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


Tech

Coinbase's Base Chain Warns of 'Stuck' Transactions Amid Traffic Surge

Coinbase is warning users of high fees and slowdowns as traders flock to new Base meme coins.

Jesse Pollak, head of protocols at Coinbase (CoinDesk TV)

Tech

Solana Strained by Meme Coin Mania, But Co-Founder Yakovenko Welcomes the Test

In an exclusive interview with CoinDesk, Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko weighs in on the meme coin frenzy that has brought attention and activity to the blockchain – along with complaints that transactions aren't going through.

Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko (CoinDesk, modified with PhotoMosh)

Finance

Ethereum Foundation Faces Inquiry From a Government; Fortune Says SEC Investigating ETH

After the publication of this article, Fortune reported the SEC seeks to classify ETH as a security.

(TechCrunch/Wikimeda Commons, modified by CoinDesk)

Tech

Optimism Finally Starts Testing 'Fault Proofs' at Heart of Design – and of Criticism

A version of the new proof system, which will help secure withdrawals from Optimism and other networks based on its tech, will be deployed to Optimism's Sepolia test network on Tuesday.

(Getty Images)

Tech

Cosmos-Based Canto Blockchain Reverses Course on Polygon Layer-2 Plans, Unveils New Roadmap

Canto will remain a Cosmos layer 1 network rather than shift to the Ethereum ecosystem, as previously announced. Its new Cyclone Stack will include upgrades aimed at scaling and improving performance of the blockchain.

Tornado Cash website and Discord taken offline (Nikolas Noonan/Unsplash)

Tech

Story Protocol Works With Crypto-AI Firm Ritual To Train and Track Models On-Chain

Story Protocol will be used to "prove that outputs like text, image, and voice are generated by specific models" so that IP can be tracked, attributed, and compensated correctly.

(Growtika/Unsplash)

Tech

The Protocol: Is Ethereum's Dencun Update All It's Cracked Up To Be?

Some developers think that shifting the Ethereum ecosystem further towards layer 2 networks could risk setting it down the wrong path.

(Andrea De Santis/Unsplash)

Tech

Debating Dencun: Will Ethereum's Big Update Help or Harm the Network?

While Ethereum's rollup-centric roadmap could help the ecosystem reach new levels of scale, some developers think relying on third parties to improve access to Ethereum could backfire.

Ethereum Foundation's Tim Beiko joined The Protocol podcast to discuss the implications of the Dencun upgrade. (CoinDesk, modified using PhotoMosh)

Tech

Ethereum Blockchain Counts Down to 'Dencun' Upgrade, Set to Reduce Fees

The upgrade is designed to usher in a new era of cheaper fees for the growing array of layer-2 networks that operate on top of Ethereum.

Blocknative's Ethernow countdown to Dencun (Blocknative)