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
626
Xi and the Shift From Economics to Ideology
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW gives an overview of the 20th Chinese Party Congress, including the power moves made by President Xi Jinping, Western reactions and why the leader is shifting...
17 min
627
Why Energy Is the Most (Geo)Political Market, W...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   In this interview, NLW chats with Tony Greer, a veteran trader and author of the Morning Navigator newsletter. They discuss energy markets, inflation and geopolitics.    Find our guest on Twitter:...
36 min
628
Why Bitcoin’s Bear Market Hashrate Surge May No...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode, NLW catches up on the bitcoin mining industry, and why soaring hashrate and mining difficulty represent something very different in a bear market than they did during the bull.  -...
18 min
629
Crypto Markets Put the ‘Pump’ in ‘Pumpkin’
  This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode, NLW looks at the positive price action of the past few days, with an eye to understanding how people are understanding the move. Is it a macro shift and a belief in a coming...
17 min
630
Reddit NFTs Show People Like Crypto When They D...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode, NLW looks into how different pre-Web3 tech companies are getting involved with Web3. Specifically, he looks at how Reddit non-fungible tokens (NFT) are lighting up the Reddit...
17 min
631
Does the Bank of Japan’s Intervention Spell Tro...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   “The Breakdown” kicks off the week with a look at one of the big global macro stories shaping markets right now, which is the first Bank of Japan interventions into the country’s currency markets in...
16 min
632
The Debate Around SBF’s Regulatory Ideas
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On this week’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads Sam Bankman-Fried’s   He also references Erik Voorhees and a featuring Scupytruples.  - allows you to trade on the spot and futures...
30 min
633
Is Voluntary Regulation the Right Approach to D...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at the state of crypto legal proceedings and global regulatory discussions, including: Hodlonaut wins against Craig Wright in Norway Coinbase,...
19 min
634
The Institutions Aren’t Just Sticking With Cryp...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode, NLW gives the latest in his recurrent theme on “post-narrative institutionalization” – the idea that during the 2022 bear market institutional actors have not only not abandoned...
17 min
635
A Head of Lettuce Outlasted British PM Liz Truss
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode, NLW looks at the short, fitful reign of the U.K.’s shortest-serving Prime Minister, Liz Truss. He argues that the problems with her time in office were not just about British...
17 min
636
100% Chance of Recession
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode of “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at the various signals markets are grappling with, including continued hawkish commentary from the Fedeal Reserve, financial modeling that keeps...
16 min
637
A CFTC Commissioner Proposes a New Definition o...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW covers a number of stories from across the crypto space, including:  A new definition of retail investors?  Mastercard gets deeper into crypto with Paxos Why BNY...
18 min
638
Are NFTs Still Disruptive in a Zero-Royalty World?
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode, NLW looks at the non-fungible token community’s current debate about royalties. Marketplaces are moving to zero-royalty or royalty-optional models, while many in the space think it...
20 min
639
Is Bitcoin Maximalism a Historical Aberration?
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On this edition of “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads “” by Dr. Paul J. Dylan-Ennis.  - allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees. You always get the best...
22 min
640
Why Chip Manufacturing Is at the Center of Grea...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On this episode, NLW provides a 101-style primer on chip manufacturing and why it has become a key geopolitical concern for the U.S. and China, especially over the last few years.  - allows you to...
18 min
641
Are Regulators Spending Too Much Time on Crypto?
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode, NLW looks at the latest chatter around the crypto industry, including: Jamie Dimon’s newest negative comments on crypto Acting OCC Hsu’s comments that crypto is taking up too much...
17 min
642
Inflation Surprise! Markets Swerve Wildly as Co...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   Today’s release of the September inflation numbers surprised economists with a larger-than-expected growth in inflation – particularly in the core inflation data on which the U.S. Federal Reserve...
17 min
643
Post-Narrative Institutionalization vs. Regulat...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode, NLW covers stories that reflect the two big themes of the 2022 crypto bear market: post-narrative institutional adoption on the one hand, and regulatory enforcement on the other. He...
17 min
644
Will Earnings Reports Portend Recession?
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode, NLW checks in on the macro scene, including: What the earnings report season that begins this week might tell us about where corporate America is headed Why the Federal Reserve still...
17 min
645
Is PayPal Going to Fine You for Your Opinions?
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On Saturday, a PayPal policy was announced where customers could be fined up to $2,500 for misinformation and other causes, at the sole discretion of the company. The internet’s outrage was quick and...
16 min
646
A Legal Argument for Why Staking Doesn’t Make E...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On this week’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads “.” The piece was authored by: Rodrigo Seira, crypto counsel at Paradigm Amy Aixi Zhang, policy counsel at Paradigm Jake Chervinsky, head of policy...
18 min
647
Ray Dalio and Big-Picture Power Shifts
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at a slew of Federal Reserve comments indicating that no pivot on interest rates is on the horizon. He also reads a set of Ray Dalio threads as the...
17 min
648
Hacks and Doxxing Raise Questions About CeFi Ma...
This episode is sponsored by , and . On this crypto recap episode, NLW looks at the latest news including: Binance Smart Chain exploit Celsius user data leak  MiCA regulation text finalization    - allows you to trade on the spot...
16 min
649
What OPEC+ Oil Cuts Mean for the Global Economy...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   As inflation rages, the global economy slows, and the U.S. releases more and more oil from its Strategic Petroleum Reserve, OPEC+ has decided to decrease oil output. The move happens in spite of significant...
17 min
650
Elon’s Twitter Deal Is Back On!
This episode is sponsored by , and . On today’s episode, NLW checks in on “Uptober” and asks whether the market rally has legs beyond Monday. He then looks at the news that Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter is back on track, and explores what...
16 min