The Breakdown

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. Last night both BTC and ETH hit new all-time highs. In today’s episode, NLW explores: What on-chain analysis suggests about how this ATH differs from previous ones Why some are pointing to institutional accumulation as driving the rally What Apple CEO Tim Cook said when he revealed that he holds BTC and ETH  NYDIG, the institutional-grade platform for bitcoin, i...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at why the fracas around Elon Musk’s Twitter poll about his selling 10% of his Tesla stock is about much more than Tesla. It has implications for domestic politics, market structure and why crypto is the future.  Additionally, the Brief covers: The NYC mayor-elect says bitcoin should be taught in schools  The latest on the inf...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. On this week’s ”Long Reads Sunday,” NLW looks at two very different takes on the economy in threads by Raoul Pal and Alex Good.  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. Enjoying this conte...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. On this edition of “The Breakdown Weekly Recap,” NLW covers: SEC Chair Gensler’s recent comments on crypto enforcement The OCC concludes its crypto sprint Why the crypto community is so concerned about Infrastructure Bill amendment 6050I The vibe from NFT.NYC NYDIG, the institutional-grade platform for bitcoin, is making it possible for thousands of banks who ha...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. On today’s episode, NLW gets macro with a discussion of a flattening of the yield curve and what increasingly seems like a failed yield curve control experiment in Australia. He looks at: What the “yield curve” is What a yield curve flattening or inversion is signaling The latest from the U.S. Federal Reserve on tapering  Australia’s yield curve control problem ...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. On today’s episode, NLW follows up on the burgeoning bitcoin-mayor competition between New York City’s Eric Adams and Miami’s Francis Suarez. The show’s main topic is an open letter sent by Congressional Blockchain Caucus co-chairs Rep. Tom Emmer and Rep. Darren Soto to Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler about the recent approvals of bitcoin f...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. Despite (or perhaps because of) being one of the world’s great traditional financial hubs, New York has a contentious relationship with crypto. Between the BitLicense and a very active state attorney general, New York and crypto aren’t always simpatico. That’s why it has been exciting for many New Yorkers to see candidates of both parties advocating for New York...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. The President’s Working Group on Financial Markets has finally released its much-anticipated report on Stablecoins. In this episode, NLW breaks down: The PWG’s three major concerns surrounding stablecoins The significance of its recommendation that Congress legislate stablecoins  The reactions of the crypto community, stablecoin issuers and interested politician...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. NLW counts down the top 5 things to happen in crypto over the last month, including a DAO buying a Wu Tang clan album, top 5 US banks creating new crypto offerings, battles around SEC subpoenas and much more. Listen to find out why we will view October 2021 as a significant transitional month in bitcoin and crypto history.  Enjoying this content?   SUBSCRIBE to...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. This week’s “Long Reads Sunday” is a reading of EY Global Blockchain Lead Paul Brody’s latest essay for CoinDesk: “We Are Already Living in a Post-Scarcity World.” 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...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. Last weekend, Jack Dorsey set the internet alight when he proclaimed, “Hyperinflation is going to change everything. It’s happening.” That kicked off a mighty debate involving Cathie Wood, Elon Musk, Jeff Booth and others. At the heart of it is the question of whether inflation or deflation is the more powerful force in the months and years to come.  NYDIG, the...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. Facebook announced yesterday it is changing its corporate name to Meta. The name change reflects the company’s growing focus on virtual reality, augmented reality and a new version of the internet that people are calling the metaverse. In this episode, NLW looks at the reactions to the news, from those who think it represents a huge mainstreaming opportunity for...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. NLW today provides 14 different takes on shiba inu coin (SHIB) that reflect the range of perspectives across the crypto community, including: “You could have been a billionaire if…” This plays into regulator’s hands “If it only goes to a dollar…” Are the institutions really coming in?  At what point do we take memes seriously? Market nihilism  And more!  NYDIG,...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. On today’s episode, NLW does an extended brief, covering: The CFTC Chair arguing for more power to regulate crypto Comments from the FDIC chair saying that banks need to be allowed to participate in crypto markets  The latest CBDC efforts from Europe and Nigeria Bakkt hooks up with Mastercard A bitcoin ETF news roundup Robinhood down badly in crypto revenue for...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. 2021 has been the year of crypto regulation. In China, that has manifested as a complete banning of bitcoin mining and crypto trading. In the U.S., the verdict is still out, but it has been clear there has been a fair bit of jockeying behind the scenes for authority. A new report suggests the Securities and Exchange Commission has been successful in its lobbying...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. At Messari’s Mainnet conference in September, rumors flew that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission had served a subpoena on a decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol founder moments before he was set to speak on stage. The rumors were confirmed late last week when Terraform Labs and CEO Do Kwon filed a lawsuit against the SEC for due process violations. On...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. On today’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW tells the story of PleasrDAO buying a one-of-a-kind hip hop album, and what it means that the U.S. government is interacting with this new type of collective. He also reads: How to Do Business as a DAO Thread: DAOs as Changing the Fate of the Species NYDIG, the institutional-grade platform for bitcoin, is making it possible fo...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. On this edition of “The Breakdown’s Weekly Recap,” NLW covers: The record-setting performance of the first bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund and what happens next as new ETFs come to market  A massive spate of fundraising, particularly for crypto-focused venture capital funds  New institutional and mainstream adoption of crypto by $2 trillion asset manager PI...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. Today’s episode is nominally about Worldcoin. The project launched this week with ambitions to airdrop a new cryptocurrency on everyone in the world. To do so, it’s using biometric eye scanning to identify people and the entire cryptosphere – bitcoiners, ethereans and beyond – are sort of not having it. NLW gives the context and background of Silicon Valley’s hi...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. Last year, Paul Tudor Jones wrote a paper called “The Great Monetary Inflation” that would end up creating narrative motivation for many traditional retail and institutional investors to allocate to bitcoin as an inflationary hedge. On today’s episode, NLW looks at the rising discussion of inflation in the media and in mainstream American society. He discusses w...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. On today’s episode of “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at the market’s reaction to a new bitcoin all-time high, including: The success of the first day of the ProShares bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund  Why the ETF didn’t end up being a “buy the rumor, sell the news” event Why the new ATH is all the more impressive given the recent FUD and actions by the Chinese g...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. On today’s episode, NLW catches up on a variety of topics from the past week, including: How the first day of trading the ProShares $BITO bitcoin futures ETF is going (and why it could be headed for record breaking volume). Grayscale formally starting the process to convert GBTC into a bitcoin spot ETF The NYAG goes after Nexo and Celsius around crypto yield pro...

This episode is sponsored by NYDIG. Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW rounds out the story of the bitcoin futures ETF process that has dominated crypto chatter for the last week or more. He looks at the details of the first ETF that will go live, as well as why some on Twitter argue this is really just a product for short-term traders. Finally, he looks at the significance of news that Grayscale will...

On this week’s Long Reads Sunday, NLW reads SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce’s recent speech: “Lawless in Austin” 

On this edition of the Weekly Recap, NLW looks at two new policies frameworks released by companies in the crypto and web3 space. The first comes from Coinbase and argues that there should be a new overarching regulator for digital assets. The second comes from venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz and is a holistic approach to what they call the third generation of the internet.