The Breakdown

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**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.

Subscribe to The Breakdown newsletter: https://the-breakdown.carrd.co/

Latest Episodes:

A Web 3 Company Just Bought a Stake in a TradFi Giant Jan 12, 2022

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US.

On today’s episode of “The Breakdown,” NLW covers the latest news from macro and the crypto space, including:

Value investing legend Bill Miller holds 50% of his net worth in bitcoin
Paradigm invests in Citadel Securities’ first outside round
$207 million in digital asset fund outflows last week
Federal Reserve insider trading scandal
PayPal considering launching a stablecoin

Enjoying this content? SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1438693620?at=1000lSDb Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/538vuul1PuorUDwgkC8JWF?si=ddSvD-HST2e_E7wgxcjtfQ Google: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9ubHdjcnlwdG8ubGlic3luLmNvbS9yc3M= Join the discussion: https://discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8 Follow on Twitter: NLW: https://twitter.com/nlw Breakdown: https://twitter.com/BreakdownNLW

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“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell, research by Scott Hill and additional production support by Eleanor Pahl. Adam B. Levine is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsor is “Time” by OBOY. Image credit: Ryan Muir/Getty Images Entertainment, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

The Macro Battle That Will Shape Crypto Markets This Year Jan 11, 2022

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US.

Last week, the December FOMC meeting minutes revealed that not only was the Fed expecting at least 3 rate hikes in 2022, they were actively considering “balance sheet normalization” (read: quantitative tightening). In today’s episode, NLW looks at how the markets are internalizing this new information, and why it’s setting up to be one of the most significant influences on markets this year.

“The Breakdown '' is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell, Michele Musso, and Adrian Blust, research by Scott Hill and additional production support by Eleanor Pahl. Adam B. Levine is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsor is “Time” by OBOY. Image credit: DNY59/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

Breaking Down the Fight Between Bitcoin and Web 3 Jan 09, 2022

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US.

This week’s Long Reads Sunday features a reading of David Z. Morris’ “What Jack Dorsey’s Beef With ‘Web 3′ Is Really About”

“The Breakdown '' is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and Michele Musso, research by Scott Hill and additional production support by Eleanor Pahl. Adam B. Levine is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsor is “Time” by OBOY. Image credit: Bloomberg/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

Welcome to 2022 - The Year of Absolutely Everything Jan 08, 2022

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US.

In the first 2022 edition of the Weekly Recap, NLW looks at:

The Fed’s impact on crypto markets.
The situation in Kazakhstan and how it impacts bitcoin mining.
NFTs finding their way into U.S. politics.
And more!

“The Breakdown '' is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and Michele Musso, research by Scott Hill and additional production support by Eleanor Pahl. Adam B. Levine is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsor is “Time” by OBOY. Image credit: Overearth/ iStock/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

Internet Shut Down, Bitcoin Mining Offline as Kazakhstan’s Political Crisis Escalates Jan 08, 2022

Show notes

On today’s episode of “The Breakdown,” NLW provides a basic primer on the escalating political crisis in Kazakhstan. He covers:

The country’s basic economic overview and modern political history.
The fuel price increase that started protests on Sunday.
How protests spread throughout the week and became about a larger set of grievances.
The country’s dramatic decision to shut down the internet.
The implications for bitcoin mining
Where things stand today.

“The Breakdown '' is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and Michele Musso, research by Scott Hill and additional production support by Eleanor Pahl. Adam B. Levine is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsor is “Time” by OBOY. Image credit: Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Images Europe, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

Why Bitcoin and Crypto Are Crashing Jan 07, 2022

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US.

Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at one of the most important relationships in economics: the relationship between Fed statements and market actions. With bitcoin cratering under $43,000 NLW explores:

The Fed’s relationship with markets in general
Bitcoin’s relationship with equities
FinTwit and Crypto Twitter’s reaction to the dip

We’ve Come a Long Way Since ‘What the Hell’s an NFT?’ Jan 06, 2022

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US.

On today’s episode of “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at the latest news out of NFTs, including:

Samsung’s NFT TV announcement
OpenSea’s fundraise at a $13.3 billion valuation
Bored Apes flippen CryptoPunks
A South Korean presidential candidate is giving away NFTs to donors

“The Breakdown '' is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and Michele Musso, research by Scott Hill and additional production support by Eleanor Pahl. Adam B. Levine is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsor is “Time” by OBOY. Image credit: Gesrey/iStock/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

A Massive $879.6M Bitcoin Mining Machine Buy Kicks Off the Year of US Bitcoin Mining Jan 05, 2022

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US.

On today’s episode, NLW rounds up news from the last few weeks of 2021, including updates on the global bitcoin mining landscape as well as central bank digital currency (CBDC) and regulatory updates from the United States, China, India, Europe, Jamaica, Paraguay and more. Plus, the president of El Salvador’s 2022 bitcoin predictions.

“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell, research by Scott Hill and additional production support by Eleanor Pahl. Adam B. Levine is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsor is “Time” by OBOY. Image credit: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

13 Years On, The Significance of ‘Chancellor on the Brink of Second Bailout for Banks’ Jan 04, 2022

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US.

Thirteen years ago today, Satoshi released the Bitcoin Genesis Block - block 0. Embedded in it was a quote, “The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks." In today’s episode, NLW explores the meaning and historical context of the inclusion.

“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell, research by Scott Hill and additional production support by Eleanor Pahl. Adam B. Levine is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsor is Time by OBOY. Image credit: Rob Mitchell, CoinDesk.

12 Big-Picture Power Shifts to Watch in 2022 Jan 02, 2022

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US.

On “The Breakdown’s” first episode of the new year, NLW looks at the most important power shifts that he’s watching this year, including:

Fed vs. stock market
U.S. midterm elections
Stablecoins vs. CBDCs
China and Russia vs. the dollar
Bitcoin vs. fiat
IMF vs. El Salvador
Bitcoin DeFi vs. other DeFi
DeFi vs. KYC
DAOs vs. other forms of capital formation
NFT/Web 3 games vs. traditional
NFTs vs. record labels
Web 3 vs. Web 2

“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell, research by Scott Hill and additional production support by Eleanor Pahl. Adam B. Levine is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsor is Time by OBOY. Image credit: Donald Iain Smith/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk.

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