The Breakdown

Over the last year there has been a growing correlation between the stock market and bitcoin. Some of this is attributed to the new traditional participants in bitcoin. Some of it is attributed to bitcoin acting less like an uncorrelated hedge and more like just another risk asset.  In this episode, NLW argues that the notion bitcoin has started acting more like stocks is, in fact, completely back...

Today on the Brief: PayPal acquiring Curv for $500 million? Traditional markets are very confused Portnoy launches Buzz exchange-traded fund Our main discussion: NLW looks at the emerging political landscape for crypto in the U.S. Specifically, he examines: Gary Gensler’s hearing before the Senate Banking Committee on his nomination to head the SEC Elizabeth Warren’s comments (or non-comments) abo...

On today’s episode, NLW looks at the explosion of interest in NFTs. Big money, big names, big problems?  He asks whether non-fungible tokens are this cycle’s initial coin offerings by looking at five different comparison points: Inflated prices Overpromises Celebrity hype Wheat-and-Chaff Competition with bitcoin So are NFTs just a new version of the ol’ ICO? Listen to find out. -- Earn up to 12% A...

Today on the Brief: Michael Saylor bought the dip China bans bitcoin mining in Inner Mongolia WallStreetBets moving off Reddit?  Our main discussion: Citi’s analysis of bitcoin.  February saw a non-stop barrage of bullish bitcoin news with regard to institutional uptake. March is off to a similar start with a massive research report arguing that: Bitcoin’s evolution over the last seven years has b...

Today on “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads “Can Governments Stop Bitcoin?” by Alex Gladstein, published recently by Quillette. Gladstein argues that both technical and legal attacks on bitcoin are extremely difficult to execute, even for large governments.  -- Earn up to 12% APY on Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD, EUR, GBP, Stablecoins & more. Get started at nexo.io -- Enjoying this content?   SUBSCRIBE to th...

This week on the Weekly Recap, NLW discusses: The price dip Tether’s settlement with the NYAG Coinbase’s S1 Filings Beeple’s record-setting NFT sales and what it means for the NFT space as a whole  -- 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/id14...

Today on the Brief: SEC investigating Elon’s DOGE tweets? U.S. income growth has second biggest monthly gain ever Robinhood growth suggests crypto mainstreaming Main discussion: Cathie Wood thinks bitcoin could replace bonds. In this episode, NLW lays out: How Cathie Wood made a name by being early in Tesla, bitcoin and innovation How ARK’s funds have grown  Why bonds aren’t performing anymore and...

In today's episode, NLW looks at how bitcoin fits with the growing trend of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) investing. In it, he:  Argues that ESG investors should disregard the false idea that bitcoin is only used for crime Provides three frameworks for understanding bitcoin’s energy consumption  Demonstrates how marginalized communities are using bitcoin as a tool of economic empowerment...

Today on the Brief: Fed Chair Jerome Powell comments on markets and digital currency Cathie Wood’s ARK faces toughest stretch since last September  India’s latest anti-crypto sentiment  Our main discussion: More news on corporate bitcoin buying. NLW discusses: Square’s Q4 and overall 2020 bitcoin performance in terms of revenue and profit Square’s latest bitcoin purchase of ~3,300 BTC for $170 mil...

On today’s episode, NLW breaks down the final settlement of the New York Attorney General’s case against Tether. He argues that the outcome is extremely positive for the industry, discussing: Why Tether risk became a major source of FUD in 2021 How conspiracy theories overtook legitimate concerns The history of the NYAG’s case against Tether Specific findings of the NYAG’s case around two times th...

Today on the Brief: Welcome back to the price rollercoaster The latest from China’s digital yuan trial A 3-week sprint to a stimulus package Our main discussion: Canada’s first Bitcoin ETF. NLW discusses: ETF 101 Pros and cons of a bitcoin ETF History of bitcoin ETF proposals  Early performance for Canada’s BTCC ETF  Implications for a US BTC ETF in 2021 -- Earn up to 12% APY on Bitcoin, Ethereum,...

On this week’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads Alex Treece’s recent essay “Why the US Needs Bitcoin.” The piece argues the U.S. will inevitably adopt bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset, but by doing so sooner rather than later it can enjoy geopolitical advantages.  NLW follows with a discussion of his assessment of the prospects of a digital dollar backed by digital gold.  -- Earn up to 12% APY on...

This week, instead of our normal Weekly Recap, NLW digs into Thursday’s congressional hearings around GameStop, Robinhood and WallStreetBets.  He explores:  Why there was a significant focus on T+2 settlement  Bipartisan agreement on retail investors getting screwed, but different diagnoses on how to address Why Keith Gill, aka Roaring Kitty, aka DeepFuckingValue is a new American folk hero Ultima...

Bitcoin is officially a $1T asset. As the price surged over $54,000, the total market cap of bitcoin reached the new all-time high.  In this episode, NLW explores the significance of the milestone, arguing: There has been a slate of good news, from BlackRock rumblings to Canadian ETFs that have been driving recent price action There are a variety of institutions that couldn’t allocate to the space...

Nik Bhatia is a financial researcher, a CFA charterholder and an Adjunct Professor of Finance and Business Economics at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business.  Nik’s new book “Layered Money: From Gold and Dollars to Bitcoin and Central Bank Digital Currencies” puts the rise of bitcoin into a larger historical context - from the first coinage of Rome to the introduction...

Today’s episode of “The Breakdown” analyzes a number of topics across the bitcoin and crypto industry, including: Bitcoin reclaims $50,000 and looks towards a $1 trillion market cap Treasury yields rise, hammering gold but so far having no impact on BTC Bitwise launches a new DeFi index fund for accredited and institutional investors Christie’s is auctioning off NFTs Coinbase is trading at a $77 b...

Early this morning, bitcoin reached a new all-time high above $50,000. While the market quickly retraced, the psychological barrier was breached. On today’s episode, NLW explores what it means, including whether there is any technical value in the number and Michael Saylor and MicroStrategy’s new $600 million debt offering to buy more bitcoin.  He also explores Dan Held’s concept of a bitcoin supe...

Today on the Brief: A follow-up on celebrity in crypto Dapper Labs and BlockFi raising at multibillion dollar valuations Cathie Wood and ARK increase their bitcoin position Our main discussion looks at the latest institutional bitcoin news: Deutsche Bank – the world’s 21st largest – quietly revealed a digital asset custody program with much bigger ambitions in a December 2020 World Economic Forum...

This week’s “Long Reads Sunday” is a reading of Nic Carter’s latest essay for CoinDesk “What Bloomberg Gets Wrong About Bitcoin’s Climate Footprint.” -- 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.spoti...

On this edition of the weekly recap, NLW breaks down the entrance of corporates into the crypto space this week, including: Tesla BNY Mellon Mastercard Twitter Amazon He also argues that more corporate actors investing in bitcoin and crypto makes it significantly less likely the U.S. government would look towards severe regulation. -- Earn up to 12% APY on Bitcoin, Ethereum, USD, EUR, GBP, Stablec...

On today’s episode, NLW breaks down: The Miami Commissioners vote to start educating people about bitcoin and crypto The Nigerian Senate debate following the Central Bank of Nigeria’s recent crypto ban Why Jay-Z and Jack Dorsey’s bitcoin trust matters NLW argues the relationship between the crypto industry and celebrities is very different this time around compared to the previous ICO-led bull mar...

On today’s episode of The Breakdown, NLW looks at a slew of news from corporates getting into the bitcoin and crypto space, including: Twitter CFO exploring bitcoin treasury holdings and payments to employees and vendors Mastercard announcing crypto coming to payment rails in 2021 Amazon revealing its digital currency plans in a series of job posts BNY Mellon, the world’s largest asset custodian,...

On today’s episode, NLW examines two governments' attempts to restrict how their citizens interact with crypto. He breaks down: India’s history with crypto bans India’s history with demonetization and financial control What we know about a new bill that would ban crypto and provide a framework for an Indian government digital currency  Recent action by the Central Bank of Nigeria to block banks fr...

Today on the Brief: A shifting inflation narrative Reddit raises $250M and has a $6B valuation  Castle Island Ventures announces $50M fund II  Our main discussion: Might Apple by the next company to dive into bitcoin?  In the wake of Tesla’s surprise $1.5 billion bitcoin purchase announcement, many are wondering which Fortune 500 will be next.  According to a new report from the Royal Bank of Cana...

Elon Musk’s Tesla (TSLA) has purchased $1.5 billion in bitcoin as a treasury reserve asset. Additionally, the company will soon be allowing people to pay for Teslas with bitcoin.  In this episode, NLW breaks down: How Elon got to this moment, including his exchanges with MicroStrategy’s (MSTR) Michael Saylor What critics of the Tesla community and the bitcoin community are likely to say  How this...