The Breakdown

Podcasts

11 Numbers That Tell the Story of the Economy Right Now

From the price of coffee to the national debt as a percentage of GDP, these 11 numbers provide a picture of a fast changing global economy.

People  ·  7 August 2020
Central Bank

The History, Present and Future of Central Banks, Feat. George Selgin

The Director of the Cato Institute's Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives gives an eye-opening, 200-year history of today’s most powerful economic institution.

People  ·  6 August 2020
Podcasts

For What Future Are We Building Bitcoin?

A reading of Meltem Demirors new essay “Unintended Architecture” asks some key questions about intention setting for the future of Bitcoin.

People  ·  2 August 2020
Podcasts

Previewing the Economic Showdowns Coming This Fall

From the size of a second round of stimulus to COVID-19 litigation to reshoring, last week previewed some key economic issues for the months to come.

People  ·  1 August 2020
Bitcoin

How Real Is Bitcoin’s Rally? 8 Interpretations of Bitcoin’s Massive Surge

As bitcoin retraces slightly after reaching a new 2020 high about $11,000, NLW explores what’s driving the rally and how likely it is to continue.

People  ·  28 July 2020
Podcasts

SPACs 101: A Bubble, the Future or Both?

A primer on, and critical look at, one of Wall Street’s hottest trends: special purpose acquisition companies.

People  ·  27 July 2020
China

Is This China’s Century or the US’s? Maybe It’s Both

This Long Reads Sunday is a reading of Adam Tooze's recent review of four books on the growing conflict between the U.S. and China.

People  ·  26 July 2020
Podcasts

As Economic Indicators Get Worse, the US Revs Up the Next Multi-Trillion Stimulus

The Breakdown Weekly Recap covers growing U.S.-China tensions, worsening job numbers and the next casual $1 trillion to $3 trillion in stimulus.

People  ·  25 July 2020
DeFi

A Simple Explanation of DeFi and Yield Farming Using Actual Human Words

A primer on yield farming, liquidity mining, automated market making and all the other terms shaping the brave new world of decentralized finance.

People  ·  22 July 2020
Inflation

What’s Behind the Fed’s New Push to Promote Inflation?

Why the Fed’s strategy on inflation is changing and why the definition used by America’s central bank may be hurting regular people.

People  ·  21 July 2020
Podcasts

What Is GPT-3 and Should We Be Terrified?

The internet is alive with demos of what the latest artificial intelligence language model can do. Should we be nervous?

People  ·  20 July 2020
Stablecoins

Are Stablecoins Eurodollars 2.0? Long Reads Sunday

Long Reads Sunday features two essays previously published on CoinDesk that show the trajectory of stablecoins in the global economy in 2020.

People  ·  19 July 2020
Podcasts

Social Media Is Democracy’s Faultline: The Breakdown Weekly Recap

From PayPal crypto confirmed to action in central bank digital currencies, these were six themes shaping the week.

People  ·  18 July 2020
Podcasts

No, the Twitter Hack Wasn’t About Bitcoin

The motivations and implications of a hack that had everyone from Coinbase to Kanye shilling a scam for bitcoin.

People  ·  16 July 2020
China

A Primer on the US and China’s ‘New Cold War’

From control of the digital realm to territorial skirmishes, these are the issues shaping an increasingly troubled relationship.

People  ·  15 July 2020