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
801
What One Crypto VC Is Focusing on During the Be...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On this edition of “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads threads from MacroAlf on , degentrading on and Meltem Demirors on . - allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees....
17 min
802
The Fed Crushes the Idea of a UK-Inspired Pivot
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW summarizes the Bank of England’s intervention into U.K. bond markets and covers comments from various Federal Reserve officials that make clear the BOE’s...
15 min
803
Jerome Powell Confusingly Calls Out DeFi for La...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode, NLW catches up on recent crypto news including: Jerome Powell’s recent comments on DeFi California enforcement actions An update on Do Kwon  TBD teams up with Circle - is a...
15 min
804
Is the Problem That Not Enough Is Breaking?
This episode is sponsored by , and .  On today’s episode, NLW examines a theory articulated by folks like analyst Jim Bianco. His theory is, the biggest issue for equities markets right now isn’t that things are breaking but that while...
19 min
805
As Bank of England Intervenes, Druckenmiller Se...
This episode is sponsored by , and .    The Bank of England made huge news today when it intervened in the U.K. bond markets to prop up pension funds in the country that were in serious trouble due to recent volatility. On this episode, NLW...
16 min
806
The Dollar Is Our Currency and Your Problem
This episode is sponsored by , and .    The joke du jour on FinTwit has been that the British pound is trading like an emerging market currency (or on Crypto Twitter, like a s**tcoin). On today’s episode NLW looks at what’s happening...
19 min
807
A Surprise Crypto Bill Veto in California
  This episode is sponsored by , and .    On today’s episode, NLW looks a set of recent crypto news, including: A veto of California’s version of New York’s BitLicense bill  A new DARPA initiative to study crypto as a...
18 min
808
Will the Debt Crush Powell’s Volker Dreams?
This episode is sponsored by , and .    On this week’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads by Eric Basmajian and by James Lavish. - is a security-first platform where you can buy, exchange and borrow against your crypto. The company...
19 min
809
The 'New Weird' and the Terror of the In-Between
This episode is sponsored by , and .    On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at: The market’s reaction to the FOMC, a few days on The “golden handcuffs” in the housing market A recap of the bank CEO hearing on Capitol...
16 min
810
The CFTC Goes After a DAO
This episode is sponsored by , and .    On today’s episode, NLW looks at news that a draft of the House stablecoin bill is now circulating, and would, among other things, set out a two-year ban on algorithmic stablecoins like Terra. He...
19 min
811
The Single-Mandate Fed Says There Are Too Many ...
This episode is sponsored by , and .    On Wednesday, the U.S. Federal Reserve raised the benchmark federal funds rate by 75 basis points, the third consecutive hike of that size. The market expected this, but reacted negatively to...
19 min
812
'Housing Recession?' How the Beleaguered Real E...
This episode is sponsored by , and .    On today’s episode, NLW looks at the housing market, which has shifted dramatically in the last six months. Mortgages today cost more than double what they did last year – the biggest...
18 min
813
Why Today’s News Tells You Everything You Need ...
This episode is sponsored by , and .  On today’s episode, NLW breaks down the day’s news in terms of how it demonstrates the archetypes of the 2022 crypto bear market, looking at: Market moves A DeFi hack  CBDCs Regulatory enforcement...
20 min
814
Bleak Week as Bitcoin Hits 3-Month Low
This episode is sponsored by , and .    On today’s episode, NLW looks at why bitcoin hit a three-month low over the weekend. He also discusses traders’ predictions about the upcoming interest rate hike at this week’s Federal Open...
19 min
815
After the Merge, How Do We Think About Change W...
This episode is sponsored by , and .    For this edition of “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads and discusses Chris Castiglione’s “,” as well as a . - is a security-first platform where you can buy, exchange and borrow against your...
16 min
816
Two Regulatory Hearings Show Difference in SEC ...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at the latest in market action plus how two congressional hearings highlighted differences in the approaches the CFTC and SEC are taking to crypto. ...
15 min
817
White House ‘Comprehensive Framework for Respon...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode, NLW looks at a set of three reports around crypto out of the Treasury Department as well as examines the White House’s just-released framework for digital assets. He argues there are...
17 min
818
Welcome to the Post-Merge Era in Crypto
This episode is sponsored by , and .   At 2:44 a.m. ET Thursday, Ethereum successfully transitioned from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake. On today’s show, NLW breaks down what that means for the network’s security and economics and looks at...
19 min
819
Unsatisfying Clarifications on the Tornado Cash...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode, NLW catches listeners up on the latest news in crypto, including: Arrest warrants for Do Kwon and others from Terra El Salvador Bond Repurchase program  Crypto regulatory and...
16 min
820
Markets Plummet as Inflation Comes In Hot
This episode is sponsored by , and .   July’s inflation report provided the first glimmers that the U.S. might have turned a corner in its fight against inflation. For the past several days, investors have been betting on a continuation of...
17 min
821
Investors Are Betting on Inflation Declining. A...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   Bitcoin was up 15% over the weekend. Stocks have seen four days of green. The reason? Investors are anticipating that August’s inflation numbers (to be released on Tuesday) will show another monthly...
18 min
822
Gensler’s Latest Take on Crypto and Securities ...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW digs in on the latest speech from SEC Chairman Gary Gensler. It appears reasonable, but does the crypto industry believe him?  - is a security-first...
17 min
823
So, Is the White House Banning Bitcoin Mining, ...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode, NLW examines the new report from the White House about crypto mining and its impact on climate change. He argues that the report is effectively a Rorschach test for people’s prior...
17 min
824
The Rise of CBDC Skepticism Among US Officials
This episode is sponsored by , and .   The discussion around a United States-issued central bank digital currency is heating up, but not in the way one might expect. Increasingly, U.S. regulators and elected officials are showing signs of...
17 min
825
38 Things We Learned About Crypto and the Econo...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode, NLW celebrates his 38th birthday with 38 lessons we’ve learned in the last year, from inflation to macro to geopolitics to crypto.  - is a security-first platform where you can...
26 min