The Breakdown

Blockworks
undefined
Oct 28, 2022 • 18min

Why Bitcoin’s Bear Market Hashrate Surge May Not Be Bullish

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and FTX US.   On today’s episode, NLW catches up on the bitcoin mining industry, and why soaring hashrate and mining difficulty represent something very different in a bear market than they did during the bull.  - Nexo Pro allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees. You always get the best possible prices from all the available liquidity sources and can earn interest or borrow funds as you wait for your next trade. Get started today on pro.nexo.io. - Circle, the sole issuer of the trusted and reliable stablecoin USDC, is our sponsor for today’s show. USDC is a fast, cost-effective solution for global payments at internet speeds. Learn how businesses are taking advantage of these opportunities at Circle’s USDC Hub for Businesses. - FTX US is the safe, regulated way to buy Bitcoin, ETH, SOL and other digital assets. Trade crypto with up to 85% lower fees than top competitors and trade ETH and SOL NFTs with no gas fees and subsidized gas on withdrawals. Sign up at FTX.US today. - “The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. Music behind our sponsors today is “War” by Enoch Yang. Image credit: Yuichiro Chino/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.
undefined
Oct 27, 2022 • 18min

Crypto Markets Put the ‘Pump’ in ‘Pumpkin’

  This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and FTX US.   On today’s episode, NLW looks at the positive price action of the past few days, with an eye to understanding how people are understanding the move. Is it a macro shift and a belief in a coming Federal Reserve pivot? Is it a crypto-specific narrative? Is it the market getting ahead of itself?  - Nexo Pro allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees. You always get the best possible prices from all the available liquidity sources and can earn interest or borrow funds as you wait for your next trade. Get started today on pro.nexo.io. - Circle, the sole issuer of the trusted and reliable stablecoin USDC, is our sponsor for today’s show. USDC is a fast, cost-effective solution for global payments at internet speeds. Learn how businesses are taking advantage of these opportunities at Circle’s USDC Hub for Businesses. - FTX US is the safe, regulated way to buy Bitcoin, ETH, SOL and other digital assets. Trade crypto with up to 85% lower fees than top competitors and trade ETH and SOL NFTs with no gas fees and subsidized gas on withdrawals. Sign up at FTX.US today. - “The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. Music behind our sponsors today is “War” by Enoch Yang. Image credit: Anzhela Mingaleeva/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.
undefined
Oct 26, 2022 • 18min

Reddit NFTs Show People Like Crypto When They Don’t Know It’s Crypto

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and FTX US.   On today’s episode, NLW looks into how different pre-Web3 tech companies are getting involved with Web3. Specifically, he looks at how Reddit non-fungible tokens (NFT) are lighting up the Reddit community, and how Apple’s new terms might be problematic for Web3 game developers. He also catches up on news that pro-crypto Rishi Sunak will be the next British Prime Minister.  - Nexo Pro allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees. You always get the best possible prices from all the available liquidity sources and can earn interest or borrow funds as you wait for your next trade. Get started today on pro.nexo.io. - Circle, the sole issuer of the trusted and reliable stablecoin USDC, is our sponsor for today’s show. USDC is a fast, cost-effective solution for global payments at internet speeds. Learn how businesses are taking advantage of these opportunities at Circle’s USDC Hub for Businesses. - FTX US is the safe, regulated way to buy Bitcoin, ETH, SOL and other digital assets. Trade crypto with up to 85% lower fees than top competitors and trade ETH and SOL NFTs with no gas fees and subsidized gas on withdrawals. Sign up at FTX.US today. - 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.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9ubHdjcnlwdG8ubGlic3luLmNvbS9yc3M=   Join the discussion: https://discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8   Follow on Twitter: NLW: https://twitter.com/nlw Breakdown: https://twitter.com/BreakdownNLW - “The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. Music behind our sponsors today is “War” by Enoch Yang. Image credit: Horacio Villalobos/Corbis/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.  
undefined
Oct 25, 2022 • 16min

Does the Bank of Japan’s Intervention Spell Trouble for the US Treasury Market?

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and FTX US.   “The Breakdown” kicks off the week with a look at one of the big global macro stories shaping markets right now, which is the first Bank of Japan interventions into the country’s currency markets in two decades. Some are speculating the BoJ’s actions could have implications for the U.S. as well because Japan has to liquidate its U.S. Treasury holdings to prop up the price of the yen.  - Nexo Pro allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees. You always get the best possible prices from all the available liquidity sources and can earn interest or borrow funds as you wait for your next trade. Get started today on pro.nexo.io. - Circle, the sole issuer of the trusted and reliable stablecoin USDC, is our sponsor for today’s show. USDC is a fast, cost-effective solution for global payments at internet speeds. Learn how businesses are taking advantage of these opportunities at Circle’s USDC Hub for Businesses. - FTX US is the safe, regulated way to buy Bitcoin, ETH, SOL and other digital assets. Trade crypto with up to 85% lower fees than top competitors and trade ETH and SOL NFTs with no gas fees and subsidized gas on withdrawals. Sign up at FTX.US today. - “The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. Music behind our sponsors today is “War” by Enoch Yang and “The Life We Had” by Moments. Image credit: Javier Ghersi/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.
undefined
Oct 23, 2022 • 31min

The Debate Around SBF’s Regulatory Ideas

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and FTX US.   On this week’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads Sam Bankman-Fried’s “Possible Digital Asset Industry Standards.”   He also references Erik Voorhees “A Response to SBF and Principled Crypto Regulation” and a thread featuring Scupytruples.  - Nexo Pro allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees. You always get the best possible prices from all the available liquidity sources and can earn interest or borrow funds as you wait for your next trade. Get started today on pro.nexo.io. - Circle, the sole issuer of the trusted and reliable stablecoin USDC, is our sponsor for today’s show. USDC is a fast, cost-effective solution for global payments at internet speeds. Learn how businesses are taking advantage of these opportunities at Circle’s USDC Hub for Businesses. - FTX US is the safe, regulated way to buy Bitcoin, ETH, SOL and other digital assets. Trade crypto with up to 85% lower fees than top competitors and trade ETH and SOL NFTs with no gas fees and subsidized gas on withdrawals. Sign up at FTX.US today. - 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.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9ubHdjcnlwdG8ubGlic3luLmNvbS9yc3M=   Join the discussion: https://discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8   Follow on Twitter: NLW: https://twitter.com/nlw Breakdown: https://twitter.com/BreakdownNLW - “The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. Music behind our sponsors today is “War” by Enoch Yang and “The Life We Had” by Moments. Image credit: Craig Barritt/Getty Images for CARE For Special Children, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.
undefined
Oct 22, 2022 • 19min

Is Voluntary Regulation the Right Approach to DeFi?

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and FTX US.   On this edition of the “Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at the state of crypto legal proceedings and global regulatory discussions, including: Hodlonaut wins against Craig Wright in Norway Coinbase, Blockchain Association and others file amicus briefs in Grayscale SEC suit  U.K. updates crypto regulation plan EU debates DeFi   (Grayscale is a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, the parent company of CoinDesk.)  - Nexo Pro allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees. You always get the best possible prices from all the available liquidity sources and can earn interest or borrow funds as you wait for your next trade. Get started today on pro.nexo.io. - Circle, the sole issuer of the trusted and reliable stablecoin USDC, is our sponsor for today’s show. USDC is a fast, cost-effective solution for global payments at internet speeds. Learn how businesses are taking advantage of these opportunities at Circle’s USDC Hub for Businesses. - FTX US is the safe, regulated way to buy Bitcoin, ETH, SOL and other digital assets. Trade crypto with up to 85% lower fees than top competitors and trade ETH and SOL NFTs with no gas fees and subsidized gas on withdrawals. Sign up at FTX.US today. - “The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. Music behind our sponsors today is “War” by Enoch Yang and “The Life We Had” by Moments. Image credit: We Are/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.
undefined
Oct 22, 2022 • 18min

The Institutions Aren’t Just Sticking With Crypto, They’re Expanding Their Offerings

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and FTX US.   On today’s episode, NLW gives the latest in his recurrent theme on “post-narrative institutionalization” – the idea that during the 2022 bear market institutional actors have not only not abandoned the crypto industry but increased their stake with a look forward to the next bull run.  - Nexo Pro allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees. You always get the best possible prices from all the available liquidity sources and can earn interest or borrow funds as you wait for your next trade. Get started today on pro.nexo.io. - Circle, the sole issuer of the trusted and reliable stablecoin USDC, is our sponsor for today’s show. USDC is a fast, cost-effective solution for global payments at internet speeds. Learn how businesses are taking advantage of these opportunities at Circle’s USDC Hub for Businesses. - FTX US is the safe, regulated way to buy Bitcoin, ETH, SOL and other digital assets. Trade crypto with up to 85% lower fees than top competitors and trade ETH and SOL NFTs with no gas fees and subsidized gas on withdrawals. Sign up at FTX.US today. - “The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with today’s editing by Eleanor Pahl and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. Music behind our sponsors today is “War” by Enoch Yang and “The Life We Had” by Moments. Image credit: Malte Mueller/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.
undefined
Oct 21, 2022 • 17min

A Head of Lettuce Outlasted British PM Liz Truss

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and FTX US.   On today’s episode, NLW looks at the short, fitful reign of the U.K.’s shortest-serving Prime Minister, Liz Truss. He argues that the problems with her time in office were not just about British politics, but serve as a reminder of how every global politician is forced to react to forces much larger than their domestic situation.  - Nexo Pro allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees. You always get the best possible prices from all the available liquidity sources and can earn interest or borrow funds as you wait for your next trade. Get started today on pro.nexo.io. - Circle, the sole issuer of the trusted and reliable stablecoin USDC, is our sponsor for today’s show. USDC is a fast, cost-effective solution for global payments at internet speeds. Learn how businesses are taking advantage of these opportunities at Circle’s USDC Hub for Businesses. - FTX US is the safe, regulated way to buy Bitcoin, ETH, SOL and other digital assets. Trade crypto with up to 85% lower fees than top competitors and trade ETH and SOL NFTs with no gas fees and subsidized gas on withdrawals. Sign up at FTX.US today. - “The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. Music behind our sponsors today is “War” by Enoch Yang and “The Life We Had” by Moments. Image credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.
undefined
Oct 20, 2022 • 17min

100% Chance of Recession

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and FTX US.   On today’s episode of “The Breakdown,” NLW looks at the various signals markets are grappling with, including continued hawkish commentary from the Fedeal Reserve, financial modeling that keeps increasing the likelihood of recession in 2023, better-than-expected data in Q3 earnings but painful data coming from the housing market.  - Nexo Pro allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees. You always get the best possible prices from all the available liquidity sources and can earn interest or borrow funds as you wait for your next trade. Get started today on pro.nexo.io. - Circle, the sole issuer of the trusted and reliable stablecoin USDC, is our sponsor for today’s show. USDC is a fast, cost-effective solution for global payments at internet speeds. Learn how businesses are taking advantage of these opportunities at Circle’s USDC Hub for Businesses. - FTX US is the safe, regulated way to buy Bitcoin, ETH, SOL and other digital assets. Trade crypto with up to 85% lower fees than top competitors and trade ETH and SOL NFTs with no gas fees and subsidized gas on withdrawals. Sign up at FTX.US today. - 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.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9ubHdjcnlwdG8ubGlic3luLmNvbS9yc3M=   Join the discussion: https://discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8   Follow on Twitter: NLW: https://twitter.com/nlw Breakdown: https://twitter.com/BreakdownNLW   - “The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. Music behind our sponsors today is “War” by Enoch Yang and “The Life We Had” by Moments. Image credit: Nuthawut Somsuk/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.
undefined
Oct 19, 2022 • 19min

A CFTC Commissioner Proposes a New Definition of Retail Investor

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, Circle and FTX US.   Today on “The Breakdown,” NLW covers a number of stories from across the crypto space, including:  A new definition of retail investors?  Mastercard gets deeper into crypto with Paxos Why BNY Mellon is going bigger on crypto  SEC and CFTC look into Three Arrows Capital Paradigm files amicus brief in the Ooki DAO lawsuit   - Nexo Pro allows you to trade on the spot and futures markets with a 50% discount on fees. You always get the best possible prices from all the available liquidity sources and can earn interest or borrow funds as you wait for your next trade. Get started today on pro.nexo.io. - Circle, the sole issuer of the trusted and reliable stablecoin USDC, is our sponsor for today’s show. USDC is a fast, cost-effective solution for global payments at internet speeds. Learn how businesses are taking advantage of these opportunities at Circle’s USDC Hub for Businesses. - FTX US is the safe, regulated way to buy Bitcoin, ETH, SOL and other digital assets. Trade crypto with up to 85% lower fees than top competitors and trade ETH and SOL NFTs with no gas fees and subsidized gas on withdrawals. Sign up at FTX.US today. - “The Breakdown” is written, produced by and features Nathaniel Whittemore aka NLW, with editing by Rob Mitchell and research by Scott Hill. Jared Schwartz is our executive producer and our theme music is “Countdown” by Neon Beach. Music behind our sponsors today is “War” by Enoch Yang and “The Life We Had” by Moments. Image credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images, modified by CoinDesk. Join the discussion at discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8.

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!
App store bannerPlay store banner
Get the app