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
1351
Ray Dalio on Dumb Dollar Debt, Bitcoin Controls...
Today on The Breakdown, NLW reviews Ray Dalio’s latest essay, looking at: The six reasons why it doesn’t make sense to hold bonds anymore Why holding bonds is especially troubling in the concept of growing government money printing Why sovereign...
20 min
1352
Survey: Americans Could Spend Up to $40B in Sti...
Today on the Brief: Bitcoin’s $60,000 weekend price brings out the angry bears India’s mixed signals on a crypto ban Tesla’s new Master of Coin Our main discussion:  A new $1.9 trillion stimulus package is on the books, of which about...
15 min
1353
The Case for $1M Bitcoin
On this week’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads Layered Money author Nik Bhatia’s recent essay for CoinDesk, “Why $1 Million Bitcoin Is Coming” -- Earn up to 12% APY on Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD, EUR, GBP, Stablecoins & more. Get started at...
11 min
1354
Is This the Beginning of the Next Institutional...
On The Breakdown’s “Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at news of institutional involvement in the bitcoin and digital asset space including: New York Life investing in and joining the board of directors of NYDIG JPMorgan introducing a “cryptocurrency...
9 min
1355
What the $1.9T Stimulus Means for Bitcoin
COVID-19 sent the money printer into overdrive. With the newly signed $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, the total spent on pandemic relief in the U.S. exceeds $6 trillion, more than WWII’s inflation-adjusted $4.1 trillion.  In this episode, NLW...
13 min
1356
A Beeple Artwork Just Sold for $69M: NFT Bubble...
Everyone paying attention knew that Beeple’s Christie’s auction was likely going to set a new high water mark for NFT sales. Fewer would have guessed that it would lead to the third-highest auction price for a living artist in history.  On...
15 min
1357
Why the CEO of New York Life Just Joined the Bo...
Today on The Breakdown, NLW catches up on the news from the past few days, looking at: NFTs heating up – and capturing some negative attention in the process Infrastructure acquisitions and M&A heat up Eliminate Barriers to Innovation Act 2021...
17 min
1358
The World’s Most Important Geopolitical Fault L...
On today’s episode, NLW is joined by investor and FinTwit star Tracy Shuchart. On the show, they discuss: The world’s most important geopolitical fault lines, from the Middle East to China The early indicators from the Biden administration around...
47 min
1359
No, the Digital Dollar Won't Kill Bitcoin
On today’s episode, NLW provides a 101-style overview of central bank digital currencies, looking at: Why governments are interested in CBDCs Why Facebook’s libra announcement accelerated CBDC development the world over Why China’s CBDC efforts...
14 min
1360
What Governments Should Do in the Coming Global...
On today’s episode, NLW reads Balaji Srinivasan’s essay “.” NLW argues that while India’s proposed crypto ban is nominally the focus, the implications are much bigger and have to do with a forthcoming global monetary competition that will...
30 min
1361
22% of Goldman Sachs Wealthiest Clients Think B...
On this edition of The Breakdown’s weekly recap, NLW looks at: Whether bitcoin is being caught up in the larger macro volatility The latest NFT shenanigans including a burned IRL Banksy The latest on institutional adoption including a positive...
11 min
1362
Macro 101: Bonds, the Fed and Money Printing, F...
What are Treasury bonds? Why does it matter how they’re doing? Does the Federal Reserve actually print money? What’s the difference between quantitative easing and yield curve control?  Bitcoin undeniably operates in a macro environment. In...
51 min
1363
Bitcoin Isn't Acting Like Stocks, Stocks Are Ac...
Over the last year there has been a growing correlation between the stock market and bitcoin. Some of this is attributed to the new traditional participants in bitcoin. Some of it is attributed to bitcoin acting less like an uncorrelated hedge and...
15 min
1364
Are You Really Surprised Elizabeth Warren Doesn...
Today on the Brief: PayPal acquiring Curv for $500 million? Traditional markets are very confused Portnoy launches Buzz exchange-traded fund Our main discussion: NLW looks at the emerging political landscape for crypto in the U.S. Specifically, he...
14 min
1365
Are NFTs Just This Cycle’s ICOs?
On today’s episode, NLW looks at the explosion of interest in NFTs. Big money, big names, big problems?  He asks whether non-fungible tokens are this cycle’s initial coin offerings by looking at five different comparison points: Inflated...
18 min
1366
Why Citi Thinks Bitcoin Is at a Tipping Point
Today on the Brief: Michael Saylor bought the dip China bans bitcoin mining in Inner Mongolia WallStreetBets moving off Reddit?  Our main discussion: Citi’s analysis of bitcoin.  February saw a non-stop barrage of bullish bitcoin news...
14 min
1367
Governments Couldn’t Ban Bitcoin Even if They W...
Today on “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads “” by Alex Gladstein, published recently by Quillette. Gladstein argues that both technical and legal attacks on bitcoin are extremely difficult to execute, even for large governments.  -- Earn up...
20 min
1368
Are Beeple's $6.6M Sale and Christie's Auction ...
This week on the Weekly Recap, NLW discusses: The price dip Tether’s settlement with the NYAG Coinbase’s S1 Filings Beeple’s record-setting NFT sales and what it means for the NFT space as a whole  -- Earn up to 12% APY on Bitcoin,...
10 min
1369
Why Cathie Wood Thinks Bitcoin Could Replace Bonds
Today on the Brief: SEC investigating Elon’s DOGE tweets? U.S. income growth has second biggest monthly gain ever Robinhood growth suggests crypto mainstreaming Main discussion: Cathie Wood thinks bitcoin could replace bonds. In this episode, NLW...
13 min
1370
Bitcoin Investing Is ESG Investing
In today's episode, NLW looks at how bitcoin fits with the growing trend of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) investing. In it, he:  Argues that ESG investors should disregard the false idea that bitcoin is only used for crime Provides...
24 min
1371
If You Sell Your Bitcoin, Michael Saylor and Ja...
Today on the Brief: Fed Chair Jerome Powell comments on markets and digital currency Cathie Wood’s ARK faces toughest stretch since last September  India’s latest anti-crypto sentiment  Our main discussion: More news on corporate...
12 min
1372
The Most Conservative Regulator in America Just...
On today’s episode, NLW breaks down the final settlement of the New York Attorney General’s case against Tether. He argues that the outcome is extremely positive for the industry, discussing: Why Tether risk became a major source of FUD in 2021...
16 min
1373
Canada's Bitcoin ETF is Soaring: Is A US Bitcoi...
Today on the Brief: Welcome back to the price rollercoaster The latest from China’s digital yuan trial A 3-week sprint to a stimulus package Our main discussion: Canada’s first Bitcoin ETF. NLW discusses: ETF 101 Pros and cons of a bitcoin ETF...
18 min
1374
Should the US Federal Reserve Buy Bitcoin?
On this week’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads Alex Treece’s recent essay “.” The piece argues the U.S. will inevitably adopt bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset, but by doing so sooner rather than later it can enjoy geopolitical...
14 min
1375
'I Am Not a Cat': The GameStop Hearing Shows Ho...
This week, instead of our normal Weekly Recap, NLW digs into Thursday’s congressional hearings around GameStop, Robinhood and WallStreetBets.  He explores:  Why there was a significant focus on T+2 settlement  Bipartisan agreement on...
22 min