The Breakdown

A daily analysis of macroeconomics, bitcoin, geopolitics and big picture power shifts, hosted by Nathaniel Whittemore @nlw. The Breakdown is part of Blockworks.

Business
Investing
451
Are Real-World Assets (RWA) the Next Big Crypto...
On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at some followup stories from the shutdown of Signature Bank last month, as well as the emerging trend of real-world asset tokenization.  Enjoying this content?   SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast...
15 min
452
Is Crypto Already Soft-Banned in the U.S.?
Wednesday, Foreign Affairs published an argument from American University professor Hilary Allen that the U.S. should consider a full ban on crypto. The argument gives explicit voice to a position that has been held quietly in the Biden...
16 min
453
Is the Banking Crisis Really Over?
On today’s episode of “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at the debate raging on Twitter about whether the banking crisis is actually over. $390 billion in deposits left U.S. banks last month – the most ever in a single month – but the bleeding...
16 min
454
Interpol, Elon-DOGE and the Latest Crypto Contr...
Ah, just a casual Monday in crypto land, where an encrypted tweet from an influencer leads to billions of dollars of value wiped off the market cap. On today’s episode, NLW looks at the CZ Interpol Red Notice rumors, explanations for Elon Musk...
17 min
455
What OPEC's Surprise Oil Production Cuts Have t...
A reduction in oil output of 1.65 million barrels per day was announced by OPEC+ members on Sunday night. In the face of a global economic slowdown, analysts are debating whether the cartel is acting politically or merely anticipating softer...
16 min
456
The US Government Attack on Crypto Certainly Se...
On this edition of Long Reads Sunday, NLW reads by Kevin Reynolds  Enjoying this content?   SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast Apple:  Spotify: Google:   Join the discussion:   Follow on Twitter: NLW: Breakdown:   ...
15 min
457
The USA’s Crypto Loss is Hong Kong and China’s ...
It’s no secret that the US is pushing banks away from crypto companies. What’s surprising is that Chinese state owned banks are apparently actively recruiting crypto customers in Hong Kong – seemingly in response to growing US anti-crypto...
15 min
458
Elizabeth Warren has Declared War on Crypto
“Then they fight you” but for real this time. Elizabeth Warren is running for re-election to the Senate, and she’s running on the platform of being a crypto antagonist. NLW explores the reactions from the crypto community.  Enjoying this...
16 min
459
The RESTRICT Act Isn’t About Banning TikTok, It...
The movement to ban TikTok in the U.S. is growing. The recently introduced RESTRICT Act in the U.S. Congress is nominally about that, but some are concerned it would significantly expand government powers over the internet.  Enjoying this...
18 min
460
The Evidence for Operation Choke Point 2.0, Wit...
On today’s episode, NLW is joined by Castle Island Ventures’ Nic Carter. Nic was the first to identify the concerted effort to deplatform crypto from the banking system as “Operation Choke Point 2.0.” In their conversation, Nic discusses the...
49 min
461
The CFTC Sues Binance, but Is It Regulatory Tur...
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) filed a lawsuit against Binance on Monday, alleging seven different charges related to derivatives exchange registration. In this episode, NLW explores the charges and to what extent they reflect not...
20 min
462
Are Deutsche Bank and Charles Schwab Actually i...
Ever since the failure of Silicon Valley Bank, markets have been waiting with bated breath for another shoe to drop. Coming into the weekend, it looked like Deutsche Bank and Charles Schwab were the most wobbly. NLW explores whether there is actually...
15 min
463
Why We’ll Remember This Banking Crisis as a Tur...
On this week’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads: “” - Michael J. Casey  “” - George Kaloudis  Enjoying this content?   SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast Apple:  Spotify: Google:   Join the discussion:   Follow on...
18 min
464
Safe Haven From Banks? Bitcoin’s New Narrative ...
On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW combines two previous YouTube shows focused on Balaji’s $1 million bitcoin bet and the emergence of the mainstream narrative of bitcoin as a safe haven from banks. Enjoying this content?  ...
30 min
465
The Fed Hikes, Credit Tightens and Commercial R...
NLW catches up on the macro in the wake of the recent Federal Open Market Committee meeting and interest rate decision. The stakes were higher going into this meeting thanks to the banking crisis. As the Federal Reserve stays determined to keep...
16 min
466
The SEC Finally Picks a Fight With Someone Who ...
Gary Gensler just doesn't stop. This week we’ve seen actions against Justin Sun, SushiSwap and now Coinbase. NLW covers the latest Wells Notice from the SEC and why Coinbase might prove a tougher opponent than what Gensler is used to.  “The...
17 min
467
The Fed's Balance Sheet Jumped $300B Last Week....
NLW is joined by Ram Ahluwalia, CEO of Lumida Wealth Management. In this conversation, they discuss: The fall of Credit Suisse The Federal Reserve’s new Bank Term Funding Program and whether it’s inflationary  Why this crisis is...
62 min
468
The FDIC is Exploring How to Ensure All US Bank...
Just a week after backstopping Silicon Valley Bank and Signature, the FDIC is reportedly exploring how they could feasibly cover all US deposits. NLW explores the implications.   Enjoying this content?   SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast...
15 min
469
Was UBS Buying Credit Suisse Just ‘Soft Nationa...
  Due to its global systemic importance, Credit Suisse appeared to be in serious trouble last week. In the past weekend, Swiss authorities, along with their counterparts in the US, EU, and UK, hammered out a deal that nobody is really happy with,...
15 min
470
Bitcoin Was Created for Times Like These
On this week’s Long Reads Sunday, NLW reads: “” By Daniel Kuhn  “” by Joe Orsini “” by Tatianna Koffman   Enjoying this content?   SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast Apple:  Spotify: Google:   Join the discussion: ...
16 min
471
A Real-Time History of the Crypto Banking Crisi...
NLW is joined by Austin Campbell, Adjunct Professor at Columbia University and former banker and stablecoin operator, to discuss the recent crypto banking crisis. They discuss: Why interest rate risk, not crypto troubles, was the source of the...
59 min
472
The 5 Key Bitcoin Building Themes, With Wolf Li...
Kelly Brewster is the CEO of Wolf, a new Lightning and Bitcoin startup accelerator in New York City. In this conversation, he and NLW discuss five big themes they’re seeing among Bitcoin builders, including Bitcoin DeFi, Lightning Network...
32 min
473
Apparently, U.S. Regulated Banks Are Riskier Th...
Stablecoins have long been seen by U.S. policymakers as risky and a potential threat to U.S. financial stability. How ironic, then, that it was the failure of a U.S.-regulated bank in SVB that caused peril to USDC last weekend. NLW explains how USDC...
16 min
474
Is Credit Suisse the Next Banking Domino?
Following the failure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature, markets are holding their breath for more trouble in the banking sector. Wednesday morning, comments from one of the biggest investors in Credit Suisse sent that company’s stock tumbling....
15 min
475
The Banking System Broke; Will That Force a Fed...
At this point, markets are racing to figure out what they believe the recent spate of U.S. bank failures means for monetary policy. Will the Federal Reserve stay the course? Will it be forced to pivot on raising interest rates? NLW brings you the...
16 min