John Law | CoinDesk Author

John Law

John Law is an 18th century Scottish entrepreneur, financial engineer and gambler. Having reformed the French economy, invented paper currency, state banks, the Mississippi Bubble and other ideas essential to modern economics, he took three hundred years off in a small cottage outside Bude. He has returned to write for CoinDesk on the foibles of digital currency.

Recent

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Markets

CeX, Drugs, and a Fond Farewell

John Law recaps the week's news and forecasts the future, in his final column for CoinDesk.

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Apr 20, 2014 at 10:24 a.m. UTC

Apr 20, 2014

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Markets

Crash and Carry on, Canadian Chip Chumps, and the Internet of Sins

This week John Law glues together broken China, mops up Canada's sticky MintChip mess and proposes new altcoin 'karmacoin'.

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Apr 13, 2014 at 10:55 a.m. UTC

Apr 13, 2014

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Tax to the Future, Tip-top Tiny Top-ups, and a Free Gift for Bitcoiners

This week John Law gives the taxman some ideas, makes micropayments, and gives you bitcoin without the hassle, almost.

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Apr 6, 2014 at 10:03 a.m. UTC

Apr 6, 2014

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Markets

Make Your Own Cash, 1930s Style; the CoinSummit Boosters; and Hot Pockets

John Law remembers a 1930s currency revolution, survives exuberant optimism, and (almost) finds something good about mobile malware mining.

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Mar 30, 2014 at 11:00 a.m. UTC

Mar 30, 2014

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Markets

Bitcoin Banking, Solving ID Theft, and Why Regulators Should Love Pasties

John Law wonders if cryptocurrencies could secure your cash, BLTs could protect your ID and bitcoin is wrongly named.

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Mar 23, 2014 at 9:44 a.m. UTC

Mar 23, 2014

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Markets

Seeing Through Regulation, Banking on Bitcoin, and a Sheer Art Attack

John Law discusses revolution in regulation, putting competition back into banking and shares his outlandish bitcoin art ideas.

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Mar 16, 2014 at 12:05 p.m. UTC

Mar 16, 2014

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Hiding in Plain View, Too Much Secrecy, and Where Next for Space-Bound Twins?

John Law suggests privacy seekers should stay hidden, bitcoin doesn't need Tor and a novel purchase for the Winklenauts.

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Mar 7, 2014 at 4:30 p.m. UTC

Mar 7, 2014

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Markets

You Can't Beat the Numbers, Signs of the Times, and Full Marx for Bitcoin

John Law ponders what could destroy bitcoin, and what a ban would look like, but finds it remarkably hard.

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Feb 28, 2014 at 5:27 p.m. UTC

Feb 28, 2014

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Mt. Gox’s Lesson in Logic, the ATM that Doesn’t Exist, and Tips for the Future

This week, John Law invents insults for Gox clients, finds a DIY ATM and has a rather good idea.

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Feb 21, 2014 at 2:32 p.m. UTC

Feb 21, 2014

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Markets

Bitcoin Under Attack, a Lesson in Discretion, and Getting Rich Quick

What links dark deeds, dwarves and dinosaurs? John Law takes a firm grip on this week’s bitcoin news.

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Feb 14, 2014 at 2:15 p.m. UTC

Feb 14, 2014

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