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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1326
Bitcoin Wraps the First Week of the ETF Era
This episode is sponsored by . On this edition of “The Breakdown’s Weekly Recap,” NLW covers: The record-setting performance of the first bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund and what happens next as new ETFs come to market A massive...
10 min
1327
Why the Bitcoin and Crypto Communities Are So S...
This episode is sponsored by . Today’s episode is nominally about Worldcoin. The project launched this week with ambitions to airdrop a new cryptocurrency on everyone in the world. To do so, it’s using biometric eye scanning to identify people and...
22 min
1328
Paul Tudor Jones: ‘Inflation … [Is] the Single ...
This episode is sponsored by . Last year, Paul Tudor Jones wrote a paper called “The Great Monetary Inflation” that would end up creating narrative motivation for many traditional retail and institutional investors to allocate to bitcoin as an...
15 min
1329
LFG! Bitcoin Clears $66K and Hits New All-Time ...
This episode is sponsored by . On today’s episode of “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at the market’s reaction to a new bitcoin all-time high, including: The success of the first day of the ProShares bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund Why...
12 min
1330
Massive Trading Volume for ProShares Bitcoin Fu...
This episode is sponsored by . On today’s episode, NLW catches up on a variety of topics from the past week, including: How the first day of trading the ProShares $BITO bitcoin futures ETF is going (and why it could be headed for record breaking...
18 min
1331
It's Here: Bitcoin Futures ETF to Begin Trading
This episode is sponsored by . Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW rounds out the story of the bitcoin futures ETF process that has dominated crypto chatter for the last week or more. He looks at the details of the first ETF that will go live, as well...
14 min
1332
Hester Peirce Reclaims the “Wild West” for the ...
On this week’s Long Reads Sunday, NLW reads SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce’s recent speech:
21 min
1333
How the Crypto Industry Thinks It Should Be Reg...
On this edition of the Weekly Recap, NLW looks at two new policies frameworks released by companies in the crypto and web3 space. The first comes from Coinbase and argues that there should be a new overarching regulator for digital assets. The second...
17 min
1334
Bitcoin Is Actually, Finally About to Have an ETF
This episode is sponsored by . On today’s episode, NLW looks at the buzz and excitement around a bitcoin futures ETF. The historical moment could be an inflection point for new audiences to get into the asset class. At the same time, there are some...
16 min
1335
No, Bank of England, Crypto is Not the Same as ...
This episode is sponsored by . Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW takes a deep dive into a recent speech by Sir Jon Cunliffe, the Bank of England’s Deputy Governor, Financial Stability. The speech was called “Is ‘crypto’ a financial stability...
19 min
1336
The US Is Officially the Global Leader in Bitco...
This episode is sponsored by . Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at how the United States has been perhaps the greatest beneficiary of the Great Hashrate Migration away from China following the country’s mining ban in May. This has political...
18 min
1337
Who Cares What Jamie Dimon Thinks of Bitcoin?
This episode is sponsored by . Ah, Jamie Dimon. One of the longest duration skeptics of bitcoin, and one of the most consistently wrong from a market perspective. Yesterday, the JPMorgan Chase CEO added new material to his anti-bitcoin cannon and...
14 min
1338
Is Biden Prepping an Executive Order on Crypto?
This episode is sponsored by . On today’s episode, NLW looks at recent reports the Biden administration is weighing an executive order on crypto. The order would involve numerous agencies and create a common approach to the industry. Unfortunately,...
13 min
1339
Here for the Bitcoin Revolution or Just the Sic...
This episode is sponsored by . On this edition of “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads “.” Blumberg argues that as bitcoin and digital assets get more mainstream, the industry would do well to better understand the different philosophies that pull...
10 min
1340
Supply Chain Says No Christmas Presents or Tree...
On this edition of “The Breakdown Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at supply chain disruptions, including: Natural gas shortages across Europe and the U.K. that could impact electricity prices and even the global food supply Numerous dislocations that...
12 min
1341
Second-Largest US Bank Says Crypto Is Too Big t...
This episode is sponsored by . On today’s episode, NLW covers some of the topics he’s missed throughout the week, including: A new report from Bank of America that calls digital assets “too big to ignore” US Bank custodying crypto via...
14 min
1342
Something Big Is Brewing With Bitcoin
This episode is sponsored by . On today’s episode, NLW looks at the growing excitement around bitcoin, including: Its decoupling from the stock market What it means that U.S. institutional-focused CME futures are outpacing Deribit...
15 min
1343
Gensler's SEC Has No Plans to Ban Crypto
This episode is sponsored by . Today on “The Breakdown,” another major regulatory figure has confirmed he has no intention of bannning crypto. During testimony before Congress this week, Rep. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) asked Gensler if he planned to follow...
18 min
1344
Stablecoins in the Hot Seat as SEC Investigates...
This episode is sponsored by . On today’s episode, NLW homes in on recent reports surrounding the Biden administration's plans for stablecoins. A new report from the Wall Street Journal says there is a debate between using the Financial Stability...
16 min
1345
What the ‘Pandora Papers’ Mean for Bitcoin
This episode is sponsored by . On today’s episode, NLW breaks down the latest in a string of embarrassing leaks about how the world’s elite and wealthy use offshore accounts to obfuscate ownership and hide their wealth. He looks at: How the...
18 min
1346
What’s the Real Point of ‘Crypto’ Anyway?
This episode is sponsored by . On this week’s edition of “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads four Twitter threads: Alex Gladstein on whether the crypto experiment has failed Russian political opposition figure Alexey Navalny on big tech...
14 min
1347
This Overlooked Crypto Tax Provision Would Be a...
This episode is sponsored by . On this edition of “The Breakdown’s Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at: Hidden crypto tax provision 6050I Chilling language from British lawmakers around using CBDCs to control citizens’ spending The...
16 min
1348
Powell Says No Crypto Ban as ‘Uptober’ Kicks Off
This episode is sponsored by . On today’s episode, NLW discusses the market mood shift as September becomes October, and looks at: Jerome Powell’s comments on crypto bans before Congress El Salvador’s volcano bitcoin mining Mayor...
16 min
1349
Why This Autumn Could Be Bitcoin Season
This episode is sponsored by . Description On today’s episode, NLW looks at why bitcoin could be poised to grab more mindshare this fall, including: Coming regulatory pressure on DeFi and stablecoins Regulatory clearance for bitcoin (and a...
21 min
1350
Is Kraken's Settlement With the CFTC Actually...
This episode is sponsored by . Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at the $1.25M settlement Kraken just finalized with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which accused the crypto exchange of offering margin lending products without the...
14 min