The Breakdown

By Nathaniel Whittemore

What's The Breakdown about?

A daily analysis of macroeconomics, bitcoin, geopolitics and big picture power shifts, hosted by Nathaniel Whittemore @nlw. The Breakdown is produced and distributed by CoinDesk.

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The Battle for Self-Hosted ...

06.28.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On today’s episode, NLW explores the ongoing policy debate around “unhosted” (or, as crypto users call them – “self-hosted”) wallets, looking at MiCA legislation in Europe, an updated policy for ...

The Breakdown episodes:

06.28.2022 The Battle for Self-Hosted Wallets This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On today’s episode, NLW explores the ongoing policy debate around “unhosted” (or, as crypto users call them – “self-hosted”) wallets, looking at MiCA legislation in Europe, an updated policy for ...
06.26.2022 Putin Weaponizes Inflation This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On this week’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW builds off of Stack Hödler’s thread on a recent Putin speech to examine the Russian leader’s weaponization of inflation. - Nexo is an ...
06.25.2022 Slouching Toward Crypto Winter This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. In this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW argues that this week saw the crypto community settling into the bear market. He looks at why both the macro landscape and ...
06.25.2022 Can a Solana Phone Beat the Bear? This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On today’s episode, NLW looks at two big events: Congress held a committee meeting about the role of the CFTC in regulating and overseeing the crypto industry Solana announced a ...
06.24.2022 Powell Finally Talks Recession This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. For the past two days, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has been testifying on the Hill before both committees in the Senate and House. One of the most pointed discussions ...
06.23.2022 Is Miner Selling Contributing to Bitcoin's Price Troubles? This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On today’s episode, NLW looks at the state of bitcoin miners’ balance sheets. Specifically, he looks at increased selling of bitcoin over the past few months, and to what extent ...
06.22.2022 How Real Is This Relief Rally? This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On today’s show, NLW explores the discussion around the bitcoin relief rally of the last two days, following the crash last Friday and Saturday. Some think that there are a ...
06.21.2022 How Much of the Market Meltdown Is Macro vs. Crypto Specific? This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. The crypto market just went through one of its most turbulent and brutal weekends in recent memory. In today’s episode, NLW looks at how much the broader downturn as well ...
06.20.2022 The Importance of an Open Metaverse This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On this “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads a thread from Punk6529, “On Why The Metaverse Needs Crypto.” - Nexo is an all-in-one platform where you can buy crypto with a ...
06.18.2022 Why Coin Center Is Suing the US Government This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at two stories from the past week in crypto. The first is advocacy group Coin Center’s lawsuit against the U.S. Treasury ...
06.17.2022 US Recession Odds Surge Over 70% This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. Yesterday, the Federal Reserve increased the target Federal Funds rate by 0.75% – the biggest increase since 1994. While the markets initially popped on the news, stocks subsequently tanked and ...
06.16.2022 What a More Aggressive Fed Means for the Housing Market This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On this episode of “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at the Federal Reserve’s increasing hawkishness on inflation. He explains how market expectations around Fed interest rate raises have shifted, and also ...
06.15.2022 The Second Horseman of the Cryptopocalypse This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On today’s episode, NLW looks at the market’s reaction to Celsius’ struggle to remain solvent. He also examines to what extent the recent downturn is being driven by Celsius and ...
06.14.2022 Sens. Cynthia Lummis and Kirsten Gillibrand on the Responsible Financial Innovation Act This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. Today on “The Breakdown,” Sens. Cynthia Lummis and Kirsten Gillibrand join NLW to discuss their recently released Responsible Financial Innovation Act. They discuss: How Senator Gillibrand came to be interested ...
06.12.2022 Why New York City Might Be the Right Model for the Metaverse, Feat. Mathieu Nouzareth This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On today’s interview, NLW is joined by Mathieu Nouzareth, the CEO of The Sandbox. The Sandbox is one of the leading metaverse platforms today, with deep roots in gaming. In ...
06.11.2022 Nic Carter on How to Make the Best of a Bear Market This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. NLW is joined on “The Breakdown” by Nic Carter, the founding partner at Castle Island Ventures. In this conversation, they discuss the market cycle, what’s valuable about being in a ...
06.11.2022 Crypto’s Appetite for Legal Battles Is Growing This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. There is a growing appetite among crypto companies to avail themselves of the legal system to fight for what they believe. This week, Custodia Bank (formerly Avanti), run by Caitlin ...
06.10.2022 Bitcoin Is Human Rights Technology This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. Crypto critics have been emboldened lately. The New York Times this week published an article seemingly meant to convince people that because early bitcoin mining was concentrated, bitcoin’s ideal of ...
06.09.2022 The Great Repricing Comes to Crypto This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On today’s episode, NLW covers a set of recent news in the crypto industry, including: Reactions to the Responsible Financial Innovation Act SEC investigating Binance over BNB Reuters report on ...
06.08.2022 The First Comprehensive US Crypto Legislation Is Here This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. After months of anticipation, new landmark crypto legislation has arrived. Senators Cythnia Lummis (R-Wyo.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) released their Responsible Financial Innovation Act today. The bill covers a huge ...
06.07.2022 So, Are We Headed Into Recession or Not? This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. Last week, corporate executives from Tesla’s Elon Musk to BlackRock’s Larry Fink discussed what they see as a coming recession. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon called the coming economic environment ...
06.05.2022 How Crypto Wealth Will Change the Impact Sector This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On this edition of “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads “How Web 3 Changes Philanthropy” by Rhys Lindmark. - Nexo is an all-in-one platform where you can buy crypto with a ...
06.05.2022 New York's Latest Anti-Crypto Action This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at New York State’s latest crypto-unfriendly actions, including a last-minute, frankly sneaky passing of a proof-of-work mining moratorium. - Nexo is ...
06.04.2022 It's OpenSeason for Regulatory Enforcement This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. In September, then-OpenSea product manager Nate Chastain was discovered to be front running the market by using secret addresses to buy non-fungible tokens (NFT) from collections that the site was ...
06.03.2022 Should Bitcoiners Be Worried About Biden's Energy Team? This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at a story – or at least a headline – that is getting big traction on Twitter. The headline is about the Biden administration ...
06.02.2022 RIP Transitory Inflation, Long Live Quantitative Tightening This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On today’s episode, NLW marks the next phase in the shift in monetary policy. Starting this month, the Federal Reserve is going to allow U.S. Treasurys and mortgage-backed securities held ...
06.01.2022 Biden Meets with Powell as Inflation Battle Heats Up This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. “Sell in May and go away,” says the old market aphorism. Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW previews a set of discussions he believes will shape markets this summer: The inflation ...
05.29.2022 Bitcoin Isn't Apolitical, but It Is Nonpartisan This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On this week’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads and comments on “Bitcoin Is Apolitical, but Won't Be Much Longer” by Daniel Kuhn. - Nexo is a secure crypto exchange and ...
05.28.2022 Sequoia's Guide to Surviving the 2022 Bear Market This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at why venture capitalists are not only recommending their companies batten down the hatches, but wondering if the fundamental assumptions of ...
05.28.2022 The Supercycle Is Dead: Welcome to Goblintown This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On today’s episode, NLW analyzes community sentiment as bitcoin and ether have their most protracted, continuous downturns of all time and while consumer sentiment in traditional markets hits all-time lows. ...
05.27.2022 As the Market Slinks Down, It's Time to Touch Grass This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW explores the macro set-up, including Fed unanimity on two 50 basis point rate hikes in June and July followed by optionality at the September FOMC ...
05.26.2022 OCC: ‘No Contagion’ Post-Terra Collapse This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On today’s episode, NLW covers: Acting Comptroller Michael Hsu’s comments on systemic risk in crypto following Terra South Korean authorities’ push for answers USDC on Ethereum flippens USDT on Ethereum ...
05.25.2022 Oslo Freedom Forum and Why Bitcoin Matters This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On today’s episode, NLW looks at a number of topics from across the crypto space and wider economy, including: New Fed data about the percentage of Americans using crypto. Wall ...
05.24.2022 What Davos Man Thinks of Bitcoin and Crypto This Year This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On today’s episode of “The Breakdown,” NLW previews two things happening this week: First, hope from the markets that slightly dovish comments from the Fed might prompt a relief rally. ...
05.22.2022 Could Local Digital Currencies Improve Communities? This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On this week's “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads “Let’s Use New Forms of Money to Commit to Our Communities.” - Nexo is a secure crypto exchange and crypto lending platform. ...
05.21.2022 5 Key Takeaways From a16z's State of Crypto Report Venture giant Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) recently published its inaugural "State of Crypto" report. In this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at five key takeaways from the research as well as UST-luna investor postmortems. - Nexo is a secure ...
05.21.2022 Travis Kling on Why a Decentralized Web 3 Is Worth Fighting For This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On today's episode, NLW is joined by Travis Kling, co-founder and chief investment officer at Ikigai Asset Management. They discuss Ikigai's just-announced $30 million Web 3 fund, and what got ...
05.20.2022 Tether’s Reserve Attestations: Commercial Paper Down, Treasurys Up This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. Tether has released its Q1 reserve attestations. On today’s episode, NLW covers what many in the industry are seeing as positive shifts. He also looks at some recent regulatory news, ...
05.19.2022 Capital Flight or the Seeds of the Next Cycle? This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW covers a number of signals suggesting institutional buyers are leaving the crypto space. At the same time, he looks at new corporate engagement and Web ...
05.18.2022 New Data Shows Underground Bitcoin Mining Thriving in China This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On today’s episode of “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at new bitcoin mining data from the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance. Surprisingly (or unsurprisingly, depending on whom you ask), China is ...
05.17.2022 What Happened to the Luna Foundation Guard’s Bitcoin Billions? This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. The Luna Foundation Guard (LFG) was created to build a bitcoin collateral backstop for the UST stablecoin. As UST began to lose its peg, the LFG’s BTC started to move. ...
05.16.2022 How Should Washington Regulate Stablecoins? This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On today’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW features: 0-100 on Stablecoin Design by Spencer Noon On algorithmic stablecoins & the UST collapse by Jake Chervinsky - Nexo is a secure crypto ...
05.14.2022 Weimar Luna and the Maginot-Saylor Line This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at LUNA’s hyperinflationary death, as well as where market participants are placing their bets for more bear market challenges. - Nexo ...
05.14.2022 Jeremy Allaire on the Regulatory Fallout After Terra This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. Jeremy Allaire is the CEO of Circle, a leader of the USDC consortium. In today’s episode, he and NLW review the state of the stablecoin discussion among U.S. regulators before ...
05.13.2022 Inflation Plateaus, but Now Markets Fear Recession This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. For the first time in eight months, the year-over-year rate of inflation did not increase in April. In March, headline inflation hit 8.5% while last month that number came down ...
05.12.2022 Après Terra, le Déluge This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. For those interested, here is the famous phrase referenced in the title: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apr%C3%A8s_moi,_le_d%C3%A9luge Today, NLW follows up Tuesday’s primer on the UST-LUNA story with a look at the dramatic events ...
05.11.2022 Meltdown Monday and the Great De-Pegging This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. Yesterday was one for the history books. NLW discusses the shifting macro setup as markets start to move from concern around inflation to concern around recession. The bulk of the ...
05.10.2022 The IMF and California Chart Different Courses on Crypto This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. One of the key themes in the bitcoin (BTC) and crypto industry in 2022 is engagement from governments and the key financial institutions of the existing monetary system. Today, NLW ...
05.08.2022 The Importance of Politically Neutral Money This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. On this week’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads: Why We Need Crypto Payments to Work - JP Koning Matt Taibbi, PayPal's Deplatforming and the Case for Crypto - Daniel Kuhn ...
05.07.2022 Otherside and the Rise of the Bored Apes This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR and FTX US. It’s only been a year since people were able to mint a bored looking ape NFT for about $200. But in that year, the company behind the Bored Ape Yacht ...

Older episodes

The Breakdown

What's The Breakdown about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Breakdown episodes:

The Battle for Self-Hosted Wallets

Putin Weaponizes Inflation

Slouching Toward Crypto Winter

Can a Solana Phone Beat the Bear?

Powell Finally Talks Recession

Is Miner Selling Contributing to Bitcoin's Price Troubles?

How Real Is This Relief Rally?

How Much of the Market Meltdown Is Macro vs. Crypto Specific?

The Importance of an Open Metaverse

Why Coin Center Is Suing the US Government

US Recession Odds Surge Over 70%

What a More Aggressive Fed Means for the Housing Market

The Second Horseman of the Cryptopocalypse

Sens. Cynthia Lummis and Kirsten Gillibrand on the Responsible Financial Innovation Act

Why New York City Might Be the Right Model for the Metaverse, Feat. Mathieu Nouzareth

Nic Carter on How to Make the Best of a Bear Market

Crypto’s Appetite for Legal Battles Is Growing

Bitcoin Is Human Rights Technology

The Great Repricing Comes to Crypto

The First Comprehensive US Crypto Legislation Is Here

So, Are We Headed Into Recession or Not?

How Crypto Wealth Will Change the Impact Sector

New York's Latest Anti-Crypto Action

It's OpenSeason for Regulatory Enforcement

Should Bitcoiners Be Worried About Biden's Energy Team?

RIP Transitory Inflation, Long Live Quantitative Tightening

Biden Meets with Powell as Inflation Battle Heats Up

Bitcoin Isn't Apolitical, but It Is Nonpartisan

Sequoia's Guide to Surviving the 2022 Bear Market

The Supercycle Is Dead: Welcome to Goblintown

As the Market Slinks Down, It's Time to Touch Grass

OCC: ‘No Contagion’ Post-Terra Collapse

Oslo Freedom Forum and Why Bitcoin Matters

What Davos Man Thinks of Bitcoin and Crypto This Year

Could Local Digital Currencies Improve Communities?

5 Key Takeaways From a16z's State of Crypto Report

Travis Kling on Why a Decentralized Web 3 Is Worth Fighting For

Tether’s Reserve Attestations: Commercial Paper Down, Treasurys Up

Capital Flight or the Seeds of the Next Cycle?

New Data Shows Underground Bitcoin Mining Thriving in China

What Happened to the Luna Foundation Guard’s Bitcoin Billions?

How Should Washington Regulate Stablecoins?

Weimar Luna and the Maginot-Saylor Line

Jeremy Allaire on the Regulatory Fallout After Terra

Inflation Plateaus, but Now Markets Fear Recession

Après Terra, le Déluge

Meltdown Monday and the Great De-Pegging

The IMF and California Chart Different Courses on Crypto

The Importance of Politically Neutral Money

Otherside and the Rise of the Bored Apes