The Breakdown

Today’s episode of “The Breakdown” is an extended brief with five different topics: NFTs make it to “SNL” “Green” bitcoin mining Square’s CFO thinks all companies should hold bitcoin in their treasuries Crypto M&A doubles in 2020 Visa announces USDC as settlement currency  Ultimately, he argues that while non-fungible tokens are showing up in pop culture, the Visa deal reinforces the notion that t...

On this edition of “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads David Hoffman’s essay “The Digital Cultural Revolution” from Bankless. The essay argues that culture, more than economics, will be the most important long-term beneficiary of the rise of crypto.  -- Earn up to 12% APY on Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD, EUR, GBP, Stablecoins & more. Get started at nexo.io -- Enjoying this content?   SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast...

On this week’s Weekly Recap, NLW: Highlights the four most important happenings around regulation and central bank digital currencies in the U.S. Updates the macro inflation narrative for a “new normal” era Digs into what we’ve learned recently about George Soros’ bitcoin and crypto strategy -- Earn up to 12% APY on Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD, EUR, GBP, Stablecoins & more. Get started at nexo.io -- En...

Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW digs into bitcoin and crypto markets. He argues that despite two weeks of sideways-down price action, there are a set of reasons to be optimistic: Historically bad March months versus historically good Aprils Retracements and pullbacks in 2017  Analysis around options expiry in 2021 The continuation and expansion of the macro inflation narrative Institutions applying...

Today on the Brief: Fidelity files a bitcoin ETF application Stimmies to China The situation in the Suez Our main discussion: In response to a question from Illinois Democrat Bill Foster during a House hearing earlier this week, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell went on the record as being against an anonymous digital dollar. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reinforced that stance, saying anonymi...

Today on the Brief: Robinhood IPO incoming Competing bitcoin price predictions  Yellen and Powell’s latest testimony on economic growth Our main discussion: Elon Musk announced this morning Tesla’s program for buying its cars with bitcoin:  Says the company is running Bitcoin network nodes Says Tesla won’t convert back to fiat but will hold bitcoin Expanding the program internationally coming soon...

Three major moments over the last couple days help provide insight into the future of the U.S. government’s relationship with bitcoin, stablecoins and digital currencies.  The first was Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s comments on digital assets and a central bank digital currency, saying work on a U.S. “digital dollar” was not being motivated by bitcoin or any other crypto, and that bitcoin...

Today on the Brief: Nigeria central bank reversing stance on crypto ban?  “The least responsible fiscal policy of the last 40 years” Scaramucci’s firm files fifth bitcoin ETF application Our main discussion: the crash of the Turkish lira. In this episode, NLW looks at the last few years of Turkish monetary policy, inflation and currency crisis, focusing on: The seesaw shifts between inflation and...

On this edition of “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads a BitcoinTalk forum from exactly eight years ago - Hal Finney’s “Bitcoin and Me.” The piece is about the origins of Bitcoin, and more broadly, life’s treasures. -- Earn up to 12% APY on Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD, EUR, GBP, Stablecoins & more. Get started at nexo.io -- Enjoying this content?   SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast Apple:  https://podcasts.apple.com...

On this week’s Breakdown Weekly Recap, NLW looks at: The beginning of the next institutional bitcoin wave NFT bubble signals Central bank policy changes Kentucky’s new pro-crypto legislation -- Earn up to 12% APY on Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD, EUR, GBP, Stablecoins & more. Get started at nexo.io -- Enjoying this content?   SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast Apple:  https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id143869362...

Today on the Brief: China-U.S. talks U.S. spending coming back A virtual casino hiring IRL people  Our main discussion looks at central bank digital currencies and why they’re so appealing for bankers, especially compared to cash. NLW discusses: Recent comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell on why any CBDC would be complement cash Comments from Agustin Carstens about how much oversight CBDCs provid...

Today on the Brief Followup on the FOMC meeting $3.1M for an anonymous team Could we finally see a bitcoin ETF?  Our main discussion: Aker ASA’s new Seetee bitcoin division. NLW explores: Why a Norwegian billionaire is buying into bitcoin Why the move is part of a larger institutional shift  Why Seetee founder Kjell Rokke believes bitcoin can spur positive environmental change -- Earn up to 12% AP...

Today on the Brief: What markets want from the Federal Reserve’s FOMC meeting eToro’s $10B SPAC The latest on Coinbase’s IPO Our main discussion: Morgan Stanley set to become the first big bank to offer wealthy clients access to bitcoin.  In this episode, NLW breaks down this breaking news, including: Restrictions on the fund in terms of who can buy and how much they can spend  Background of the f...

Today on The Breakdown, NLW reviews Ray Dalio’s latest essay, looking at: The six reasons why it doesn’t make sense to hold bonds anymore Why holding bonds is especially troubling in the concept of growing government money printing Why sovereign bond holdings are shifting from the U.S. to China  Why proposed wealth taxes are likely just the beginning of a more aggressive period of financial regula...

Today on the Brief: Bitcoin’s $60,000 weekend price brings out the angry bears India’s mixed signals on a crypto ban Tesla’s new Master of Coin Our main discussion:  A new $1.9 trillion stimulus package is on the books, of which about $400 billion is going to Americans in the form of direct payments. In this episode, NLW looks at what percentage of that might find its way into investments like bit...

On this week’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads Layered Money author Nik Bhatia’s recent essay for CoinDesk, “Why $1 Million Bitcoin Is Coming” -- Earn up to 12% APY on Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD, EUR, GBP, Stablecoins & more. Get started at nexo.io -- Enjoying this content?   SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast Apple:  https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1438693620?at=1000lSDb Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/s...

On The Breakdown’s “Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at news of institutional involvement in the bitcoin and digital asset space including: New York Life investing in and joining the board of directors of NYDIG JPMorgan introducing a “cryptocurrency exposure basket” debt product Goldman Sachs’ COO saying demand is rising -- Earn up to 12% APY on Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD, EUR, GBP, Stablecoins & more. Get st...

COVID-19 sent the money printer into overdrive. With the newly signed $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, the total spent on pandemic relief in the U.S. exceeds $6 trillion, more than WWII’s inflation-adjusted $4.1 trillion.  In this episode, NLW explores what the possible implications of this spending are for bitcoin, including: Whether we’re likely to see if some of the $400 billion allocated for direc...

Everyone paying attention knew that Beeple’s Christie’s auction was likely going to set a new high water mark for NFT sales. Fewer would have guessed that it would lead to the third-highest auction price for a living artist in history.  On this episode, NLW breaks down: How interest in NFT is at an inflection point Why it’s not just digital art but sports collectibles as well How the traditional c...

Today on The Breakdown, NLW catches up on the news from the past few days, looking at: NFTs heating up – and capturing some negative attention in the process Infrastructure acquisitions and M&A heat up Eliminate Barriers to Innovation Act 2021 Coinbase’s $100B valuation NYDIG’s $200M round and new board member -- Earn up to 12% APY on Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD, EUR, GBP, Stablecoins & more. Get start...

On today’s episode, NLW is joined by investor and FinTwit star Tracy Shuchart. On the show, they discuss: The world’s most important geopolitical fault lines, from the Middle East to China The early indicators from the Biden administration around foreign policy  Jerome Powell’s recent statements on CBDCs  The changing global energy landscape  -- Earn up to 12% APY on Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD, EUR, G...

On today’s episode, NLW provides a 101-style overview of central bank digital currencies, looking at: Why governments are interested in CBDCs Why Facebook’s libra announcement accelerated CBDC development the world over Why China’s CBDC efforts are driven by an attempt to shift power in the U.S. dollar-led global economy  How the U.S.’ rhetoric around central bank digital currencies is changing Wh...

On today’s episode, NLW reads Balaji Srinivasan’s essay “How India Legalizes Crypto.” NLW argues that while India’s proposed crypto ban is nominally the focus, the implications are much bigger and have to do with a forthcoming global monetary competition that will inevitably include private, network cryptos including bitcoin and more.  -- Earn up to 12% APY on Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD, EUR, GBP, Sta...

On this edition of The Breakdown’s weekly recap, NLW looks at: Whether bitcoin is being caught up in the larger macro volatility The latest NFT shenanigans including a burned IRL Banksy The latest on institutional adoption including a positive survey from Goldman Sachs -- Earn up to 12% APY on Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD, EUR, GBP, Stablecoins & more. Get started at nexo.io -- Enjoying this content?  ...

What are Treasury bonds? Why does it matter how they’re doing? Does the Federal Reserve actually print money? What’s the difference between quantitative easing and yield curve control?  Bitcoin undeniably operates in a macro environment. In this 101-style episode, guest Kevin Kelly, cofounder of Delphi Digital, gives listeners a whistle-stop tour of a set of key concepts to understanding bitcoin m...