The Breakdown

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US.    Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at a topic that has seized the attention of the crypto policy community. Hidden in the America COMPETES Act is a change to the Bank Secrecy Act that would allow the secretary of the treasury to compel financial institutions to conduct extraordinary surveillance or even prohibit financial activity entirely on...

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US.    When Nayib Bukele announced that El Salvador would be making bitcoin legal tender, the international monetary establishment acted with some amount of skepticism. When he announced the nation would be issuing bitcoin bonds, that skepticism turned to anger. Now, the IMF is pushing El Salvador to ditch BTC as legal tender altogether. On today’s e...

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US.    Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW is joined by Ian Lee, co-founder at Syndicate. Syndicate helps groups tap into Web 3 tools to transform investing and capital allocation. Today Syndicate announced their Web3 Investment Clubs that effortlessly turn any Web 3 wallet into an investment DAO. In this conversation, they discuss: Ian’s background and ho...

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US.  On today’s episode, NLW looks at the growing bearish sentiment around the crypto industry. The culprit, he argues, is a deepening macro malaise that has been exacerbated by growing concerns about war in Eastern Europe. That, piled on top of existing inflation concerns and the Fed’s 180-degree shift from quantitative easing to quantitative tighte...

On this week’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads David Z. Morris’ “Meta Leans In to Tracking Your Emotions in the Metaverse.” - Nexo is a powerful, all-in-one crypto platform where you can securely store your crypto. Invest, borrow, exchange and earn up to 17% APR on Bitcoin and 20+ other top coins. Insured for $375M. Audited in real-time by Armanino. Rated excellent on Trustpilot. Get started today...

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US.    This week on the “Weekly Recap,” NLW breaks down the House hearing on energy in the crypto industry. He looks at problems with the advance memo and provides refutations of some of the misunderstandings.  - Nexo is a powerful, all-in-one crypto platform where you can securely store your crypto. Invest, borrow, exchange and earn up to 17% APR on...

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US.  For more than a year, the Federal Reserve has been talking about a forthcoming paper on central bank digital currencies in the U.S. Now that the paper has finally been released, NLW walks us step by step through the Fed’s thinking and shares the initial commentary from the crypto community and Washington, D.C. Enjoying this content?   SUBSCRIBE...

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US.   NLW covers stories that show the full breadth of the crypto industry in 2022. In the first, he looks at a new report from the Russian central bank advocating a near-total ban on bitcoin and crypto in the country, along with new punishments for those who offend. In the second, he looks at news that Facebook and Instagram are testing new non-fung...

On today’s episode, NLW looks at the latest from governments and crypto, including: India’s prime minister calling for global cooperation to “fight” crypto Pakistan’s security agency blocking crypto sites  The U.K., Singapore and Spain introducing new rules around crypto advertising  Enjoying this content?   SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast Apple:  https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1438693620?at=1000lS...

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US.  Microsoft today announced it is acquiring game publisher Activision Blizzard in a nearly $69 billion all-cash deal. The acquisition is being widely seen as a big bet to keep Microsoft competitive in the burgeoning metaverse space. On today’s episode, NLW gives the background and explores the emerging battle between the corporate and the open met...

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US. This week’s “Long Reads Sunday” reading is Max Baucus’ “The Urgent Need for Regulatory Clarity on Stablecoins.”  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.goog...

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US.   In today’s “Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at a slew of funding rounds announced this week, including: Near Protocol, $150 million ZeroHash, $105 million Checkout.com, $1 billion SEBA, $119 million DeFi Alliance (now Alliance DAO), $50 million FTX Ventures, $2 billion Enjoying this content?   SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast Apple:  https://podcasts.apple.co...

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US. This was, NLW argues, a very good week for crypto. He covers: The mayor of Rio announcing big bitcoin/crypto support this week  Strike launching in Argentina Northwest Arkansas offering tech workers $10,000 in BTC and a bike to move to the region A congressman introducing legislation to ban the Fed from issuing a CBDC  Jack Dorsey’s Block buildin...

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US. On today’s episode, NLW covers: The new Bitcoin Legal Defense Fund from Jack Dorsey and others Crypto nuggets from 250 pages of former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s emails The latest out of the Agriculture and Energy committees in Congress as it relates to crypto regulation Crypto hedge funds massively outperform TradFi  Enjoying this conte...

This episode is sponsored by Nexo, Abra and FTX US. Markets have been nervous since last week’s FOMC meeting minutes revealed the Fed was considering early “balance sheet normalization” or quantitative tightening. At yesterday’s confirmation hearings, Fed Chair Jerome Powell tried to soften the Fed’s stance on QT, saying nothing had been decided. Today, December inflation numbers came in at a 39-y...

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...

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 mos...

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” 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://po...

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!  Enjoying this content?   SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast Apple:  https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1438693620?at=1000lSDb Spotify: https:...

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. Th...

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 Enjoying t...

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  Enjoying this content?   SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast Apple:  https://podcasts.ap...

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.  Enjoying t...

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. Enjoying this content?   SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast Apple:  https://podcasts.apple....

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 f...