The Breakdown

The Breakdown

A daily analysis of macroeconomics, bitcoin, geopolitics and big picture power shifts, hosted by Nathaniel Whittemore @nlw. The Breakdown is part of Blockworks.

Episodes

The Five Most Important Stories in Crypto This Week

March 29, 2025 • 29 mins
NLW and Scott Melker count down the most important stories in crypto this week. How big a deal is GME buying BTC? Is it just memes? And how does that rank in comparison to the significance of the OCC and FDIC removing reputational risk as a consideration for banks? Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the w...
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Are We Finally Going to Get Securities Clarity?

March 27, 2025 • 12 mins
Representatives Emmer and Soto have reintroduced their Securities Clarity Act; French Hill says the crypto market structure bill is coming and much more. Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the security of your assets. For the best self-custody solution in the space, buy ...
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The Prophecy is Fulfilled: Gamestop to Buy BTC

March 26, 2025 • 13 mins
Your 2021 self just did a happy dance. Gamestop and Bitcoin have converged as the company plans to spend it's big cash pile at least in part on a BTC treasury reserve. Could anything be more perfect? Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the security of your assets. For the ...
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Real World Asset Tokenization Shows Positive Early Indicators

March 25, 2025 • 14 mins
On this grab bag episode, NLW covers a range of topics, including what was once the odds-on favorite to be this cycle's big narrative driver: real world asset tokenization. Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the security of your assets. For the best self-custody solution...
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A Win for Privacy as Tornado Cash Addresses are Unsanctioned

March 24, 2025 • 12 mins
A big win for privacy and the crypto space came surrounding the Tornado Cash sanctions, but as NLW points out, there is still battle ahead, as the Treasury is not saying that Tornado Cash is okay going forward. Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the security of your asse...
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Crypto's Past, Present and Future

March 23, 2025 • 10 mins
A reading a discussion inspired by Meltem Demirors' recent DAS presentation: https://x.com/Melt_Dem/status/1902748560610795578 Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the security of your assets. For the best self-custody solution in the space, buy a LEDGER™ device and secure ...
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Making America the"Undisputed Bitcoin Superpower and Crypto Capital of the World”

March 22, 2025 • 12 mins
A sitting US president appeared at a crypto conference for the first time yesterday as President Trump popped in on Blockworks' DAS yesterday to reaffirm his administration's commitment to US crypto superiority. Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the security of your ass...
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Sneaky Significant Changes at the Fed

March 20, 2025 • 14 mins
It was FOMC day, and while rates stayed the same, there was much more interest and intrigue than there's been in many, many meetings. How are Powell and the Fed handling Trump's "What Next" economy? Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the security of your assets. For the ...
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The Real Story of Institutional Crypto Interest

March 19, 2025 • 12 mins
We keep hearing that institutions are still stoked on crypto despite retail stress. Today NLW explores what evidence we have one way or another. Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the security of your assets. For the best self-custody solution in the space, buy a LEDGER™...
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Bitcoin is For Enemies: Pyongyang Edition

March 18, 2025 • 12 mins
On this grab bag episode, NLW covers North Korea's growing bitcoin stack, the SEC reconsidering a Gensler-era rule, and record BTC outflows. Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the security of your assets. For the best self-custody solution in the space, buy a LEDGER™ dev...
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Treasury Secretary Bessent: "The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves"

March 17, 2025 • 15 mins
The market is finally digesting that there is no Trump put, and that Trump 2.0 is more concerned with remaking the global economic order than on making Wall Street happy -- at least for now. NLW talks about the implications for markets, bitcoin and beyond. Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s cr...
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Stablecoin Debate Illustrates the Failure of the Anti-Crypto Army

March 16, 2025 • 15 mins
Two essays that reflect Elizabeth Warren and her anti-crypto army's failure shape the debate around common sense crypto policy. Reading and discussion inspired by: https://www.coindesk.com/opinion/2025/03/13/no-the-stablecoin-bill-isn-t-built-for-billionaires https://www.coindesk.com/opinion/2025/03/13/stablecoins-are-a-vital-innovation-that-risk-being-crushed-by-misguided-fear Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in ...
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The Five Most Important Stories in Crypto This Week

March 15, 2025 • 30 mins
NLW and Scott Melker count down the most important crypto stories of the week, from more bipartisan pro-crypto legislation to a new discussion of stablecoins to the geopolitical implications of crypto's biggest ever funding deal. Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the se...
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Crypto's Biggest Funding Deal Ever

March 13, 2025 • 13 mins
Binance has raised $2B in crypto's biggest ever fundraise. What's more interesting than the dollar amount, however, is the geopolitical implications underlying it. Is it part of a broader Gulf-state realignment? US dollar hegemony through stablecoins? NLW explores. Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the w...
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Early Signs of Crypto Bipartisanship in Congress

March 13, 2025 • 12 mins
Congress has followed the Senate in their vote to repeal a damaging IRS crypto broker rule, and has done so by an even bigger supermajority than the Senate vote. NLW argues that this shows an emerging strand of common-sense bipartisanship around crypto in Washington. Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the...
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Markets Get Spooked By Recession Possibility

March 11, 2025 • 11 mins
NLW explores macro turmoil, including the growing (at least in analysts' estimation) possibility of a recession. He also looks at how it's impacting the crypto markets. Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the security of your assets. For the best self-custody solution in t...
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Ignore the Whiners: The White House Crypto Summit WAS a Big deal

March 11, 2025 • 13 mins
The White House held its first Crypto Summit last week. While some people are complaining that it was a nothingburger, NLW argues that they're missing the point. Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the security of your assets. For the best self-custody solution in the spac...
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A Preview of the White House Crypto Summit

March 10, 2025 • 11 mins
The big White House Crypto Summit happens on Friday March 7th in DC. NLW covers the scuttlebutt and chatter leading into the event. c er in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the security of your assets. For the best self-custody solution in the space, buy a LEDGER™ device and secure your crypto today. Buy now on Ledger...
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Will AI Vibe Coding Lead to Web3 Adoption?

March 9, 2025 • 11 mins
That's the argument in discussion today. Source: https://www.coindesk.com/opinion/2025/03/06/mass-adoption-of-web3-through-the-self-writing-internet Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the security of your assets. For the best self-custody solution in the space, buy a LEDG...
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It's Actually Happening: The USA Gets a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve

March 8, 2025 • 29 mins
NLW and Scott Melker count down the five most important stories in crypto this week, including the profound news that the US is actually getting a strategic bitcoin reserve. NLW argues that the way they did the BSR actually solves many of the major concerns with it. Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the ...
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