you experimented with setting aside a single day for any and all "admin" work? How did it go?
October 31, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Question for self-employed/SMB people:
Have you experimented with setting aside a single day for any and all "admin" work? How did it go?
Have you experimented with setting aside a single day for any and all "admin" work? How did it go?
Reposted by David Z. Morris, PhD
Preorder @davidzmorris.bsky.social's book, "Stealing the Future: SBF, Elite Fraud, and the Cult of Techno-Utopianism" at the link in our bio and get 20% off now!
October 30, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Preorder @davidzmorris.bsky.social's book, "Stealing the Future: SBF, Elite Fraud, and the Cult of Techno-Utopianism" at the link in our bio and get 20% off now!
Reposted by David Z. Morris, PhD
NEW: A Department of Veterans Affairs memo obtained by ProPublica sets up new roadblocks to care for male veterans with breast cancer.
The agency cites no new science but relies on an executive order about “restoring biological truth” in government.
The agency cites no new science but relies on an executive order about “restoring biological truth” in government.
Citing Trump Order on “Biological Truth,” VA Makes It Harder for Male Veterans With Breast Cancer to Get Coverage
A Department of Veterans Affairs memo obtained by ProPublica erects new roadblocks to care for veterans with the rare but deadly cancer. The agency cites no new science but relies on an executive order about “restoring biological truth” in government.
www.propublica.org
October 29, 2025 at 12:01 PM
NEW: A Department of Veterans Affairs memo obtained by ProPublica sets up new roadblocks to care for male veterans with breast cancer.
The agency cites no new science but relies on an executive order about “restoring biological truth” in government.
The agency cites no new science but relies on an executive order about “restoring biological truth” in government.
Reposted by David Z. Morris, PhD
In case you missed it, here's my most recent newsletter article -- on Eliezer Yudkowsky's very long history of defending incredibly dumb ideas. Why anyone takes this guy seriously will forever be mysterious to me. www.realtimetechpocalypse.com/p/eliezer-yu...
Eliezer Yudkowsky's Long History of Bad Ideas
Two days ago, Truthdig published my review of Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares’ book If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies. Please read and share it, if you have the time.
www.realtimetechpocalypse.com
October 20, 2025 at 6:23 PM
In case you missed it, here's my most recent newsletter article -- on Eliezer Yudkowsky's very long history of defending incredibly dumb ideas. Why anyone takes this guy seriously will forever be mysterious to me. www.realtimetechpocalypse.com/p/eliezer-yu...
Reposted by David Z. Morris, PhD
fucking hell
do actual academics think we need evidence that a statistical probability model is a statistical probability model and not a sentient being who understands meaning?
next research question: is my kettle powered by electricity or a tiny fire spewing dragon who lives in there?
do actual academics think we need evidence that a statistical probability model is a statistical probability model and not a sentient being who understands meaning?
next research question: is my kettle powered by electricity or a tiny fire spewing dragon who lives in there?
October 17, 2025 at 9:04 PM
fucking hell
do actual academics think we need evidence that a statistical probability model is a statistical probability model and not a sentient being who understands meaning?
next research question: is my kettle powered by electricity or a tiny fire spewing dragon who lives in there?
do actual academics think we need evidence that a statistical probability model is a statistical probability model and not a sentient being who understands meaning?
next research question: is my kettle powered by electricity or a tiny fire spewing dragon who lives in there?
I sat down with producer Eleanor Pahl and composer Altus Noumena to talk about our series Crypto Crooks, and plans for TORNADO, our series about Roman Storm, to be funded by our @OctantApp grant.
Eleanor's discussion of the advantages of audio is particularly great.
youtu.be/q0cvkK7e0k4?...
Eleanor's discussion of the advantages of audio is particularly great.
youtu.be/q0cvkK7e0k4?...
TORNADO: The War on Code - Meet the Team!
YouTube video by Dark Markets
youtu.be
October 17, 2025 at 3:16 PM
I sat down with producer Eleanor Pahl and composer Altus Noumena to talk about our series Crypto Crooks, and plans for TORNADO, our series about Roman Storm, to be funded by our @OctantApp grant.
Eleanor's discussion of the advantages of audio is particularly great.
youtu.be/q0cvkK7e0k4?...
Eleanor's discussion of the advantages of audio is particularly great.
youtu.be/q0cvkK7e0k4?...
Coming tomorrow at Dark Markets (davidzmorris.substack.com): On Friday, crypto markets experienced massive volatility and the liquidation of $19 billion in leveraged positions. I’ll have a rundown of the complex interacting elements that led to this (mostly) Flash Crash, and some lessons learned.
Dark Markets | David Z. Morris | Substack
Dark Markets is the Newsletter for Fringe Finance. David Z. Morris, PhD (CoinDesk, Fortune) is your guide to the squirming underbelly of capitalism, where markets are irrational, money is imaginary, a...
davidzmorris.substack.com
October 13, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Coming tomorrow at Dark Markets (davidzmorris.substack.com): On Friday, crypto markets experienced massive volatility and the liquidation of $19 billion in leveraged positions. I’ll have a rundown of the complex interacting elements that led to this (mostly) Flash Crash, and some lessons learned.
Reposted by David Z. Morris, PhD
"Stealing the Future," the inside story of one of the greatest financial scams of the century, and a deep-dive into the cult of techno-utopianism, will be out November 11th with Repeater Books, by @davidzmorris.bsky.social.
Pre-order it now at repeaterbooks.com/product/stea...
Pre-order it now at repeaterbooks.com/product/stea...
October 10, 2025 at 1:22 PM
"Stealing the Future," the inside story of one of the greatest financial scams of the century, and a deep-dive into the cult of techno-utopianism, will be out November 11th with Repeater Books, by @davidzmorris.bsky.social.
Pre-order it now at repeaterbooks.com/product/stea...
Pre-order it now at repeaterbooks.com/product/stea...
Reposted by David Z. Morris, PhD
Texas National Guard arrives in Illinois. They're calling them Meal Team 6.
October 7, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Texas National Guard arrives in Illinois. They're calling them Meal Team 6.
This week’s Dark Markets roundup features Turing winner Richard Sutton, who in 2019 championed compute scaling for AI. Now, he thinks scaling has hit a wall - and that LLMs are inherently incapable of reaching AGI.
Also this week: Zizians, XRP, Mary Kay(?)
davidzmorris.substack.com/p/the-father...
Also this week: Zizians, XRP, Mary Kay(?)
davidzmorris.substack.com/p/the-father...
👁️ LLMS have "No Definition of Actual Knowledge," says the Godfather of Scaling
Richard Sutton championed growing AI through pure compute power. Now, he's changing his mind.
davidzmorris.substack.com
October 7, 2025 at 5:54 PM
This week’s Dark Markets roundup features Turing winner Richard Sutton, who in 2019 championed compute scaling for AI. Now, he thinks scaling has hit a wall - and that LLMs are inherently incapable of reaching AGI.
Also this week: Zizians, XRP, Mary Kay(?)
davidzmorris.substack.com/p/the-father...
Also this week: Zizians, XRP, Mary Kay(?)
davidzmorris.substack.com/p/the-father...
As the AI Bubble cracks, I looked back at Hubert Dreyfus, whose landmark 1965 research report "Alchemy and Artificial Intelligence" was withheld by the Rand Corporation for undermining the basic premises of simulated thought.
davidzmorris.substack.com/p/ai-propaga...
davidzmorris.substack.com/p/ai-propaga...
👁️AI Propaganda is Six Decades Old
The RAND Corporation's suppression of Hubert Dreyfus launched a tradition of wilful ignorance that continues today.
davidzmorris.substack.com
October 5, 2025 at 5:04 PM
As the AI Bubble cracks, I looked back at Hubert Dreyfus, whose landmark 1965 research report "Alchemy and Artificial Intelligence" was withheld by the Rand Corporation for undermining the basic premises of simulated thought.
davidzmorris.substack.com/p/ai-propaga...
davidzmorris.substack.com/p/ai-propaga...
Reposted by David Z. Morris, PhD
Reposted by David Z. Morris, PhD
Damn, this one was truly fantastic.
Part of why I continue to listen to Klein is that I’m wondering if anyone is gonna call him down on his bullshit and… Ta-Nehisi Coates absolutely does that here.
Without question the best political thought I have heard on the current moment.
1/
Part of why I continue to listen to Klein is that I’m wondering if anyone is gonna call him down on his bullshit and… Ta-Nehisi Coates absolutely does that here.
Without question the best political thought I have heard on the current moment.
1/
Ta-Nehisi Coates on Bridging Gaps vs. Drawing Lines
Podcast Episode · The Ezra Klein Show · 09/28/2025 · 1h 9m
podcasts.apple.com
September 28, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Damn, this one was truly fantastic.
Part of why I continue to listen to Klein is that I’m wondering if anyone is gonna call him down on his bullshit and… Ta-Nehisi Coates absolutely does that here.
Without question the best political thought I have heard on the current moment.
1/
Part of why I continue to listen to Klein is that I’m wondering if anyone is gonna call him down on his bullshit and… Ta-Nehisi Coates absolutely does that here.
Without question the best political thought I have heard on the current moment.
1/
Tai Lopez basically invented "grindset" influencing, complete with fake houses and scammy courses.
Investors gave him $112 million to turn around defunct brands like Radio Shack.
But the SEC says he was running a Ponzi scheme.
Read more at Dark Markets:
davidzmorris.substack.com/p/nollij-tai...
Investors gave him $112 million to turn around defunct brands like Radio Shack.
But the SEC says he was running a Ponzi scheme.
Read more at Dark Markets:
davidzmorris.substack.com/p/nollij-tai...
👁️ AI is a Fraud (But At Least it’s Propping Up the Entire Economy)
Also: Tai Lopez finally busted; "Workslop"; and SBF is tweetin' again.
davidzmorris.substack.com
October 1, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Tai Lopez basically invented "grindset" influencing, complete with fake houses and scammy courses.
Investors gave him $112 million to turn around defunct brands like Radio Shack.
But the SEC says he was running a Ponzi scheme.
Read more at Dark Markets:
davidzmorris.substack.com/p/nollij-tai...
Investors gave him $112 million to turn around defunct brands like Radio Shack.
But the SEC says he was running a Ponzi scheme.
Read more at Dark Markets:
davidzmorris.substack.com/p/nollij-tai...
My good friend Sunil gave me the honor of making me the first guest on his new podcast. He let me talk about what's not-so-secretly my favorite subject - myself and my work.
This is a great overview of my forthcoming book, Stealing the Future, and a few of its ideas.
youtu.be/zzyySauzcQI?...
This is a great overview of my forthcoming book, Stealing the Future, and a few of its ideas.
youtu.be/zzyySauzcQI?...
Sam Bankman-Fried: Effective Altruism with Sunil and David Morris
YouTube video by Decode with Sunil
youtu.be
September 28, 2025 at 9:54 PM
My good friend Sunil gave me the honor of making me the first guest on his new podcast. He let me talk about what's not-so-secretly my favorite subject - myself and my work.
This is a great overview of my forthcoming book, Stealing the Future, and a few of its ideas.
youtu.be/zzyySauzcQI?...
This is a great overview of my forthcoming book, Stealing the Future, and a few of its ideas.
youtu.be/zzyySauzcQI?...
Reposted by David Z. Morris, PhD
Isaac Chotiner has invited me to sample some delicious Amontillado wine and I don’t know guys but I think I’m going to come out of this interview seeming like *quite* the wine expert
September 23, 2025 at 6:28 PM
Isaac Chotiner has invited me to sample some delicious Amontillado wine and I don’t know guys but I think I’m going to come out of this interview seeming like *quite* the wine expert
Major live announcement about one of my big projects coming in a few moments here:
x.com/i/broadcasts...
x.com/i/broadcasts...
Octant
Our Epoch 9 Cohort
x.com
September 23, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Major live announcement about one of my big projects coming in a few moments here:
x.com/i/broadcasts...
x.com/i/broadcasts...