The Breakdown

Latest Episodes:

Why Former US Regulators Are Moving Into Crypto Sep 11, 2021

Show notes

Today on the Brief:

NFT volume cools down but interest remains strong
Mastercard is acquiring CipherTrace
European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve begin preparing for asset purchase tapers this autumn

Our main discussion is about the flow of regulators from the U.S. government into the crypto industry. NLW looks in particular at Brian Quintenz, who is joining Andreessen Horowitz, and Chris Giancarlo, the former CFTC chair whose new book is “CryptoDad: The Fight for the Future of Money.”

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“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell 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 “Only in Time” by Abloom. Image credit: Toya Sarno Jordan/Bloomberg/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk.

Ukraine Legalizes Bitcoin Sep 10, 2021

Show notes

El Salvador made history on Tuesday, Sept. 7, when it became the first nation to make bitcoin legal tender. In this episode, NLW reviews the first day of bitcoin in El Salvador, including reports from the ground as well as the salty tears of anti-BTC libertarians. He also looks at new crypto legislation out of Panama. Finally, he covers a new bill to legalize and regulate bitcoin and crypto in Ukraine.

“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell 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 “Tidal Wave” by BRASKO. Image credit: andreydayen/RooM/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk.

The SEC Threatens to Sue Coinbase but Coinbase Is Fighting Back Sep 09, 2021

Show notes

Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW briefly covers yesterday’s bitcoin price crash and why it was driven by market structure more than news. The main topic focuses on revelations from Coinbase that after months of engagement around its upcoming Lend product, the SEC is now threatening to sue. NLW examines the controversy from five dimensions:

The argument for and against lending as a security
The SEC’s pattern of regulation by litigation
How the SEC is rewarding bad actors by punishing compliance
The concerning surveillance implications of one of the SEC’s requests
Why these strong-arm tactics are doomed

Should Coinbase take the battle to court?

It’s Bitcoin Day in El Salvador Sep 08, 2021

Show notes

El Salvador’s bitcoin legal-tender law goes into effect today. NLW looks at the recent controversy surrounding the law, including:

Institutional controversy – why the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank don’t like the law
Bitcoiner skepticism – why some aren’t convinced the law should force merchants to accept BTC
Authoritarian blues – why some are concerned with the Bukele government itself

June 12th/Bitcoin Beach Breakdown episode: https://www.coindesk.com/podcasts/the-breakdown-with-nlw/bitcoin-is-economic-empowerment/

Balaji Srinivasan: “Bitcoin at $1,000,000 is a Global Government” Sep 06, 2021

Show notes

This interview originally aired December 19th, 2020.

Balaji Srinivasan is an angel investor and entrepreneur, the former CTO of Coinbase, a former General Partner at Andressen Horowitz and more.

In this wide-ranging conversation with NLW, he discusses:

How networks are taking a power role once reserved for god and the state
Why pre-internet institutions will not survive the internet
Why bitcoin at $1 million is a global government
Woke capital vs. communist capital vs. crypto capital

WTF Is A “Metaverse?” Sep 05, 2021

Show notes

On this week’s Long Reads Sunday, NLW reads David Hoffman’s recent essay in Bankless “The Metaverse Emerges”

Dungeons and Degens: Why Everyone Is Talking About Loot Sep 04, 2021

Show notes

On this edition of the Weekly Recap, NLW looks at Loot (for Adventurers), the newest NFT sensation. Unlike the “JPEG” or Avatar NFTs, Loot bags are sets of theoretical items for a theoretical game set in a theoretical fantasy world. Created by one of the co-founders of Vine, Loot absolutely took off this past week, racing to be one of the most traded NFTs, and attracting thousands upon thousands of people to start creating the world around those items. NLW explores what it means for the NFT space specifically and for the competition between digital and physical worlds more broadly.

The Breakdown’s Official Bitcoin and Crypto Fall Preview Sep 04, 2021

Show notes

On this special episode of The Breakdown, NLW looks at what we learned over the summer and what the fall holds for different parts of the crypto industry and surrounding spaces, including:

The macroeconomic landscape
Regulatory battles
Bitcoin
NFTs
Layer 1 battles
CBDCs and stablecoins

“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features NLW, with editing and executive producing by Adam B. Levine. Our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. The music you heard today behind our sponsor is “Only in Time” by Abloom. Image credit: Evgen Zaitsev/iStock/Getty Images Plus, modified by CoinDesk.

A $1.5T Asset Manager Is Getting Into Bitcoin Sep 03, 2021

Show notes

Today on the Brief:

Binance dinged by Singapore authorities while discussing Binance.us going public
Former CFTC Chair Giancarlo leaves BlockFi board of directors after only four months
SEC takes action against … Bitconnect?

Our main discussion: Franklin Templeton has posted a job listing for a crypto trader, while Vast bank now offers bitcoin buying and selling directly from FDIC banking. NLW explores what’s next in the bitcoin market cycle.

Bitcoin Payments Coming to Twitter? Sep 02, 2021

Show notes

On today’s episode, NLW takes a historical look at Silicon Valley’s relationship with Bitcoin. NLW explores why so many in Silicon Valley missed Bitcoin in the early days, why smart contracts made more sense to them (and fit with their funding model), and what Jack Dorsey’s support of Bitcoin all means. Finally, he uses that context to explain today’s leaked news that Twitter is building Bitcoin payments into its Tip Jar feature.

“The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell 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 “Only in Time” by Abloom. Image credit: farakos/iStock/Getty Images Plus, modified by CoinDesk.

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