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.
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1251
Travis Kling on Why Elon’s BTC Buy Was the Bigg...
This episode is sponsored by . On this episode of “The Breakdown’s” “End of Year Extravaganza”, NLW is joined by Travis Kling. Travis is the co-founder and chief investment officer of Ikigai Asset Management, and discusses the shift in...
23 min
1252
The Programmable Future of Bitcoin, Feat. Munee...
This episode is sponsored by . On this episode of “The Breakdown’s” “End of Year Extravaganza,” NLW is joined by Muneeb Ali. Muneeb is the co-founder of Stacks and CEO of Hiro. In this conversation, he discusses the programmable...
21 min
1253
The Emergence of DAOs With Santiago Santos
This episode is sponsored by . On this episode of “The Breakdown’s” “End of Year Extravaganza,” NLW is joined by Santaigo Santos. Santiago is a crypto investor, thinker and podcast. He built one of the first funds in DeFi, was early into...
24 min
1254
Deeze on Why 2021 Was the Year of NFTs
This episode is sponsored by . On this episode of “The Breakdown’s” “End of Year Extravaganza,” NLW is joined by Deeze. Deeze is known throughout NFT circles as a true community member. As host of one of the most popular regular...
28 min
1255
Nexo’s Antoni Trenchev on the Stories That Shap...
This episode is sponsored by . Today on “The Breakdown’s” “End of Year Extravaganza,” NLW is joined by the co-founder and managing partner of Nexo. Find our guest on Twitter: Enjoying this content? SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast...
21 min
1256
The Year of Institutional Bitcoin, Feat. Galaxy...
This episode is sponsored by . On this edition of “The Breakdown’s” “End of Year Extravaganza,” Galaxy Digital’s head of firmwide research discusses the key trends that shaped 2021. Find our guest on Twitter: , the...
22 min
1257
Lyn Alden on Bitcoin, El Salvador and the Unpre...
This episode is sponsored by . Today on “The Breakdown’s” “End of Year Extravaganza,” we’re joined by macro analyst and thought leader Lyn Alden. Find our guest on Twitter: , the institutional-grade platform for bitcoin, is making...
24 min
1258
The Hashrate Migration and Bitcoin’s Resilience...
This episode is sponsored by . Welcome to “The Breakdown’s” “End of Year Extravaganza.” First up, Whit Gibbs, CEO of Compass Mining. Find our guest on Enjoying this content? SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast Apple: Spotify:...
23 min
1259
Year of the Doge
This episode is sponsored by . For the final “Long Reads Sunday” of the year, NLW reads Michael Casey’s “.” Enjoying this content? SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast Apple: Spotify: Google: Join the discussion: Follow on...
12 min
1260
The Biggest Stories in Crypto and Macro in 2021
This episode is sponsored by . On this episode of “The Breakdown,” NLW previews the forthcoming “End of Year Extravaganza” by answering the same questions he’ll be asking a dozen guests in the weeks to come. Enjoying this content?...
12 min
1261
The Statistics That Defined Bitcoin and Crypto ...
This episode is sponsored by . Today’s episode digs through two excellent end-of-year reports from and to curate a set of numbers and statistics that tell the story of the markets in 2021. These numbers include growth in on-chain metrics, hashrate...
14 min
1262
What the Fed’s ‘Hawkish’ Turn Means for Bitcoin
This episode is sponsored by . Yesterday in the wake of the FOMC meeting, the Federal Reserve signaled a hawkish turn. Asset purchases will be tapered at twice the speed, and the Fed is now anticipating three rate hikes next year. So why, in the wake...
15 min
1263
The Senate’s Arguments Against Stablecoins
This episode is sponsored by . Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at the recent U.S. Senate Banking Committee hearing on stablecoins. More contentious than the previous week’s House Financial Services Committee hearing on crypto, NLW...
12 min
1264
Just How Bearish Are the Bitcoin and Crypto Com...
This episode is sponsored by . Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at a few explanations for the current bearish sentiment turn, including: A belief that a bubble is finally bursting A larger market shift to risk-off based on inflation concerns...
16 min
1265
11 Years Ago Today, Satoshi Disappeared
This episode is sponsored by . Eleven years ago, on Dec. 13, 2010, Satoshi Nakamoto posted on the BitcoinTalk forum for the last time. He would pop up in emails here and there for a few more months, but for the majority of the Bitcoin community, he...
14 min
1266
Can DAOs Be a 10X Improvement for Fundraising?
This episode is sponsored by . On this week’s “Long Read’s Sunday,” NLW looks at DAOs and their benefits over traditional fundraising, reading: “” by Will Gottsegen “” by Daniel Kuhn - , the institutional-grade...
10 min
1267
The 10 (Other) Most Crypto Influential
This episode is sponsored by . CoinDesk has just completed its list of . On today’s episode, NLW shares that list, and then adds brief commentary on 10 more people or groups that he might have included, including Dylan LeClair and Will Clemente,...
13 min
1268
The Highest Inflation Since 1982
This episode is sponsored by . November inflation came in at 6.8%, the highest in 39 years. In this episode, NLW looks at: The state of the inflation discussion following October Why the Biden administration tried to reframe expectations...
12 min
1269
Yesterday's Hearing Was Crypto's Most Positive ...
This episode is sponsored by . Yesterday the House Financial Services Committee held a hearing on the future of digital assets. Shockingly to almost everyone, the tone was respectful, collegial and considered, and lawmakers seemed genuinely interested...
21 min
1270
Meet Visa's New Crypto Advisory Unit
This episode is sponsored by . Today’s episode covers a set of topics, including: Visa’s new crypto advisory unit An AWS official is leaving for Unstoppable Domains AWS downtime brings up questions of decentralized infrastructure Saule Omarova...
13 min
1271
Is the Decentralization in DeFi an ‘Illusion’?
This episode is sponsored by . Today’s episode of “The Breakdown” is a grab bag of news stories from the past several days. NLW covers: The Bank for International Settlements report “DeFi Risk and the Decentralization Illusion” ...
13 min
1272
Why Bitcoin Crashed
This episode is sponsored by . Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at the dramatic move downward in the crypto markets that started late Friday night U.S. time. He looks at both market structure factors such as low liquidity and thin weekend order...
12 min
1273
The Innovation at the Heart of the Global Crypt...
This episode is sponsored by . This week’s Long Reads Sunday is a reading of Dan Jeffries’ “.” - , the institutional-grade platform for bitcoin, is making it possible for thousands of banks who have trusted relationships with...
16 min
1274
Goldman Looking Into Bitcoin-Backed Lending as ...
This episode is sponsored by . On this edition of “The Breakdown Weekly Recap,” NLW covers: The latest jobs report and what it means for Fed policy Comments from SEC Chair Gensler and a House crypto hearing next week The latest...
10 min
1275
20 Predictions About the Future of Money
This episode is sponsored by . As part of CoinDesk’s Future of Money week, they asked some of crypto’s biggest brains for their predictions on the future of money. In today’s episode, NLW goes one by one through those predictions, saying whether...
17 min