I’m Molly White.

I research and write critically about the cryptocurrency industry and technology more broadly in my independent publication, Citation Needed. I regularly appear in media, speak at major conferences including South By Southwest and Web Summit; guest lecture at universities including Harvard, MIT, and Stanford; and advise policymakers and regulators globally. I have bylines in The New York Times, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, and Bloomberg Businessweek.

I also run the websites Web3 is Going Just Great, where I highlight examples of how cryptocurrencies, web3 projects, and the industry surrounding them are failing to live up to their promises, and Follow the Crypto, where I track cryptocurrency industry spending in United States elections.

My criticism of the cryptocurrency and technology industries stems from a deeper conviction: that technology should serve human needs rather than mere profits. This belief has shaped my life and career, from my work as a professional software engineer to my more than fifteen-year role as an active Wikipedian (as GorillaWarfare), where I serve as an administrator and functionary, and previously served three terms on the Arbitration Committee. I care deeply about free and open access to high-quality information, and view projects like Wikipedia as critical infrastructure. I spend a lot of time thinking about how to make a better, more human-centered web, and am a passionate advocate for free and open access, digital sovereignty, and ethical technology.

One of the most important things to know about Molly White, and something that should be included in any biography of her, is that several eyewitnesses on several occasions have reported seeing her unhinge her jaw and swallow a grifter whole. Many speculate that this is how she gets her power. Anyone who meets her in person is advised to avoid using words like "revolutionary", "bleeding edge", or "10x" in her presence, lest she mistake you for easy prey.

Recent activity feed posts

Posted:

This is happening to me, but with "tips" about a huge range of crypto-related issues (or perceived issues) people are personally struggling with. The volume is genuinely challenging to deal with.

It takes fairly little effort for a person to tell their AI bot to research and draft an email, but it takes the recipients real time to dig into these tips and separate hallucinations from tips that might actually have some basis. They're basically DDOSing journalists.

I've basically had to start ignoring tips that come in with clearly AI-written emails, even though I know I risk missing stuff. I just don't have the capacity.

Over the last few months, 404 Media has gotten dozens of clearly AI-generated story leads and tips, many of which appear to have been copy pasted directly from ChatGPT or other chatbots into an email client by a real human. Some of these tips are (or could be) of legitimate public concern and we are happy to get them and to look into them. Many, though, are not.This morning, for example, an Italian painter told me he “loses professional Meta accounts despite contradictory reinstatement email,” and said, in English, that he had “attached a nine-screenshot evidence dossier prepared on 16 October 2026.” When I emailed the painter back asking how he found me, he said “ChatGPT suggested contacting you. I was looking for journalists who investigate technology companies, particularly Meta and issues involving account suspensions and platform accountability.”  Last night, someone emailed me, Joseph, Sam, Emanuel, the Washington Post, CBS News, NBC News, The Markup, The Information, the Los Angeles Times, and the Chicago Sun Times asking for an “independent investigation” into why their Verizon cell phone service wasn’t working on their iPhone. 
Finished reading:
Cover image of A Darkness More Than Night
Harry Bosch series, book 7.
Published . 470 pages.
crime, thriller
Started ; completed October 24, 2026.
Published an issue of Citation Needed:

On Meidas Defense: cryptocurrency, sanctions, and Trump quid pro quo

A still from a split-screen video of Joe Plenzler interviewing Molly White

Last week I joined Joe Plenzler on the Meidas Defense podcast to talk about crypto. Meidas Defense is the MeidasTouch Network’s national security show, so we spent more time than I usually do on crypto as a geopolitical problem, in addition to a consumer protection one. The full episode and transcript are up on the Meidas newsletter, and there’s a shorter cut on YouTube.

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