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


Finance

Arweave-Based Bundlr Raises $5.2M to Boost Decentralized Storage

Bundlr aims to scale Arweave by allowing for near-instant transaction finality.

(benjamin lehman/Unsplash)

Layer 2

The Yuga Labs Catastrophe Could Have Been Prevented

Conspiracy theorists say Yuga Labs clogged up Ethereum to justify the launch of its own chain, but maybe the Bored Ape creators just screwed up.

(Zach Vessels/Unsplash)

Finance

DeFi Lender Rari Capital/Fei Loses $80M in Hack

Fei Protocol, which late last year merged with Rari, announced a $10 million bounty should the funds be returned.

Inverse Finance developers paused borrowing functions for users and said they were investigating the incident. (Shutterstock)

Layer 2

Juno Blockchain Community Officially Votes to Revoke Whale’s Tokens

Takumi Asano says he may pursue legal action against the Cosmos-based chain’s validators unless the confiscated funds are returned to his investors.

"Realm of Juno" (Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Finance

DeFi Trading Platform Hashflow Introduces Bridgeless Cross-Chain Swaps

The platform will enable native-to-native swaps, without slippage or pesky cross-chain bridges.

The Open Intents Framework is a new initiative created by Ethereum ecosystem leaders to simplify and standardize cross-chain token transfers.  (Akinori UEMURA/Unsplash)

Finance

Evmos, the EVM-Compatible Cosmos Chain, Mounts a Comeback

After a botched launch in March, the blockchain has relaunched with new tools for users looking to claim airdropped tokens.

CoinDesk placeholder image

Finance

Ethereum Rollup Optimism Launches DAO, Announces Long-Awaited Airdrop

Crypto Twitter has lit up with users excited to learn they will be eligible to claim Optimism’s OP tokens in an upcoming “season of airdrops.”

(Getty Images)

Layer 2

So What if the Ethereum Foundation Holds Fiat?

The Ethereum Foundation disclosed in an annual report that nearly 20% of its treasury is made up of non-crypto investments.

View of an unspecified wall decorated with an oversized, rainbow-colored dollar bill in Manhattan's Lower East Side neighborhood, New York, New York, February 1988. (Photo by Susan Wood/Getty Images)

Layer 2

Is Ethereum Staking Pool Lido’s Growth an Omen of Centralization?

Lido might be on track to control over 50% of all staked ether on the Beacon Chain. Better it than Coinbase, proponents say.

(Raimond Klavins/Unsplash)

Tech

El atacante drena $182 millones del protocolo Beanstalk Stablecoin

El ataque de préstamo flash se convierte en el segundo exploit DeFi de nueve cifras en un mes.

(Sean Stratton/Unsplash)