The Breakdown
The Breakdown dives into the deepest topics in crypto, blockchain, and the macro forces shaping markets and power structures. Each episode breaks down complex ideas into clear, grounded analysis — separating signal from noise across crypto, finance, and geopolitics.
Hosted by David Canellis, The Breakdown features explainers, interviews, and conversations with the people building, regulating, and challenging the financial system.
A Blockworks podcast.
Subscribe to The Breakdown newsletter: https://the-breakdown.carrd.co/
801
Where Bitcoin Fits as Argentina Faces a Dollar ...
Argentina has one of the highest inflation rates in the world, which some economists are estimating at 133% or more. The Argentine Peso also has one of the highest interest rates in the world. On this episode, NLW discusses recent turmoil at the...
19 min
802
The EU Has Now Become the Global Crypto Regulat...
On this week’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads: - Daniel Kuhn - Dea Markova Enjoying this content? SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast Apple: Spotify: Google: Join the discussion: Follow on Twitter: NLW: ...
14 min
803
Hasta La Vista, USA! Crypto Companies Look Abroad
This week Coinbase was on tour in the U.K. and also announced a new Bermuda license, through which it will supposedly soon announce a new derivatives offering. NLW recaps the contrast between the increasingly open arms from the rest of the world and...
14 min
804
A Landmark Moment for Crypto in Europe as MiCA ...
With the passage of MiCA, Europe has jumped out ahead of the U.S. and other jurisdictions when it comes to regulating crypto. Enjoying this content? SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast Apple: Spotify: Google: Join the discussion: ...
17 min
805
The Case for U.S. Stablecoin Regulation
Last year, the first crypto legislation was supposed to be common-sense rules for stablecoins. The two political parties couldn’t come together, however, and the legislation was scrapped. Now, the House Republicans have reintroduced a draft, and on...
19 min
806
Congress Grills Gensler on Anti-Crypto Stance
Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler has positioned himself as crypto’s biggest opponent in Washington, D.C. Tuesday, however, a House oversight hearing took Gensler to task for his regulation by enforcement and his inability or...
19 min
807
Coinbase Says Without Regulatory Clarity It Wil...
The U.S. regulatory crackdown on crypto seems to be having the exact impact that industry advocates feared, because some of the largest companies in the space consider relocating to more favorable regulatory regimes. This week, Coinbase CEO Brian...
16 min
808
The House Finally Introduces a Stablecoin Bill,...
It’s hard to have good faith dialogue about regulation when one group involved in the discussion doesn't think the industry being regulated should even be allowed to exist. That increasingly seems to be the problem with crypto legislation. Enjoying...
15 min
809
Glassnode's James Check on the Peak Capitulatio...
This episode is an excerpt from my recent interview with Glassnode's James Check. The full interview covers why the recent $30k run-up was spot not leverage driven, why BTC is shifting from whales to smaller holders, and why these markets are much...
9 min
810
The Latest New York Times Bitcoin Mining Hit Pi...
This week’s “Long Reads Sunday” looks at three refutations of the piece, by: - “The Breakdown” is written, produced and narrated by Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive...
19 min
811
Will Withdrawals Drive a New Institutional Ethe...
This week on the “Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at the Shapella upgrade, including emergent narratives around institutional investment, as well as checking in on the FTX bankruptcy estate and previewing the House Financial Services Committee oversight...
15 min
812
Sergey Nazarov on Why the World Needs a New Mod...
NLW is joined by Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov for the first in “The Breakdown”'s "Paradigm Shift" interview series. Sergey discusses why society's trust model has broken down, how cryptographic truth serves as an alternative, and why this...
68 min
813
An AI Primer for Bitcoiners
On todays show, NLW gives a primer on the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence (AI) space, including introducing key concepts such as Generative AI, LLMs and more. He also looks at why bitcoiners have a particularly important vantage point in the...
18 min
814
Inflation Drops Most In 2 Years, but Not Everyo...
Inflation came in at an annualized 5% this month, beating economists’ expectations and dropping to its lowest level in two years. That’s good, right? Well, hold your horses, say some analysts. Services inflation remains sticky, and with recent...
16 min
815
Bitcoin’s Rally to $30K Being Driven by Good Ol...
Description Bitcoin hit $30,000 for the first time since June 2022 last night. On today’s episode, NLW looks at why the evidence suggests this rally is – unlike previous crypto rallies –driven by spot buying instead of leverage trading. He also...
17 min
816
Announcing The Breakdown Network and Bitcoin Bu...
The Breakdown is expanding to become The Breakdown Network. The first spinoff show will be called Bitcoin Builders and is all about the entrepreneurial and creative energy flowing into bitcoin. Learn more about the changes and what you can...
8 min
817
Everyone Is Talking About De-Dollarization, Is ...
On today’s episode of “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at shifting geopolitical alignments, honing in on French President Macron’s recent visit to China, China’s war games in the South China Sea and the growing de-dollarization narrative. ...
17 min
818
Traders Shifting to Tether and BTC Are Voting A...
On this week’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads: - J.P. Koning - George Kaloudis Enjoying this content? SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast Apple: Spotify: Google: Join the discussion: Follow on Twitter: NLW: ...
16 min
819
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
820
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
821
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
822
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
823
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
824
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
825
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