Blockworks

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/

Author

Blockworks

Category

Business

Podcast website

the-breakdown.carrd.co

Latest episode

Jul 6, 2026

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Episodes

Bitcoin and Opting Out of the IMF & World Bank 04.12.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and Kraken.   On today’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads Alex Gladstein’s Twitter version of his new essay "Structural Adjustment: How the IMF and World Bank Repress Poor Countries and Funnel Their Resources to Rich Ones." - Nexo is a security-first platform where you can buy, exchange and borrow against your crypto. The company ensures the safety of you...

Market Whiplash as Jobs Report Undermines Powell’s Less Hawkish Speech 04.12.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and Kraken.   On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW catches up on the macro landscape, including recapping Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s speech on Wednesday and how the jobs report released Friday might undermine it as a market signal.  - Nexo is a security-first platform where you can buy, exchange and borrow against your crypto. The compa...

Apple’s Monopoly App Store Tax Coming to Crypto? 03.12.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and Kraken.   On today’s episode, we catch up on the crypto industry, including: Apple’s dust-up with Coinbase around fees for NFT transfers Stripe’s new fiat-to-crypto tooling for developers  Fidelity opens retail trading of bitcoin and ether  First U.S. hearing on FTX    - Nexo is a security-first platform where you can buy, exchange and borrow agains...

Will Sam’s Frenetic Media Tour Save Him or Damn Him? 02.12.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and Kraken.   Ah Sam, will we ever be able to escape you? This week, “main character syndrome” came roaring back into fashion as Sam Bankman-Fried broke his silence with a string of interviews culminating in appearances with Andrew Ross Sorkin at the New York Times DealBook Summit and on “Good Morning America” with George Stephanopoulos. NLW breaks down...

Post-FTX, India and Europe Push Ahead With CBDCs 01.12.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and Kraken.   In today’s global regulatory roundup, NLW looks at news from: Europe: EU holds a hearing on the FTX collapse and France tests a CBDC India: RBI announces Indian CBDC trials to begin Thursday US: Sen. Ron Wyden sends letters to 6 exchange heads    - Nexo Pro allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees. Yo...

Fed Officials Say Interest Rates to Remain Higher for Longer 30.11.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and Kraken.   On today’s episode, NLW turns back to the macro, where some amount of optimism had seeped into risk assets since a better-than-expected inflation report a few weeks ago. On Monday, a group of Federal Reserve officials were trotted out to make the point to markets they might once again be getting ahead of themselves with expectations of any...

BlockFi Files for Bankruptcy, Becoming Latest FTX Domino 29.11.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and Kraken. On today’s episode, NLW returns to his usual daily programming with a review of crypto contagion that took place during the last week. He looks at BlockFi, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in New Jersey today, as well as Genesis and FTX itself.  (Genesis Global Capital is a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, the parent com...

The Progressive Case for Bitcoin, With Jason Maier 28.11.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and Kraken. For our concluding episode of “Grateful for Bitcoin,” NLW chats with Jason Maier, who is currently working on a book on a progressive’s case for bitcoin. In this conversation, they discuss which progressive values align with bitcoin’s impact in the world, and why bitcoin has been so successful in remaining nonpartisan.  - Nexo Pro allows you...

Bitcoin Gas Flare Mining, With Matt Lohstroh 26.11.2022

  This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and Kraken. For this edition of “Grateful for Bitcoin,” NLW is joined by Matt Lohstroh, cofounder of Giga Energy. Matt and Giga are leaders in the bitcoin gas flare mining space. On this episode, he and NLW discuss the state of the bitcoin mining industry and how it’s changed over the years.  Find our guest online: https://twitter.com/lohstroh - Nexo...

Why Lightning Isn’t Just for Bitcoin Believers, With Graham Krizek 24.11.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and Kraken. On this episode of “Grateful for Bitcoin,” NLW is joined by Voltage cofounder and CEO Graham Krizek. Voltage provides enterprise-grade infrastructure for the Lightning Network. On this episode, Graham and NLW talk about the current state of Lightning and discuss why some of the customers interested in bitcoin might surprise you.  Find our gu...

‘A Fight Worth Having’: A Conversation With Jesse Powell 23.11.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and Kraken. On today’s episode of “Grateful for Bitcoin,” NLW is joined by Kraken cofounder and former CEO Jesse Powell. They discuss the fallout from FTX, philosophy, regulations, non-fungible tokens and how the industry can move on in a positive direction.  - Nexo Pro allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees. You...

The Top 5 Times Bitcoin Was Supposed to Die, With Dan McArdle 22.11.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and Kraken. Today, NLW is joined by Dan McArdle, a bitcoin OG who co-founded Messari, built Case for Bitcoin and more. In this episode, they discuss the top five times bitcoin was supposed to die.    Find our guest online: https://twitter.com/robustus   - Nexo Pro allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees. You alway...

Okay Proof of Reserves, But for Real This Time? 20.11.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and Kraken.   On this edition of “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads Nic Carter’s newest “Let’s Actually Commit to Proofs of Reserve This Time, Okay?” - Nexo Pro allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees. You always get the best possible prices from all the available liquidity sources and can earn interest or borrow fund...

The State of Play in Fed Commentary and the Crypto Contagion 19.11.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and Kraken.   On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW follows the path of the crypto contagion including the latest from FTX, Silvergate Bank and Genesis Lending. He also looks at the slate of officials the Federal Reserve trotted out to tamp down market enthusiasm following signs the pace of inflation may be slowing.  - Nexo Pro allows you to trade...

Is DCG in Danger Now, Too? 19.11.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and Kraken.   On today’s episode, NLW looks at the latest FTX contagion discussion. He examines the Genesis withdrawal shutdown and growing question of whether it has exposed parent company Digital Currency Group to larger financial issues.    (Genesis Global Capital is a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, the parent company of CoinDesk.)  - Nexo Pro...

Guy Who Oversaw Enron Says FTX Is Worse 18.11.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and Kraken.   Today NLW covers two major updates in the FTX saga. The first is first-day declarations by FTX’s new CEO John J. Ray III that argue that, in short, FTX is worse run than Enron. The second are messages between Sam and a Vox reporter in which Sam  lets the veneer of ethics down and reveals his true beliefs about power.    - Nexo Pro allows y...

Genesis and Gemini Earn Halt Withdrawals as FTX Contagion Spreads 17.11.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and Kraken.   On today’s episode, NLW covers the latest fallout from the FTX collapse. Genesis Capital has paused withdrawals and loan origination, which has also led to Gemini pausing its Earn program. NLW also covers the latest in why last week’s CPI print may not be as bullish as it seems and why Apple plans to move semiconductor manufacturing onshor...

The State of Post-FTX and Alameda Research Market Contagion 16.11.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and Kraken.   On today’s episode, NLW explores the state of the market in the wake of the collapse of FTX and Alameda Research. He looks at hedge funds that have reported funds stuck on FTX as well as overall liquidity conditions. He also looks at the divergence between crypto and other risk assets over the last two weeks. - Nexo Pro allows you to trade...

Sam Bankman Fraud: Inside the Collapse of FTX’s Hollow Empire 15.11.2022

As NLW said on each day’s show, “in addition to them being a sponsor of the show, I also work with FTX.” On today’s show, NLW gives an insider’s view of the timeline, from the beginnings of trouble as the crypto community turned on Sam Bankman-Fried for his role in shaping industry regulations to the chaotic week that saw FTX go from high flyer to bankrupt. Along the way, [NLW] shares how he and o...

OFAC Backtracks (Somewhat) on Tornado Cash Sanctions 12.11.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io and Circle.   On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at some small but potentially significant shifts to the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s sanctions against Tornado Cash, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s victory over LBRY and more.  - Nexo Pro allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees. You always get...

Jonathan Wu on Why Technology Might Be a Better Solution to Privacy Than Public Policy 12.11.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io and Circle.   Jon Wu works on growth with Aztec Network and is a deep thinker when it comes to the challenges of privacy in a digital age. In this conversation, he and NLW discuss privacy from a principle and ethics standpoint, zero-knowledge proofs and whether technology could solve problems that many think only public policy holds an answer for.    Find out g...

The Fight for DeFi in Washington, D.C., With Miller Whitehouse-Levine 11.11.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, and Circle Editor's note: This interview was recorded on Oct. 24 and so it doesn’t reference the events of the last week.  On today’s “Breakdown” interview, NLW is joined by Miller Whitehouse-Levine, policy director at the DeFi Education Fund. They discuss the state of regulatory discourse in Washington, D.C., along with key recent events including Treasury De...

What the US Midterm Elections’ Lack of a ‘Red Wave’ Means for Crypto 10.11.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and FTX US.   On today’s episode, NLW looks at the U.S. election results, including pro-crypto candidates who were elected (or re-elected) and what the overall balance of power means for crypto and business in general. He also previews Thursday’s October inflation numbers, which will be one of the key pieces of data that will influence Federal Reserve a...

Tyrone Ross on Why the Institutions Are Building During This Bear Market 07.11.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and FTX US.   In today’s interview, NLW talks with returning guest Tyrone Ross about the state of financial advice and why the biggest institutions in the world are spending the bear market gearing up for the next cycle. They also discuss Tyrone’s new 401 Financial and Turnqey Labs ventures.    Find our guest on Twitter: @TR401 - Nexo Pro allows you to...

Why There Is No 'Bitcoin Is Dead' Talk This Cycle 07.11.2022

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and FTX US.   On this edition of “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads: “Bitcoin Is the Song That Does Not End” – Isaiah Douglass  “End of the Monopoly: How Bitcoin Will Usher in a New Era of Governance in Crypto” – Edan Yago - Nexo Pro allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees. You always get the best possible prices from...

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