Author: CoinDesk

China shuts down mining and starts censoring crypto exchange terms while U.S. senators and CFTC commissioners attack crypto.

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io.

In a week so filled with the optimism coming out of El Salvador, of course there had to be another side of the story. 

On today’s episode, NLW looks at three examples of the existing power structure fighting back against the rise of crypto:

• China shutting down mining in two provinces and apparent censorship of exchange-related terms on Baidu and Weibo
• A CFTC commissioner’s extremely negative comments on decentralized finance 
• Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s full-throated assault on bitcoin from yesterday’s Senate Banking Committee hearing

Is bitcoin devolving to just another partisan issue?

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Recapping a historic evening. 

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io.

Last night, El Salvador voted to pass the bill making Bitcoin legal tender. As representatives debated the bill, the President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele and his brother and campaign manager Karim Bukele surprise-joined a Twitter Space hosted by Nic Carter, where the president would spend about an hour answering questions. 

In today’s episode, NLW breaks down:

• The substance of the bill 
• Specific elements of the plan from the Spaces chat - including Volcano mining and the Bitcoin cost of foreign residency 
• The historical significance of the moment for Bitcoin, media, El Salvador and more 

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Nexo.io lets you borrow against your crypto at 6.9% APR, earn up to 12% on your idle assets, and exchange instantly between 100+ market pairs with the tap of a button. Get started at nexo.io.

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Why being anti-Big Tech monopoly and pro-bitcoin are clearly compatible ideologies. 

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io.

On today’s episode, NLW looks at a grab bag of recent news:

• El Salvador’s bitcoin announcement makes waves as politicians from six more Central and South American countries change their profiles to laser eyes
• Donald Trump resurfaces to rip bitcoin again 
• No, the FBI didn’t break bitcoin 
• Why Tim Wu’s bitcoin holdings are intellectually consistent with his antitrust stance 

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Nexo.io lets you borrow against your crypto at 6.9% APR, earn up to 12% on your idle assets, and exchange instantly between 100+ market pairs with the tap of a button. Get started at nexo.io.

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A discussion of the implication of El Salvador’s announcement for Salvadorans, bitcoin and the world at large. 

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io.

On Saturday, the Bitcoin 2021 organizers teased that one of the biggest announcements in bitcoin’s history was coming.

That announcement ended up being from El Salvador President Nayib Bukele, who shared that he was advancing a bill to make bitcoin legal tender in the country. 

Since then there has been a huge amount of debate and discussion about the implications and the significance of the move. In this episode, NLW breaks down the story from multiple angles.

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Nexo.io lets you borrow against your crypto at 6.9% APR, earn up to 12% on your idle assets, and exchange instantly between 100+ market pairs with the tap of a button. Get started at nexo.io.

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Does the Biden budget signal a new era of deeper government involvement in American’s lives? 

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io.

A reading of David Z. Morris’ piece for CoinDesk “Has COVID-19 Made Biden’s Big Spending the New Normal?”.

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Nexo.io lets you borrow against your crypto at 6.9% APR, earn up to 12% on your idle assets, and exchange instantly between 100+ market pairs with the tap of a button. Get started at nexo.io.

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After the third-worst month in bitcoin price history, it’s worth asking.

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io.

Today on “The Breakdown’s Weekly Recap” NLW looks at a growing number of predictions of a new “crypto winter” as well as some reviews of how companies and DAOs are preparing for that possibility. He shares poll results from whether Bitcoin Twitter thinks this bull market is over and discusses how the macro landscape may be playing into it.

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Nexo.io lets you borrow against your crypto at 6.9% APR, earn up to 12% on your idle assets, and exchange instantly between 100+ market pairs with the tap of a button. Get started at nexo.io.

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Who is buying? Who is selling? And who is driving the future of the space? 

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io.

Today on the Brief:

• May’s middling jobs report
• A ransomware update
• Square building a bitcoin hardware wallet

Our main discussion looks at the various constituencies within bitcoin and asks who has what type of power to shape the network. Specifically, NLW homes in on recent price action and the divergent actions of large holders and small holders over the month of May.

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Nexo.io lets you borrow against your crypto at 6.9% APR, earn up to 12% on your idle assets, and exchange instantly between 100+ market pairs with the tap of a button. Get started at nexo.io.

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A series of new reports from state-owned media aren’t kind to crypto trading, but they reinforce that it is still allowed.

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io.

Today’s episode looks at crypto in geopolitical context, focusing on:

• A follow-up on the ransomware surge, with experts suggesting that it’s not about crypto payments but about the “ransomware-as-a-service” distribution model
• A look at why a Russian opposition leader is moving his supporters to crypto fundraising exclusively 
• A review of a series of reports from Chinese state-owned media that, while trying to convince citizens to stay away, nevertheless reinforce they still have agency to own and trade crypto

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Nexo.io lets you borrow against your crypto at 6.9% APR, earn up to 12% on your idle assets, and exchange instantly between 100+ market pairs with the tap of a button. Get started at nexo.io.

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With a rise in ransomware attacks, many are jumping to blame bitcoin and crypto. Are they right?

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io.

Today on the Brief:

• China’s next digital yuan trial
• More Bitcoin ETF delays
• Standard Chartered to open crypto prime brokerage

Our main discussion focuses on the rise of ransomware. NLW examines:

• The real reasons ransomware is on the rise 
• The factors beyond crypto payments that contribute to ransomware 
• Why some are using ransomware as justification for crypto bans
• Why crypto bans would be painfully ineffective at stopping ransomware
• Why the Biden Administration’s response to ransomware should give the crypto industry cause for optimism

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Nexo.io lets you borrow against your crypto at 6.9% APR, earn up to 12% on your idle assets, and exchange instantly between 100+ market pairs with the tap of a button. Get started at nexo.io.

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An exploration of the shifting tones of U.S. regulators around crypto.

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io.

Today’s episode includes a quick update on Marathon’s bitcoin mining about-face. Our main discussion focuses on the changing shape of crypto regulatory discussion in the U.S. While more regulation appears to be on the horizon, that regulation likely reduces the chance of more extreme actions.

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Nexo.io lets you borrow against your crypto at 6.9% APR, earn up to 12% on your idle assets, and exchange instantly between 100+ market pairs with the tap of a button. Get started at nexo.io.

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