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


Layer 2

Scaling Ethereum Beyond the Merge: Danksharding

Danksharding would take a massive step toward turning Ethereum layer 2 networks into first class citizens.

(Bryan Steffy/Moment/Getty Images)

Tech

The ‘Google of Blockchains’ Is Sunsetting Its Centralized Service

The Graph announced it will urge developers to migrate to its Ethereum-based indexer network as it shuts down its centralized service by early 2023.

Graph Day 2022 (Sam Kessler/CoinDesk)

Layer 2

Merge Ahead: Ethereum’s Dress Rehearsal (and a Hiccup)

Ethereum’s Ropsten testnet is on the brink of a pivotal transition to proof-of-stake, but an unwelcome “reorg” rained on the Merge prep parade last week.

Ethereum's Merge is ahead. (Simon McGill/Moment/Getty Images)

Finance

Jae Kwon Returns to ‘NewTendermint’ to Battle for the Soul of Cosmos

Ignite, which rebranded from Tendermint in February, will split into two entities: Ignite and NewTendermint.

Jae Kwon speaks at Construct 2017. (Photo via CoinDesk archives)

Tech

What Impact Will a Bear-Market Merge Have on Ethereum?

As crypto tumbles, Vitalik Buterin says Ethereum’s shift to proof-of-stake will happen in August.

Crypto markets remained bearish. (Christopher Sweet/EyeEm/Getty Images)

Finance

Kwon Proposes Forking Terra, Nixing UST Stablecoin in ‘Revival Plan 2’

“$UST peg failure is Terra’s DAO hack moment,” the Terraform Labs CEO wrote, “a chance to rise up anew from the ashes.”

Terra's advertisement displayed at the ballpark of Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals (Danny Nelson)

Finance

First Mover Americas: May Brings Showers Not Flowers as Bitcoin Languishes in Terra Aftermath

The latest moves in crypto markets in context for May 16, 2022.

(fstop123)

Finance

LFG Reserves Dwindle to Just 313 Bitcoins From 80K After UST Crash

The announcement comes after criticism of the Luna Foundation Guard's "lack of transparency."

(Javardh/Unsplash)

Tech

Do Kwon’s Proposed Terra ‘Revival’ Puts UST, LUNA Holders in Charge

A “Revival Plan” submitted Friday by the Terraform Labs CEO would redistribute ownership of the network.

(Unsplash, modified by CoinDesk)

Layer 2

The LUNA and UST Crash Explained in 5 Charts

One of the earliest signs that things were going wrong for Terra came when UST deposits on Anchor started dropping Saturday.

(koyu/iStock/Getty Images Plus)