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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1301
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
1302
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
1303
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
1304
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
1305
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
1306
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
1307
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
1308
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
1309
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
1310
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
1311
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
1312
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
1313
How November Bear Market-Proofed the Crypto Ind...
This episode is sponsored by . On today’s episode, NLW breaks down investor Travis Kling’s of the biggest events in crypto from the month of November. He says two trends are huge capital raises and a focus on NFTs and the metaverse. Both, he...
14 min
1314
The Long Strange Journey of Facebook's Libra Pr...
This episode is sponsored by . On today’s episode, NLW does a retrospective of Facebook’s libra project, which was renamed late last year to diem. He argues that, whatever happens with diem specifically, it has a place in the historical record as...
14 min
1315
Powell and Yellen Talk Stablecoins, Inflation a...
This episode is sponsored by . On today’s episode of ”The Breakdown,” NLW follows up on Twitter’s leadership change, covering a new privacy policy that some are saying has big implications for the platform. He also looks at Sen. Sherrod...
12 min
1316
What Jack Dorsey Leaving Twitter Means for Bitcoin
This episode is sponsored by . On today’s episode, NLW looks at two topics. The first is the market crash that left bitcoin down 8.5% on Friday, only to partially recover over the weekend. NLW looks at the combination of macro factors – led by the...
14 min
1317
America and the Metaverse
This episode is sponsored by . On this week’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW draws from two threads by on Twitter: , the institutional-grade platform for bitcoin, is making it possible for thousands of banks who have trusted relationships...
13 min
1318
Alyse Killeen on Why Bitcoin Was Ready for Nati...
This episode is sponsored by . On the final part of his three-part miniseries “Gratitude for Bitcoin,” NLW is joined by Stillmark’s Alyse Killeen, a venture capitalist focused entirely on the bitcoin ecosystem. Alyse explains how remarkable it...
27 min
1319
Dan Held on the Mainstreaming of Bitcoin
This episode is sponsored by . On part 2 of NLW’s three-part “Gratitude for Bitcoin” miniseries, he’s joined by serial bitcoin entrepreneur and Kraken’s director of growth marketing, Dan Held. Dan discusses the changes happening as bitcoin...
24 min
1320
Dylan LeClair on Bitcoin Data Where Macro Meets...
This episode is sponsored by . Today, NLW kicks off his “Gratitude for Bitcoin” three-part miniseries with Bitcoin Magazine and UTXO Management bitcoin analyst Dylan LeClair. Find Dylan on Twitter: , the institutional-grade platform for...
30 min
1321
What Jerome Powell’s Second Term Means for Bitcoin
This episode is sponsored by . This week, after months of speculation, President Joe Biden has named Jerome Powell to a second term as Federal Reserve chairman. His most likely alternate, Lael Brainard, was promoted to vice chairwoman. On today’s...
15 min
1322
Are El Salvador’s Bitcoin ‘Volcano Bonds’ an En...
This episode is sponsored by . Today on “The Breakdown,” a check in on El Salvador, where President Nayib Bukele has just announced “Bitcoin City,” a new community that will feature no income or capital gains tax and be designed to attract...
16 min
1323
Are Stablecoins the Path to Continued Dollar Do...
This episode is sponsored by . In today’s Long Reads Sunday, NLW goes back to read excerpts from two Nic Carter pieces that seem particularly prescient today, as the U.S. weighs the opportunities and risks of stablecoins. , the...
12 min
1324
What Billions of Dollars in Crypto Fundraising ...
This episode is sponsored by . Description From $400 million to a crypto exchange to $2.5 billion for the biggest crypto fund in history, NLW tells the story of this week’s big fundraising events by the numbers. , the institutional-grade...
12 min
1325
Did ConstitutionDAO Shift the Overton Window on...
This episode is sponsored by . Last night the crypto community waited with bated breath to see who had won the first printing of the U.S. Constitution. Despite raising over $40 million from 17,000 people, the ConstitutionDAO was ultimately outbid. In...
17 min