On today's Long Read Sunday, NLW explores Hugh Hendry's provocative essay "Sovereignty 3.0," examining how rising Treasury yields signal the collapse of traditional financial structures and the emergence of Bitcoin and stablecoins as new forms of sovereign power. Is the dollar becoming a weapon, and can Bitcoin actually replace it as global collateral?

Source: https://x.com/hendry_hugh/status/1929917531159920951

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To learn more, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Grayscale.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.grayscale.com//?utm_source=blockworks&utm_medium=paid-other&utm_campaign=brand&utm_id=&utm_term=&utm_content=audio-thebreakdown)⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Scott Melker joins NLW for a packed Friday Five: Circle’s IPO skyrockets, Musk and Trump’s crypto-fueled feud jolts markets, and JPMorgan quietly normalizes Bitcoin as financial collateral. Plus, lawmakers bungle crypto bill briefings and Cynthia Lummis sparks debate over Bitcoin’s role in national security.

Brought to you by:

Grayscale offers more than 20 different crypto investment products. Explore the full suite at grayscale.com. Invest in your share of the future. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal.

To learn more, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠Grayscale.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.grayscale.com//?utm_source=blockworks&utm_medium=paid-other&utm_campaign=brand&utm_id=&utm_term=&utm_content=audio-thebreakdown)⁠⁠⁠

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Circle’s IPO blew past expectations, pricing high and oversubscribed 25x, signaling Wall Street’s growing appetite for stablecoin exposure. NLW breaks down the offering’s details, why fintech insiders think Circle is still undervalued, and what this means for future crypto IPOs. Plus, JPMorgan embraces crypto ETFs, Bitcoin treasuries surge, and Congress continues its political theater over the Clarity Act.

Brought to you by:

Grayscale offers more than 20 different crypto investment products. Explore the full suite at grayscale.com. Invest in your share of the future. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal.

To learn more, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠Grayscale.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.grayscale.com//?utm_source=blockworks&utm_medium=paid-other&utm_campaign=brand&utm_id=&utm_term=&utm_content=audio-thebreakdown)⁠⁠⁠

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Democrat frustration boils over after an SEC technical briefing on the crypto market structure bill goes disastrously wrong. NLW explores accusations of deliberate obstruction, political delay tactics, and how internal conflicts and rushed legislation risk undermining crypto’s bipartisan push. Meanwhile, the Trump family's sprawling crypto projects cause further complications for a fragile industry caught between regulation and political spectacle.

Brought to you by:

Grayscale offers more than 20 different crypto investment products. Explore the full suite at grayscale.com. Invest in your share of the future. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal.

To learn more, visit ⁠⁠⁠Grayscale.com⁠⁠⁠ -- ⁠⁠⁠https://www.grayscale.com//?utm_source=blockworks&utm_medium=paid-other&utm_campaign=brand&utm_id=&utm_term=&utm_content=audio-thebreakdown)⁠⁠

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May was a breakout month for crypto deals, with $3.5 billion in activity signaling a shift from stagnation to strategic consolidation. NLW breaks down the Robinhood–Bitstamp acquisition, Jump’s bet on tokenization, and Circle’s suddenly hot IPO—backed by BlackRock and poised to reshape the stablecoin landscape.

Brought to you by:

Grayscale offers more than 20 different crypto investment products. Explore the full suite at grayscale.com. Invest in your share of the future. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal.

To learn more, visit ⁠⁠Grayscale.com⁠⁠ -- ⁠⁠https://www.grayscale.com//?utm_source=blockworks&utm_medium=paid-other&utm_campaign=brand&utm_id=&utm_term=&utm_content=audio-thebreakdown)⁠

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Bitcoin treasury companies are multiplying fast—some with billions in backing, others chasing quick gains. Today’s episode examines who’s funding these firms, how the Michael Saylor playbook is evolving, and whether we’re watching the rise of a sustainable trend or the start of a new crypto bubble.

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Grayscale offers more than 20 different crypto investment products. Explore the full suite at grayscale.com. Invest in your share of the future. Investing involves risk and possible loss of principal.

To learn more, visit Grayscale.com -- https://www.grayscale.com//?utm_source=blockworks&utm_medium=paid-other&utm_campaign=brand&utm_id=&utm_term=&utm_content=audio-thebreakdown)

Recorded live on Friday May 30th, 2025.

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The Bitcoin Conference returned to Las Vegas bigger than ever, drawing over 30,000 Bitcoiners and showcasing political heavyweights championing crypto’s future. Vice President JD Vance outlined the administration’s bold crypto agenda, emphasizing Bitcoin’s role as a bulwark against financial tyranny, inflation, and elite control. David Sacks updated progress on the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve, while Eric and Don Jr. Trump discussed their family’s deep dive into Bitcoin, predicting record highs. Plus, embattled NYC Mayor Eric Adams pitched "bit bonds," hoping to restore the city as a crypto hub.

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Trump Media, GameStop, Joe Lubin, and a growing list of others are embracing the Michael Saylor playbook—raising massive capital to load up on Bitcoin. Today on The Breakdown, NLW unpacks the explosion of MicroStrategy-style public vehicles, the reflexive loop driving investor FOMO, and whether this leverage injection is a new frontier for Bitcoin-based finance—or a looming gray swan.

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America’s biggest banks are planning a joint stablecoin, signaling a new phase of institutional crypto adoption — but it’s happening just as political backlash intensifies. NLW breaks down the Wall Street consortium’s ambitions, the implications for the U.S. financial system, and how Trump’s meme coin controversy is complicating stablecoin legislation in Washington.

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