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:

The Hashrate Migration and Bitcoin’s Resilience, With Compass CEO Whit Gibbs Dec 20, 2021

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG.

Welcome to “The Breakdown’s” “End of Year Extravaganza.” First up, Whit Gibbs, CEO of Compass Mining.

Find our guest on Twitter

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

NYDIG, the institutional-grade platform for bitcoin, is making it possible for thousands of banks who have trusted relationships with hundreds of millions of customers, to offer Bitcoin. Learn more at NYDIG.com/NLW.

“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 holiday theme music is “Spike The Eggnog” by Two Dudes. The music you heard today behind our sponsor is “Dark Crazed Cap” by Isaac Joel. Image credit: BTC Keychain/Flickr/CC BY 2.0, modified by CoinDesk.

Year of the Doge Dec 19, 2021

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG.

For the final “Long Reads Sunday” of the year, NLW reads Michael Casey’s “Dogecoin and the New Meaning of Money.”

“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 “Dark Crazed Cap” by Isaac Joel. Image credit: XXX, modified by CoinDesk.

The Biggest Stories in Crypto and Macro in 2021 Dec 18, 2021

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG.

On this episode of “The Breakdown,” NLW previews the forthcoming “End of Year Extravaganza” by answering the same questions he’ll be asking a dozen guests in the weeks to come.

“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 “Dark Crazed Cap” by Isaac Joel. Image credit: XXX, modified by CoinDesk.

The Statistics That Defined Bitcoin and Crypto in 2021 Dec 18, 2021

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG.

Today’s episode digs through two excellent end-of-year reports from Messari and The Block to curate a set of numbers and statistics that tell the story of the markets in 2021. These numbers include growth in on-chain metrics, hashrate and other types of adoption.

“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 “Dark Crazed Cap” by Isaac Joel. Image credit: SEAN GLADWELL/Moment/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk.

What the Fed’s ‘Hawkish’ Turn Means for Bitcoin Dec 17, 2021

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG.

Yesterday in the wake of the FOMC meeting, the Federal Reserve signaled a hawkish turn. Asset purchases will be tapered at twice the speed, and the Fed is now anticipating three rate hikes next year. So why, in the wake of all that, are risk assets going up, and five-year inflation expectations climbing?

“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 “Dark Crazed Cap” by Isaac Joel. Image credit: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk.

The Senate’s Arguments Against Stablecoins Dec 16, 2021

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG.

Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at the recent U.S. Senate Banking Committee hearing on stablecoins. More contentious than the previous week’s House Financial Services Committee hearing on crypto, NLW argues the hearing helps us understand the current arguments against stablecoins from some of their most important political opponents.

“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 “Dark Crazed Cap” by Isaac Joel. Image credit: Rod Lamkey-Pool/Getty Images News, modified by CoinDesk.

Just How Bearish Are the Bitcoin and Crypto Communities? Dec 15, 2021

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG.

Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at a few explanations for the current bearish sentiment turn, including:

A belief that a bubble is finally bursting
A larger market shift to risk-off based on inflation concerns and expectations around shifting monetary policy
A normal crypto “micro-cycle”

“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 “Dark Crazed Cap” by Isaac Joel. Image credit: sesame/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk.

11 Years Ago Today, Satoshi Disappeared Dec 14, 2021

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG.

Eleven years ago, on Dec. 13, 2010, Satoshi Nakamoto posted on the BitcoinTalk forum for the last time. He would pop up in emails here and there for a few more months, but for the majority of the Bitcoin community, he was gone. In today’s episode, NLW explores how the Bitcoin community was changing, and how the legacy of that period remains with us today.

Read more about the transition to the post-Satoshi era from Pete Rizzo on Bitcoin Magazine: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/technical/what-happened-when-bitcoin-creator-satoshi-nakamoto-disappeared

“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 “Dark Crazed Cap” by Isaac Joel. Image credit: Janos Kummer/Getty Images News, modified by CoinDesk.

Can DAOs Be a 10X Improvement for Fundraising? Dec 13, 2021

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG.

On this week’s “Long Read’s Sunday,” NLW looks at DAOs and their benefits over traditional fundraising, reading:

“DAOs and the Next Crowdfunding Gold Rush” by Will Gottsegen

“What Kickstarter Going Decentralized Means for Web 3” by Daniel Kuhn

“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 “Dark Crazed Cap” by Isaac Joel. Image credit: mathisworks/DigitalVision Vectors/Getty Images.

The 10 (Other) Most Crypto Influential Dec 11, 2021

Show notes

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG.

CoinDesk has just completed its list of 2021’s 50 Most Influential people. On today’s episode, NLW shares that list, and then adds brief commentary on 10 more people or groups that he might have included, including Dylan LeClair and Will Clemente, Punk 6529, Visa’s Cuy Sheffield and more.

“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 “Dark Crazed Cap” by Isaac Joel. Image credit: Svetlana Sultanaeva/EyeEm/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk.

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