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
651
Bitcoin and Opting Out of the IMF & World Bank
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads Alex Gladstein’s Twitter version of his new essay "." - is a security-first platform where you can buy, exchange and borrow against your crypto. The...
16 min
652
Market Whiplash as Jobs Report Undermines Powel...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW catches up on the macro landscape, including recapping Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s speech on Wednesday and how the jobs report released Friday...
16 min
653
Apple’s Monopoly App Store Tax Coming to Crypto?
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode, we catch up on the crypto industry, including: Apple’s dust-up with Coinbase around fees for NFT transfers Stripe’s new fiat-to-crypto tooling for developers  Fidelity opens...
16 min
654
Will Sam’s Frenetic Media Tour Save Him or Damn...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   Ah Sam, will we ever be able to escape you? This week, “main character syndrome” came roaring back into fashion as Sam Bankman-Fried broke his silence with a string of interviews culminating in...
19 min
655
Post-FTX, India and Europe Push Ahead With CBDCs
This episode is sponsored by , and .   In today’s global regulatory roundup, NLW looks at news from: Europe: EU holds a hearing on the FTX collapse and France tests a CBDC India: RBI announces Indian CBDC trials to begin Thursday US: Sen. Ron...
16 min
656
Fed Officials Say Interest Rates to Remain High...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode, NLW turns back to the macro, where some amount of optimism had seeped into risk assets since a better-than-expected inflation report a few weeks ago. On Monday, a group of Federal...
16 min
657
BlockFi Files for Bankruptcy, Becoming Latest F...
This episode is sponsored by , and . On today’s episode, NLW returns to his usual daily programming with a review of crypto contagion that took place during the last week. He looks at BlockFi, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New...
16 min
658
The Progressive Case for Bitcoin, With Jason Maier
This episode is sponsored by , and . For our concluding episode of “Grateful for Bitcoin,” NLW chats with Jason Maier, who is currently working on a book on a progressive’s case for bitcoin. In this conversation, they discuss which progressive...
26 min
659
Bitcoin Gas Flare Mining, With Matt Lohstroh
  This episode is sponsored by , and . For this edition of “Grateful for Bitcoin,” NLW is joined by Matt Lohstroh, cofounder of Giga Energy. Matt and Giga are leaders in the bitcoin gas flare mining space. On this episode, he and NLW discuss...
24 min
660
Why Lightning Isn’t Just for Bitcoin Believers,...
This episode is sponsored by , and . On this episode of “Grateful for Bitcoin,” NLW is joined by Voltage cofounder and CEO Graham Krizek. Voltage provides enterprise-grade infrastructure for the Lightning Network. On this episode, Graham and NLW...
22 min
661
‘A Fight Worth Having’: A Conversation With Jes...
This episode is sponsored by , and . On today’s episode of “Grateful for Bitcoin,” NLW is joined by Kraken cofounder and former CEO Jesse Powell. They discuss the fallout from FTX, philosophy, regulations, non-fungible tokens and how the...
33 min
662
The Top 5 Times Bitcoin Was Supposed to Die, Wi...
This episode is sponsored by , and . Today, NLW is joined by Dan McArdle, a bitcoin OG who co-founded Messari, built Case for Bitcoin and more. In this episode, they discuss the top five times bitcoin was supposed to die.    Find our...
28 min
663
Okay Proof of Reserves, But for Real This Time?
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On this edition of “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads Nic Carter’s newest “” - allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees. You always get the best possible prices...
16 min
664
The State of Play in Fed Commentary and the Cry...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW follows the path of the crypto contagion including the latest from FTX, Silvergate Bank and Genesis Lending. He also looks at the slate of officials the...
15 min
665
Is DCG in Danger Now, Too?
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode, NLW looks at the latest FTX contagion discussion. He examines the Genesis withdrawal shutdown and growing question of whether it has exposed parent company Digital Currency Group to...
15 min
666
Guy Who Oversaw Enron Says FTX Is Worse
This episode is sponsored by , and .   Today NLW covers two major updates in the FTX saga. The first is first-day declarations by FTX’s new CEO John J. Ray III that argue that, in short, FTX is worse run than Enron. The second are messages...
18 min
667
Genesis and Gemini Earn Halt Withdrawals as FTX...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode, NLW covers the latest fallout from the FTX collapse. Genesis Capital has paused withdrawals and loan origination, which has also led to Gemini pausing its Earn program. NLW also covers...
16 min
668
The State of Post-FTX and Alameda Research Mark...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode, NLW explores the state of the market in the wake of the collapse of FTX and Alameda Research. He looks at hedge funds that have reported funds stuck on FTX as well as overall liquidity...
18 min
669
Sam Bankman Fraud: Inside the Collapse of FTX’s...
As NLW said on each day’s show, “in addition to them being a sponsor of the show, I also work with FTX.” On today’s show, NLW gives an insider’s view of the timeline, from the beginnings of trouble as the crypto community turned on Sam...
58 min
670
OFAC Backtracks (Somewhat) on Tornado Cash Sanc...
This episode is sponsored by and .   On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at some small but potentially significant shifts to the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s sanctions against Tornado Cash, the Securities and Exchange...
16 min
671
Jonathan Wu on Why Technology Might Be a Better...
This episode is sponsored by and .   Jon Wu works on growth with Aztec Network and is a deep thinker when it comes to the challenges of privacy in a digital age. In this conversation, he and NLW discuss privacy from a principle and ethics...
22 min
672
The Fight for DeFi in Washington, D.C., With Mi...
This episode is sponsored by , and Editor's note: This interview was recorded on Oct. 24 and so it doesn’t reference the events of the last week.  On today’s “Breakdown” interview, NLW is joined by Miller Whitehouse-Levine, policy...
29 min
673
What the US Midterm Elections’ Lack of a ‘Red W...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode, NLW looks at the U.S. election results, including pro-crypto candidates who were elected (or re-elected) and what the overall balance of power means for crypto and business in general....
17 min
674
Tyrone Ross on Why the Institutions Are Buildin...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   In today’s interview, NLW talks with returning guest Tyrone Ross about the state of financial advice and why the biggest institutions in the world are spending the bear market gearing up for the next...
40 min
675
Why There Is No 'Bitcoin Is Dead' Talk This Cycle
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On this edition of “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads: “” – Isaiah Douglass  “” – Edan Yago - allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees. You always...
15 min