The Breakdown

Apr 13 2025 1838 ep. 21 mins 1.2k
The Breakdown Podcast artwork

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

  Business
RSS feed Share
Copy RSS


Subscribe on Podcast Addict


Can Bitcoin Fix What Tariffs Can't?

Apr 13 2025 10 mins  
A reading and discussion inspired by: https://bitcoinmagazine.com/markets/why-trumps-tariffs-cant-fix-the-broken-fiat-system 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 solu

The Five Most Important Stories in Crypto This Week

Apr 13 2025 28 mins  
NLW and Scott Melker count down the top five stories in crypto. While tariffs continue to dominate the discussion, there was also a significant amount of news around collaborations between crypto-native and tradfi institutions. Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over

How Much Does the 90-Day Tariff Pause Actually Change?

Apr 11 2025 11 mins  
After bond markets started absolutely puking, President Trump reconsidered his tariffs and announced a 90-day pause. The at least partial reprieve (the trade war with China is still very much on) send stocks soaring -- but how significant is the policy shift actually? Will it be enough to calm rattled nerves or is it just another indicator of how little consistency and assuredness

Everything in Crypto That ISN'T the Tariffs

Apr 10 2025 14 mins  
Despite tariffs dominating the news (and the markets), there have been a number of important stories in crypto, including a wave of institutional tradfi-crypto collabs, a big $1B+ acquisition, and Tether considering launching a US-based stablecoin. Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 yea

Are We Headed to the Mar-a-Lago Accords?

Apr 08 2025 15 mins  
The Trump Admin has made clear that they end game for tariffs is a total restructuring of the global economic order. As countries start to come to the negotiating table, are we headed for a Bretton Woods 2.0? A Mar-a-Lago accord? Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting ov

The Worst 3 Days in Stocks Since Oct 1987

Apr 07 2025 13 mins  
Tariff turmoil is in full swing. The Trump White House spent the weekend staying on message and ensuring that their were no cracks in the facade. NLW covers the market's reaction, and whether big poppa Jay Powell can fix it. Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20

Bitcoin Holds Up Better Than Stocks in the Tariff Turmoil

Apr 05 2025 25 mins  
Scott Melker and NLW count down the 5 most important stories in crypto this week. 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 a

Trump's Tariff Trouble

Apr 03 2025 17 mins  
The Trump tariffs are finally here, and more extensive than just about anyone expected. The market is puking, most pundits seem aghast, but is there more to the story? 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

Big Day For Crypto Biz As Circle Prepares for IPO

Apr 03 2025 12 mins  
After years of trying, Circle is finally going public. NLW explores the conversation around the latest information released by the company, and what it says about the state of the markets. Is this a last hurrah for the crypto natives before the big banks come in? Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The Breakdown podcast. Cele

Trump's Crypto Engagement is Making it Hard for Pro-Crypto Republicans

Apr 01 2025 12 mins  
It was supposed to be an effortless gloryland, where all our hopes and dreams for crypto would come true. But many in Washington D.C. are finding the Trump's support for crypto -- and very, very direct engagement in it -- creating a new set of problems even as it solves the old ones. Sponsored by: Ledger Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors The B