The Breakdown Podcast
1) Stripe’s Tempo Chain and the Return of Enterprise Blockchains
Stripe has unveiled Tempo, a new blockchain built for high-throughput stablecoin payments, developed with Paradigm and backed by partners like Visa, Shopify, and Anthropic. The launch has set off a fi...Show More
2) The Five Most Important Stories in Crypto This Week
In this week’s Friday Five, the Fed announces a digital assets conference, the SEC and CFTC issue a rare joint crypto statement, and Trump family ventures shake up markets with new tokens and a Bitcoi...Show More
3) The Fed’s Big Stablecoin Shift
The Federal Reserve will host a payments innovation conference next month with stablecoins at the center—a major change for an institution that long kept crypto at arm’s length. At the same time, the ...Show More
4) Exchanges Get the Green Light to Offer Crypto
The SEC and CFTC have issued long-awaited joint guidance clarifying that regulated exchanges can list spot crypto assets. This marks a turning point in U.S. crypto policy, resolving years of turf wars...Show More
5) Bitcoin Seasonality Means A Messy September Set Up
Bitcoin just wrapped a volatile Labor Day weekend, with prices dropping 14% from August highs before bouncing slightly above $110K. Analysts debate whether the correction is over, with leverage rebuil...Show More
6) Brazilification Risk and the Fight for Fed Independence
Today’s Breakdown digs into a dramatic week for markets and politics as President Trump fires Fed Governor Lisa Cook, raising alarms about central bank independence, and floats equity stakes in privat...Show More
7) Whales Unload Billions As Bitcoin Plunges To Six-Week Low
Bitcoin’s post–Jackson Hole rally was short-lived, with prices plunging below $110,000 after a massive whale liquidation sent shockwaves through the market. Today NLW unpacks how 24,000 BTC moved for ...Show More
8) A Nothingburger Speech that Moved Markets
At last week’s Jackson Hole gathering, Jerome Powell delivered his final speech as Fed Chair. On the surface it was dry and technical, but markets read it as a dovish signal—and risk assets surged. In...Show More
9) Crypto Narratives Becoming Reality
On this Long Read Sunday, NLW turns to Byron Gilliam’s Breakdown newsletter for a discussion of whether crypto narratives are finally becoming reality. From gold’s millennia-long hold on value percept...Show More
10) Markets Hold Their Breath in Wyoming
Markets turned their attention to Jackson Hole for Jerome Powell’s final speech as Fed Chair, while crypto and AI narratives kept investors on edge. NLW unpacks how Powell’s tone could shift rate cut ...Show More