The Breakdown

Latest Episodes:

The Arrest Heard Round the World Aug 16, 2022

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Chainalysis and FTX US.

On today’s episode, NLW looks at the crypto industry’s response to news that 29-year-old Alexey Pertsev was arrested for his work on Tornado Cash. He also looks at Coin Center’s new potential court challenge to the Office of Foreign Asset Controls sanctions, which argues that the agency doesn’t have the authority to sanction a smart contract in the first place.

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“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsors is “The Now” by Aaron Sprinkle. Image credit: Chalermphon Kumchai/EyeEm/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

Why Economic Wars Are Inflationary Aug 15, 2022

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Chainalysis, FTX US and NEAR.

On this edition of “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW excerpts Credit Suisse analyst Zoltan Pozsar’s “War and Interest Rates.”

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“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore, aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsors is “The Now” by Aaron Sprinkle. Image credit: sorbetto/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

Tornado Cash Sanctions: The Most Significant Crypto Overreach by the US Government Yet? Aug 13, 2022

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Chainalysis, FTX US and NEAR.

On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW reflects on the July inflation data as well as the U.S. Treasury Department’s sanctions on Tornado Cash.

“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore, aka NLW, with today’s editing by Eleanor Pahl and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsors is “The Now” by Aaron Sprinkle. Image credit: z_wei/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

A Primer on How Oil Has Reflected Macro and Geopolitics Aug 13, 2022

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Chainalysis, FTX US and NEAR.

On today’s episode, NLW provides a primer on the recent history of oil markets. He looks at how oil went from trading in negative territory in April 2020 to being a massive contributor to 2022’s inflation. Finally, he explores how oil reflects political realignments that will shape the world in the years to come.

“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore, aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsors is “The Now” by Aaron Sprinkle. Image credit: sesame/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

How Much Privacy and Decentralization Really Matter, Feat. Jill Gunter Aug 12, 2022

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Chainalysis, FTX US and NEAR.

NLW is joined today by Jill Gunter, the chief strategy officer at Espresso Systems. In this conversation, they discuss why the U.S. Treasury Department might have chosen an action that seemingly leaves them open to much legal recourse, and why part of the answer might be technological not political.

“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore, aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsors is “The Now” by Aaron Sprinkle. Image credit: Malte Mueller/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

Have We Passed Peak Inflation? Aug 11, 2022

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Chainalysis, FTX US and NEAR.

The biggest driver of the macroeconomic backdrop is inflation. At the last FOMC meeting, the Federal Reserve made it clear that its fall decisions about interest-rate increases would be driven by data – most notably inflation data. On today’s show, NLW looks at the just-released July inflation stats and why they’re the first positive inflation surprise we’ve had in more than a year.

“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore, aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and Eleanor Pahl. Research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsors is “The Now” by Aaron Sprinkle. Image credit: z_wei/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

Is the Jobs Report Hiding Economic Weakness? Aug 10, 2022

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Chainalysis, FTX US and NEAR.

Last week, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 528,000 U.S. jobs were added in July. This was nearly double economists’ estimates. The Biden administration used the report as evidence that there is no recession. On today’s episode, NLW digs into why that headline number may be as obfuscating as it is revealing.

“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore, aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and Eleanor Pahl. Research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsors is “The Now” by Aaron Sprinkle. Image credit: belterz/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

Are the US Sanctions on Tornado the Beginning of a War on Privacy? Aug 09, 2022

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Chainalysis, FTX US and NEAR.

In breaking news, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced on Monday that it was adding Tornado Cash and associated addresses to its sanctions list. It is seemingly the first time that an entire technology protocol, rather than just an individual or group of individuals, has been added to the list. NLW explores the discussion in the crypto community as well as the legal and technological implications.

“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore, aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsors is “The Now” by Aaron Sprinkle. Image credit: Nuthawut Somsuk/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

Complexity Theater: Why Luna Was the First Time DeFi Complexity Risk Was Transferred to Regular Investors Aug 07, 2022

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Chainalysis and FTX US.

On this “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads:

What Is Crypto’s Downfall? Its Complexity – Jameson Lopp

Complexity Theater – NLW

“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsors is “The Now” by Aaron Sprinkle. Image credit: Cemile Bingol/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

The UK Argues Crypto Is a New Type of Property Aug 07, 2022

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Chainalysis and FTX US.

On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW homes in on an interesting report out of the U.K. that would define crypto as a fundamentally new type of property – something that some crypto lawyers have been arguing in the U.S. for some time.

“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsors is “The Now” by Aaron Sprinkle. Image credit: Peter Dazeley/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

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