Sam Kessler

Sam is CoinDesk's deputy managing editor for tech and protocols. His reporting is focused on decentralized technology, infrastructure and governance. Sam holds a computer science degree from Harvard University, where he led the Harvard Political Review. He has a background in the technology industry and owns some ETH and BTC. Sam was part of the team that won a 2023 Gerald Loeb Award for CoinDesk's coverage of Sam Bankman-Fried and the FTX collapse.

Sam Kessler

Latest from Sam Kessler


Policy

EmSam, Jury Questions and Another Denial for Bankman-Fried

Sam Bankman-Fried drafted a set of tweets discussing his use of an antidepressant.

SBF Trial Newsletter Graphic

Policy

Judge Denies Temporary Release For Sam Bankman-Fried, Suggests He Could Face 'Very Long Sentence'

Bankman-Fried’s lawyers had requested that he be released for the duration of his trial to ensure that he is able to review material and speak with his counsel.

FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried exiting a federal courthouse in New York last year. (Nikhilesh De/CoinDesk)

Consensus Magazine

The State of Staking: 5 Takeaways a Year After Ethereum's Merge

Ethereum’s switch to proof-of-stake fixed some problems, like environmental damage linked to PoW mining. But it raised new issues, including worries about centralization, MEV and censorship, say Margaux Nijkerk and Sam Kessler.

Ethereum (ethereum.org)

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Policy

Vivek Ramaswamy Is Drafting a 'Crypto Policy Framework'

The Republican candidate is second only to Donald Trump in some polls.

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and Messari's Ryan Selkis (Danny Nelson/CoinDesk)

Tech

'We Can't Build Something Like This on Ethereum,' Says DYdX Founder as Mainnet Nears

In an exclusive interview, Antonio Juliano, founder of dYdX (and a former Coinbase software engineer), discusses his project's move to build a new layer-1 blockchain using Cosmos technology.

Heashot of dYdX founder Antonio Juliano (dYdX)

Tech

Coinbase Earned $1M Amid Hack, but Hasn't Reimbursed Victims

Coinbase received 570 ETH, the second-largest payout tied to MEV in Ethereum’s history, to process transactions related to the Curve exploit.

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong (Coinbase)

Tech

The Protocol: The CFTC Is Cracking Down on Crypto

The move marks a contrast to its previously 'lenient' image compared to the SEC.

(Héctor J. Rivas/ Unsplash)

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Tech

Hello Holesky, Ethereum’s Newest Testnet

The new network comes after years of growth for Ethereum’s developer community and will replace the Goerli testnet.

Ethereum (Unsplash)

Policy

Ex-FTX Executive Ryan Salame Could Forfeit $1.5B as Part of Guilty Plea

Salame admitted to being a "straw donor” to secretly funnel millions of dollars to Republican political candidates while Bankman-Fried donated to Democrats.

Ryan Salame leaving a New York courthouse on Sept. 7, 2023. (Sam Kessler/CoinDesk)