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.

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Investing
951
Are NFTs the True Store of Value?
This episode is sponsored by , and .    On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW examines why NFTs are having their best month ever, even as the rest of the crypto market bleeds value.   - is a powerful, all-in-one crypto...
13 min
952
The 3 Most Thought-Provoking Questions in Bitco...
  This episode is sponsored by , and .    On today’s episode, NLW is joined by Nik Bhatia, author of “Layered Money” and newsletter. They discuss: Bitcoin’s relationship with equities and the TradFi markets Why the Fed is...
41 min
953
A Crypto Industry Poison Pill Hidden in the Ame...
This episode is sponsored by , and .    Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at a topic that has seized the attention of the crypto policy community. Hidden in the America COMPETES Act is a change to the Bank Secrecy Act that would allow...
16 min
954
El Salvador's Battle With the IMF Is Bigger Tha...
This episode is sponsored by , and .    When Nayib Bukele announced that El Salvador would be making bitcoin legal tender, the international monetary establishment acted with some amount of skepticism. When he announced the nation would be...
14 min
955
The State of DAOs With Syndicate’s Ian Lee
This episode is sponsored by , and .    Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW is joined by , co-founder at Syndicate. Syndicate helps groups tap into Web 3 tools to transform investing and capital allocation. Today Syndicate announced their...
67 min
956
After Bloody Weekend, Crypto Market Sentiment G...
This episode is sponsored by , and .  On today’s episode, NLW looks at the growing bearish sentiment around the crypto industry. The culprit, he argues, is a deepening macro malaise that has been exacerbated by growing concerns about war in...
17 min
957
What Facebook’s Patents Tell Us About the Fight...
On this week’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads David Z. Morris’ “.” - is a powerful, all-in-one crypto platform where you can securely store your crypto. Invest, borrow, exchange and earn up to 17% APR on Bitcoin and 20+ other top coins....
12 min
958
What Happened at Congress’ Bitcoin Energy Hearing?
This episode is sponsored by , and .    This week on the “Weekly Recap,” NLW breaks down the House hearing on energy in the crypto industry. He looks at problems with the advance memo and provides refutations of some of the...
14 min
959
The Federal Reserve Shares Its Thinking About a...
This episode is sponsored by , and .  For more than a year, the Federal Reserve has been talking about a forthcoming paper on central bank digital currencies in the U.S. Now that the paper has finally been released, NLW walks us step by step...
17 min
960
Is Russia Trying to Ban Bitcoin?
This episode is sponsored by , and .   NLW covers stories that show the full breadth of the crypto industry in 2022. In the first, he looks at a new report from the Russian central bank advocating a near-total ban on bitcoin and crypto in...
14 min
961
A $4.2T Asset Manager Just Said Governments Wil...
On today’s episode, NLW looks at the latest from governments and crypto, including: India’s prime minister calling for global cooperation to “fight” crypto Pakistan’s security agency blocking crypto sites  The U.K., Singapore and Spain...
17 min
962
Microsoft Bets on Metaverse With $69B Acquisiti...
This episode is sponsored by , and .  Microsoft today announced it is acquiring game publisher Activision Blizzard in a nearly $69 billion all-cash deal. The acquisition is being widely seen as a big bet to keep Microsoft competitive in the...
16 min
963
A Former US Senator and Ambassador to China on ...
This episode is sponsored by , and . This week’s “Long Reads Sunday” reading is Max Baucus’ “.”  Enjoying this content?   SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast Apple:  Spotify: Google:   Join the discussion:   Follow on...
12 min
964
‘Every Company Will Be a Crypto Company’; A Ven...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   In today’s “Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at a slew of funding rounds announced this week, including: Near Protocol, $150 million ZeroHash, $105 million Checkout.com, $1 billion SEBA, $119 million DeFi...
13 min
965
Rio de Janeiro is the Newest Bitcoin City
This episode is sponsored by , and . This was, NLW argues, a very good week for crypto. He covers: The mayor of Rio announcing big bitcoin/crypto support this week  Strike launching in Argentina Northwest Arkansas offering tech workers $10,000...
15 min
966
Meet the Bitcoin Legal Defense Fund
This episode is sponsored by , and . On today’s episode, NLW covers: The new Bitcoin Legal Defense Fund from Jack Dorsey and others Crypto nuggets from 250 pages of former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s emails The latest out of the...
15 min
967
What the Highest Inflation in 4 Decades Means f...
This episode is sponsored by , and . Markets have been nervous since last week’s FOMC meeting minutes revealed the Fed was considering early “balance sheet normalization” or quantitative tightening. At yesterday’s confirmation hearings, Fed...
16 min
968
A Web 3 Company Just Bought a Stake in a TradFi...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On today’s episode of “The Breakdown,” NLW covers the latest news from macro and the crypto space, including: Value investing legend Bill Miller holds 50% of his net worth in bitcoin  Paradigm...
15 min
969
The Macro Battle That Will Shape Crypto Markets...
This episode is sponsored by , and . Last week, the December FOMC meeting minutes revealed that not only was the Fed expecting at least 3 rate hikes in 2022, they were actively considering “balance sheet normalization” (read: quantitative...
20 min
970
Breaking Down the Fight Between Bitcoin and Web 3
This episode is sponsored by , and . This week’s Long Reads Sunday features a reading of David Z. Morris’ Enjoying this content?   SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast Apple:  Spotify: Google:   Join the discussion:   Follow on...
16 min
971
Welcome to 2022 - The Year of Absolutely Everyt...
This episode is sponsored by , and . In the first 2022 edition of the Weekly Recap, NLW looks at: The Fed’s impact on crypto markets. The situation in Kazakhstan and how it impacts bitcoin mining. NFTs finding their way into U.S. politics. ...
14 min
972
Internet Shut Down, Bitcoin Mining Offline as K...
On today’s episode of “The Breakdown,” NLW provides a basic primer on the escalating political crisis in Kazakhstan. He covers: The country’s basic economic overview and modern political history. The fuel price increase that started protests...
17 min
973
Why Bitcoin and Crypto Are Crashing
This episode is sponsored by , and . Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at one of the most important relationships in economics: the relationship between Fed statements and market actions. With bitcoin cratering under $43,000 NLW explores: The...
18 min
974
We’ve Come a Long Way Since ‘What the Hell’s an...
This episode is sponsored by , and . On today’s episode of “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at the latest news out of NFTs, including: Samsung’s NFT TV announcement OpenSea’s fundraise at a $13.3 billion valuation Bored Apes flippen CryptoPunks...
14 min
975
A Massive $879.6M Bitcoin Mining Machine Buy Ki...
This episode is sponsored by , and . On today’s episode, NLW rounds up news from the last few weeks of 2021, including updates on the global bitcoin mining landscape as well as central bank digital currency (CBDC) and regulatory updates from the...
16 min