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
1026
How Bitcoin Helps Marginalized Communities Buil...
This episode is sponsored by , , and .   This week on “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads “” by Charlene Fadirepo.    - is a powerful, all-in-one crypto platform where you can securely store your crypto. Invest, borrow, exchange and...
13 min
1027
States Are Proposing Mining Incentives as Big O...
This episode is sponsored by , , and .   On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at:  a new valuation for Circle a new token fund from Sequoia The FBI’s new crypto enforcement division ConocoPhillips partners with bitcoin...
14 min
1028
Why a US Senator Just Said the Fed Should Buy B...
This episode is sponsored by , , and . On today’s episode, NLW looks at the increasingly political discourse around inflation in the United States. The Right is claiming government overspending is to blame while the Left is pushing a new narrative...
14 min
1029
Does El Salvador's Bitcoin Adoption Threaten th...
Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at three geopolitical situations shaping the bitcoin discourse: Continued tensions and recent cyberwarfare between Ukraine and Russia Crypto wallets targeted in ongoing Canada protests  A U.S. bill to...
15 min
1030
JPMorgan Moves Into the Metaverse
This episode is sponsored by , , and .   On today’s episode, NLW looks at the news that JPMorgan has opened a lounge in Decentraland. Specifically, he explores whether the growing corporate interest in the metaverse is a positive reflection on...
15 min
1031
Bitcoin Fixes This: Canada Protest Edition
  This episode is sponsored by , , and .   Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW digs into the recent news from Canada. Specifically, he looks at the activation of the Emergencies Act which, among other things, will allow banks and financial...
17 min
1032
US Treasury Department Won’t Go After Miners, a...
This episode is sponsored by , , and .   Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW covers a set of news from the past few days, including: U.S. Treasury Dept. sends a letter to six concerned senators, saying it won’t be including miners and validators...
16 min
1033
NFTs, Markets and What Happens Next
This episode is sponsored by , , and . On this edition of “Long Reads Sunday," NLW reads three threads: on why NFTs are a better business model for games  on what NFT skeptics should know  on the 2022 crypto outlook  - is a...
16 min
1034
Why This Week's House and Senate Hearings Sugge...
This episode is sponsored by , , and .   This week saw a hearing on stablecoins in the House and on crypto in general and the role of the CFTC in specific in the Senate. On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW argues that both were...
15 min
1035
The Game Theory Behind Russia's New Crypto Policy
  This episode is sponsored by , , and . On today’s episode, NLW explores possible reasons why Russia’s recent 180 on cryptocurrencies might make sense. As the country prepares to legalize and regulate cryptos as a type of currency, he looks...
18 min
1036
What's More Important: BlackRock Trading Crypto...
This episode is sponsored by , , and . Today Twitter was alight with discussion of the biggest inflation print since 1982. With 7.5% inflation, a hike of 50 basis points is looking more and more likely in March. This should be bad news for risk...
15 min
1037
As the US Seizes $3.6B in BTC, a Frontline Stor...
This episode is sponsored by , , and .   Yesterday the U.S. government arrested two individuals in connection with money laundering and the 2016 Bitfinex hack that saw nearly 120,000 BTC stolen. They also announced the confiscation of around...
33 min
1038
Why KPMG's Bitcoin Buy May Be a Bigger Deal Lon...
This episode is sponsored by , , and . KPMG Canada announced Monday it added BTC and ETH to its balance sheet, as well as buying carbon credits to offset its new environmental impact. On today’s episode, NLW explores how the market and crypto...
16 min
1039
Is the Bull Market Back?
At the end of last week, bitcoin reversed a couple months of downward momentum and reclaimed $40,000. Now, as momentum builds, the community is wondering whether this is a temporary reprieve or a fundamental turn back to the bullish. NLW shares a...
16 min
1040
Why Web 3 and Digital Money Should Be Private b...
On this week’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads:    – Murtaza Hussain – Tor Bair   - is a powerful, all-in-one crypto platform where you can securely store your crypto. Invest, borrow, exchange and earn up to 18% APR on...
14 min
1041
Meta Loses a Quarter-Trillion Dollars in Market...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at Meta’s big flop in the equities markets and how it's spilling over into crypto metaverse tokens. He also looks at the Boston Fed’s CBDC research...
14 min
1042
Crypto and the Global Competition for Talent, W...
This episode is sponsored by , and .   Patrick Stanley is the former Head of Growth at Stacks, the founder at Freehold and a contributor at CityCoins. In this conversation, he and NLW discuss one of the biggest trends for the coming decade –...
46 min
1043
The Battle to Change How the IRS Taxes Mining a...
This episode is sponsored by , and . Two Tezos stakers sued the IRS to get back taxes paid on property they say they created through staking. The IRS offered to pay them back but didn’t commit to clear policy guidance. The stakers will now continue...
14 min
1044
India Heading Toward Crypto Legalization?
One of the key themes for 2022 is the relationship between governments and the crypto industry. On today’s show, NLW looks at the latest from India, one of the countries with the highest degree of speculation on whether banning or regulation is the...
13 min
1045
Bullish or Bearish? 2022 Markets Started Rough,...
Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at what the first month of the year taught us about what to expect in 2022. Overall, he argues that the most important megatrend was the shift from risk-off to risk-on as the U.S. Federal Reserve looks towards...
16 min
1046
Unpacking Arizona's Bitcoin Legal Tender Proposal
This episode is sponsored by , and .      On today’s episode, NLW looks at a proposal moving through Arizona’s Senate to make bitcoin legal tender. He explores: The specifics of the Arizona proposal The controversial author of the...
16 min
1047
The Big Numbers from Ark's Big Ideas Report
On this week’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW pulls out some of the most interesting data from innovation investor .    - is a powerful, all-in-one crypto platform where you can securely store your crypto. Invest, borrow, exchange and earn...
13 min
1048
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
1049
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
1050
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