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.Subscribe to The Breakdown newsletter: https://the-breakdown.carrd.co/
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Powell Under Prosecution and the End of Fed Independence
<p>A seismic escalation in the clash between the White House and the Federal Reserve as reports emerge that Fed Chair Jerome Powell is under criminal investigation, raising unprecedented questions about central bank independence, the credibility of US institutions, and the future of the dollar. This episode breaks down what the investigation is actually about, why Powell is framing it as political retaliation, how lawmakers and markets are reacting, and what a direct assault on Fed autonomy could mean for equities, bonds, gold, Bitcoin, and America’s position at the center of the global financial system.</p> <p>Enjoying this co...
Morgan Stanley Goes All In on Crypto
<p>Morgan Stanley makes a major bet on crypto adoption by filing for in-house Bitcoin and Solana ETFs, a sharp reversal that signals real demand inside its massive wealth management network and another step toward crypto becoming table stakes for traditional finance. The episode also covers MSCI’s decision to keep MicroStrategy in its indexes, the resulting rebound across crypto treasury companies and miners, and why index inclusion still matters so much for price action. Finally, there’s an update from Washington, where a crypto market structure bill heads toward a contentious committee vote, with stablecoin yield, AML provisions, and bank...
Bitcoin’s Cautious Green Start to 2026
<p>Bitcoin is off to a quietly strong start to the year, notching its longest green streak in months and pushing back toward key resistance levels, but conviction remains conditional as traders debate whether this is the start of a new leg higher or just another trap. Today’s episode looks at the mix of narratives behind the move, from options market shifts and ETF inflows to geopolitical uncertainty and simple new-year portfolio resets. It also digs into Coinbase’s renewed push to become an everything financial app, the intensifying rivalry with Robinhood, Washington’s increasingly uncertain path toward crypto market...
Venezuela Shockwaves and the New Geopolitics of Markets
<p>The capture of Venezuela’s president marks one of the most aggressive geopolitical moves in years, and markets are racing to figure out what it actually means. This episode unpacks why oil barely moved despite Venezuela’s enormous headline reserves, why those reserves may be far less economically meaningful than advertised, and how the real strategic target may be China rather than energy prices. It also looks at why gold and silver surged, why Bitcoin barely flinched, and how a more openly transactional US approach to statecraft could reshape global risk pricing in the months ahead.</p> <p>Enjoying this...
Bitcoin Starts 2026 in Uncharted Territory
<p>Bitcoin enters 2026 in a strange and unfamiliar place, coming off a flat year, a post-halving cycle that never caught fire, and a market defined more by boredom than euphoria or panic. This episode catches up on everything that happened over the holiday break, from Bitcoin’s muted price action and crushed altcoins to ETF flows, institutional positioning, and the growing sense that the four-year cycle may be fading.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Enjoying this content?</p> SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast: https://pod.link/1438693620 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBreakdownBW Subscribe to the newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/thebreakdown Join the discussion: https://discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8 Follow on Twitter:
The 2025 Bitcoin Year in Review
<p>The final episode of the year looks back at the forces that actually mattered for Bitcoin and crypto in 2025, and it’s not price. The conversation unpacks how institutional adoption turned Bitcoin into a normalized asset class across TradFi, how the regulatory environment shifted from crackdown to clarity through guidance, enforcement reversals, and stablecoin legislation, and how Trump-era crypto politics shaped the narrative without fully derailing the agenda. Then the focus turns forward to the three themes most likely to define 2026: tokenization and stablecoin implementation battles, the return of quantum risk as a real investor-facing question, and a macro se...
Coinbase Comes for All of Finance
<p>Coinbase closes the year with its biggest product overhaul ever, launching commission-free stock trading alongside prediction markets, on-chain Solana trading, custom stablecoins, simplified derivatives, and an AI-powered advisor—signaling a clear ambition to become an everything exchange and a vertically integrated financial institution. The episode unpacks why the crypto-native backlash misses the larger transformation underway, and why this move looks less like a retreat from crypto and more like crypto dissolving into mainstream finance.</p> <p>Enjoying this content?</p> SUBSCRIBE to the Podcast: https://pod.link/1438693620 Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheBreakdownBW Subscribe to the newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/thebreakdown Join the discussion: https://discord.gg/VrKRrfKCz8
Crypto Market Structure Slips to 2026
<p>Congress has officially kicked the crypto market structure bill into 2026, a move that surprises no one but still carries real risk as negotiations drag into an election year shaped by shutdown fights, midterms, and deep partisan disagreements over ethics, DeFi compliance, and stablecoin yields. Despite the delay, momentum hasn’t fully died, with ongoing talks, a draft still to come, and the possibility that industry lobbying dynamics could shift the calculus next year. Meanwhile, regulators aren’t waiting: the FDIC is moving quickly on rules that would allow banks to issue stablecoins under a clear framework, Tether is backing a bi...
Bitcoin Slides Again as Anger Takes Over the Bear Market
<p>Bitcoin takes another sharp leg down, wiping out leveraged longs and pushing market sentiment firmly into the anger phase of this bear market. Thin liquidity, failed dip-buying on leverage, and continued whale selling are making a durable bottom hard to form, even as smaller wallets continue to accumulate. Macro pressure from a hawkish Fed, year-end risk aversion, and broader market unease are weighing on prices, while MicroStrategy’s latest Bitcoin buys fail to spark a rally. Still, a more constructive regulatory tone from the SEC on crypto privacy stands out as a rare bright spot amid otherwise gloomy market co...
DTCC Puts US Securities On Chain
<p>Today’s episode breaks down a landmark moment for tokenization as the Depository Trust Company receives SEC approval to begin putting US public market securities on chain. The discussion covers what the no-action letter allows, why DTCC’s role matters, how this could enable 24/7 settlement and programmable assets for stocks, ETFs, and Treasuries, and why this move represents the most credible path yet toward decentralized capital markets. The episode also examines parallel developments from Coinbase, JPMorgan, and Tether, and why tokenization may transform market structure even if it doesn’t immediately boost crypto token prices.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Enjo...
