David Z. Morris on Unpacking the Signifiers and Presumptions That Define Bitcoin Culture

Episode: David Z. Morris is the Chief Insights Columnist at CoinDesk. Previously he was a staff writer for Fortune and Breaker magazines. David also has a PhD in Communication and Media Studies from the University of Iowa.

Insight: To its growing base of users and enthusiasts, Bitcoin is many things: a global currency, a store of value, a payment system, a shared delusion, a weapon for social justice, and even a means of communication. And while folks with a more casual interest in crypto might get turned off by the maximalist meme culture espoused by its most fervent believers, Bitcoin is embodying traditions that have existed in mainstream culture for centuries. These next-gen symbols and signifiers are revealing and challenging built-in assumptions about money that many of us didn't realize we had.