The Breakdown

Updated: 17 Dec 2025 • 2012 episodes
the-breakdown.carrd.co

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/

Categories:

Show episodes

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 pressu

10 min
00:00
10:54
No file found

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 s

11 min
00:00
11:45
No file found

This Friday Five breaks down a pivotal Fed meeting marked by rare open dissent that signals a splintered FOMC and a far more politicized, harder-to-read monetary path into 2026, including what the new liquidity program really means for markets. The episode then turns to Washington, where the crypto market structure bil

10 min
00:00
10:55
No file found
12 Dec 2025 • EN

The Fed Is Fracturing

Today’s episode breaks down one of the most contentious FOMC meetings in nearly a decade. A deeply divided Fed delivered a rate cut that may also mark the end of the cutting cycle, with multiple dissents on both the dovish and hawkish sides and an unusually fractured dot plot. The conversation explores what the dissent

10 min
00:00
10:16
No file found

Today’s episode breaks down the rough NYSE debut of 21 Capital, whose immediate drop suggests markets are no longer willing to award premiums to companies whose only model is selling shares to buy more Bitcoin. The discussion examines why treasury firms are being valued at 1x, what 21’s attempt to build real Bitcoin-ba

11 min
00:00
11:49
No file found

Today’s episode examines Washington’s increasingly public admission that the market-structure bill is stuck, with key senators signaling that negotiations have become frustrating and unlikely to resolve this year. From there the focus turns to MicroStrategy’s return to large-scale Bitcoin purchases, the funding mechani

10 min
00:00
10:18
No file found