

The Breakdown
Blockworks
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/
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/
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 23, 2019 • 29min
Crypto Daily 3@3 - 7.22 | The "Libra Goes To Washington" Recap [LRS56 Top 5]
From 5 to 1, counting down the most important threads, essays and content from last week. Featuring the key setup questions for the Libra hearings; a case study of Cuba on whether a project like Libra could make a difference to the "unbanked"; the uncoupling of Libra and Bitcoin; the respond of China; and a Congressman calls Bitcoin an "unstoppable force." Produced in partnership with BlockTV https://twitter.com/BLOCKTVnews Watch the video version: https://www.youtube.com/nathanielwhittemorecrypto

Jul 19, 2019 • 12min
Crypto Daily 3@3 - 7.19 | BitMEX vs. CFTC / Bitcoin legal in China? / Ycash and Friendly Forks
The CFTC's investigation of BitMEX is the latest in string of screws tightening on global exchanges touching US customers. In an interesting twist, a lawsuit leads to a Chinese court determining that Bitcoin is a protected legal property. Ycash has friendly forked from Zcash, but is a friendly fork even possible? Watch the video version: https://www.youtube.com/nathanielwhittemorecrypto

Jul 18, 2019 • 12min
Crypto Daily 3@3 - 7.18 | Libra Aftermath - G7, China, and Dalio's dystopia
Libra was a hotbutton issue at the G7 meetings - maybe the one thing they agreed on. Meanwhile, the project made news in China as Facebook's David Marcus revealed explicitly that it saw Alipay and Wechat as competitors. Meanwhile, the crypto community spilled ink discussing hedge fund titan Ray Dalio's latest missive on the coming financial paradigm shift. Watch the live version at: https://www.youtube.com/nathanielwhittemorecrypto

Jul 18, 2019 • 21min
Crypto Daily 3@3 - 7.17 | Libra Hearings Day 2 Recap - House Financial Services Committee
On Day 2 of Libra hearings, Facebook's David Marcus testified in front of the House Financial Services Committee. And boy oh boy, it could not have been more different than yesterday. Today was massively more substantive, thoughtful, and holy crap was there a lot of comparison between Bitcoin and Libra...with Bitcoin coming out on top again and again. This day will go down as one of the most significant in Bitcoin's history. Watch the video version at https://www.youtube.com/nathanielwhittemorecrypto

Jul 16, 2019 • 18min
Crypto Daily 3@3 - 7.16 | Libra Hearing Day 1 Recap - Senate Banking Committee
Libra's David Marcus testified before a relatively hostile Senate Banking Committee today. In today's 3@3, we go over: 1) Facebook's trust problem; 2) the most important topics and themes of the questioning; 3) what it all means for Bitcoin. Watch the livestreamed version on: Twitter - https://twitter.com/nlw Twitch - https://www.twitch.tv/nlwcrypto Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/nathanielwhittemorecrypto

Jul 15, 2019 • 21min
Crypto Daily 3@3 - 7.15 | Long Reads Sunday #55 Top 5
Every Sunday, I put together a list of the top tweets, threads and essays shaping the crypto conversation. On Monday, I countdown my five favorites with BlockTV. Monday's Crypto Daily 3@3 is the audio recording version. For those who want to watch, check out the replay at: https://www.youtube.com/nathanielwhittemorecrypto https://blocktv.com/ Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nlw Follow BlockTV: https://twitter.com/BLOCKTVnews

Jul 12, 2019 • 25min
Crypto Daily 3@3 - 7.12 | Special Edition: Trump Gives Bitcoin A Mainstream Moment
A very Trump-y special edition! On this episode, we look at 1) what happened with Trump’s Bitcoin/Libra tweet; 2) the crypto community’s response; 3) the surprisingly with it mainstream media response; and 4) what it means going forward and why we need to build our own public story so that a technology with massive potential to enshrine freedom and individual sovereignty doesn’t become defamed and criminalized. Note for listeners; the second half or so of this clip is discussion from Twitch live chat. This usually doesn’t happen but with such big news there was quite a bit of excitement to discuss. Let me know if you like this or if I should cut it off for the future. For those who want to watch, check out the replay at: https://www.twitch.tv/nlwcrypto https://www.youtube.com/nathanielwhittemorecrypto Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/nlw

Jul 11, 2019 • 13min
Crypto Daily 3@3 - 7.11 | Comply or Die Token Sales | Turkey and CBDCs | Crypto Startup Studio
On this episode, we discuss: 1) Reg A+ compliant token sales from Blockstack and YouNow and why it's becoming comply or die; 2) Turkey planning a central bank digital currency and how the crypto market is trifurcating; 3) IDEO's new crypto startup lab. Follow on Twitter: @nlw Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtube.com/nathanielwhittemorecrypto

Jul 10, 2019 • 13min
Crypto Daily 3@3 - 7.10 | Alt Season Dreams & Nightmares | New Crypto Funding | Mr. Libra Goes To Washington
We discuss: 1) the chatter around a potential alt season and what makes things different this time around; 2) new financing that shows where crypto investors heads are at (hint: infrastructure not apps); 3) the latest salvos between Libra and regulators.

Jul 10, 2019 • 11min
Crypto Daily 3@3 - 7.9.19 | Deutsche Bank layoffs; Does Libra drown the BTC narrative? + more
Deutsche Bank announces 18k layoffs & a photo instafamous memes a tailor with a Bitcoin bag as a fired banker Strong counter argument against the idea that Libra is somehow good for Bitcoin A new platform for fractionalized art and culture ownership launches Follow on Twitter @nlw


