The Breakdown

Latest Episodes:

‘Economics Will No Longer Be the Handmaiden of Politics’: A History of the Cypherpunks Nov 05, 2020

Show notes

Jim Epstein is the executive editor of Reason TV and podcasts, and the producer of the recent documentary “Cypherpunks Write Code.”

In this conversation, he gives NLW a behind the scenes look on the interviews and conversations that went into the documentary, including how the cypherpunks started, schisms in the movement, and how the movement lives on today.

Watch “Cypherpunks Write Code”

Find Jim online:

twitter.com/jimepstein

A (Not Quite) Complete History of Money, Feat. Planet Money’s Jacob Goldstein Nov 04, 2020

Show notes

Jacob Goldstein is one of the hosts of NPR’s Planet Money. He is also the author of the new book, “Money: A True Story of a Made Up Thing.”

In this conversation, he and NLW discuss:

How China invented paper money and then forgot about it for centuries
Why the invention of the lightbulb was a pivotal money history moment
How money market funds set the stage for the Great Financial Crisis
Where bitcoin fits in the world that comes next: without cash, without banks and with government printing

Find our guest online:

Twitter: twitter.com/jacobgoldstein

Who Is Better for Bitcoin, Trump or Biden? Nov 03, 2020

Show notes

Today on the Brief:

The digital euro is closer than ever
Checking in on European COVID-19 lockdowns
Economic events this week that aren’t the election

Our main discussion: Which U.S. election outcome is better for bitcoin?

Poll: https://twitter.com/nlw/status/1320884275110137863

After a surprisingly close Twitter poll with more than 1,600 respondents answering the question “Is Trump or Biden better for bitcoin?”, NLW breaks down the most common themes, including:

The Senate matters more
Anti-encryption history
And of course… Honey Badger Don’t Care

By the Numbers: More Bitcoin Bulls Than Ever Before Nov 01, 2020

Show notes

On this week’s Long Reads Sunday, NLW diverts from our normal opinion and long-form essay to pursue Grayscale’s recent investor reports. In its survey of investors, Grayscale found more interest in bitcoin investing than ever before, with a significant amount of the growth in interest being driven by economic and monetary policy following the coronavirus pandemic.

scribd.com/document/481729535/Grayscale-2020-Bitcoin-Investor-Study

The World Is Never Getting Off Government Stimulus Oct 31, 2020

Show notes

On this week’s weekly recap, NLW looks at:

Bitcoin’s resilience in the face of a week where many investors went risk off, causing a drop in stocks and gold
JPMorgan’s dramatic three-year attitude shift around bitcoin and crypto
Iran stockpiling bitcoin to be able to pay for imports
A new round of COVID-19 lockdowns and the stimulus that will follow

Why Satoshi Chose Halloween to Release the Bitcoin White Paper Oct 31, 2020

Show notes

One of the most powerful aspects of bitcoin is its mythology.

In this episode, NLW explores the 12th anniversary of the Bitcoin white paper and the choices that went into its release date.

Whether it was something to do with the Reformation or an allusion to the longstanding pagan tradition of Samhain, the one thing that’s clear is the choice adds all the more mystique to bitcoin’s incredible origins.

Mirage Recovery: What ‘Record’ GDP Growth Tells Us About the Economy Oct 30, 2020

Show notes

Today on the Brief:

FTX launches equities trading
Avanti gets Wyoming bank charter
France locks down and ECB intimates new stimulus

Our main discussion: GDP growth report

The Department of Commerce released its Q3 GDP numbers. Touted as record growth, this is actually a much more complicated story. In this episode, NLW breaks down what the numbers tell us and what they don’t, and why we should be more focused on understanding long-term consumer behavior shifts than short-term numbers.

The ‘Everything Crash’ Is Coming? Markets Go Risk-Off as European Stocks See Worst Day in 5 Months Oct 29, 2020

Show notes

Today on the Brief:

Section 230 hearing with social media CEOs in Washington D.C.
Bitwise now has more than $100 million AUM
Trump website defaced with Monero request

Our main discussion: Markets go risk-off.

With rising fear of COVID-19 lockdowns, everything from stocks to oil to gold and, yes, even bitcoin is down on the day. The important question is whether this is a short-term volatility phenomenon or part of a larger systemic shift.

JPMorgan Launches JPM Coin: Welcome to the Private Currency Era Oct 28, 2020

Show notes

Today on the Brief:

Stocks down; bitcoin up
Consumer confidence shaky as baking supplies demand grows 3,400%
Bank for International Settlements and Swiss central bank to test CBDC this year

Our main discussion: JPM Coin.

Initially announced in February 2019, JPMorgan’s JPM Coin is being launched for commercial use. In this episode, NLW looks at:

The history of private currencies in the U.S.
Why Libra was a starting gun for both governments and other private corporations
How JPMorgan intends to make money from JPM Coin
Why other investment banks might follow

Hedge Funds Failures, Bankruptcies and Pandemic Fatigue Oct 27, 2020

Show notes

Today on the Brief:

Turkey’s real inflation rate 3x official number
Hot new DeFi protocol Harvest Financial hacked
Bitcoin whales hit largest number since 2016

Our main conversation is about the rise of a new wave of COVID-19 and the economic fallout we’re still trying to address. NLW discusses why we’re starting this next wave more emotionally drained, politically divided and economically fragile than we were in March.

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