Author: CoinDesk

In almost any scenario, the industry faces one less category of FUD on the other side of the investigations.

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io and Bitstamp.

Today on the Brief:

• More chaos from Elon Musk
• Hedge funds moving into DeFi?
• Tether reserve attestations

Our main discussion looks at recent revelations of investigations by the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service around Binance. NLW breaks down:

• What we know about who is involved
• Why the sound bite seems worse than the real story
• Why each possible outcome leads the Bitcoin industry to a better place 

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Nexo.io lets you borrow against your crypto at 5.9% APR, earn up to 12% on your idle assets, and exchange instantly between 75+ market pairs with the tap of a button. Get started at nexo.io.

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Bitstamp is the world’s longest-running cryptocurrency exchange, supporting investors, traders and leading financial institutions since 2011. With a proven track record and dedication to personal customer service with a human touch, Bitstamp’s fast, secure and reliable crypto investing platform is trusted by over four million people worldwide. To learn more, visit www.bitstamp.net.

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Join thousands of newsmakers and influencers talking the future of money at Consensus 2021, a live virtual experience from CoinDesk. (Use discount code "BREAKDOWN" to save $25!) 

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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tesla has stopped accepting bitcoin due to environmental concerns – or so it says.

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io and Bitstamp.

Crypto Twitter exploded last night when Elon Musk announced Tesla was backtracking and would no longer be accepting bitcoin as payment for cars. The debate came fast and furious about whether this was genuine environmental concern and, if so, how Elon was just discovering it now. On this episode, NLW looks at other interpretations, including:

• Elon playing 4D chess with the price
• The simple vagaries of an eccentric billionaire 
• Pressure to remain in ESG portfolios 
• Shifting government narratives  

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Nexo.io lets you borrow against your crypto at 5.9% APR, earn up to 12% on your idle assets, and exchange instantly between 75+ market pairs with the tap of a button. Get started at nexo.io.

-

Bitstamp is the world’s longest-running cryptocurrency exchange, supporting investors, traders and leading financial institutions since 2011. With a proven track record and dedication to personal customer service with a human touch, Bitstamp’s fast, secure and reliable crypto investing platform is trusted by over four million people worldwide. To learn more, visit www.bitstamp.net.

-

Join thousands of newsmakers and influencers talking the future of money at Consensus 2021, a live virtual experience from CoinDesk. (Use discount code "BREAKDOWN" to save $25!) 

-

Image credit: rudall30/iStock/Getty Images Plus, modified by CoinDesk

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Do rising inflation and rising levels of bitcoin ownership have anything to do with one another?

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.ioand Bitstamp.

Today on the Brief:

• SEC throws cold water on bitcoin ETF dreams
• MoneyGram brings bitcoin for cash to 12,000 locations (for a hefty fee)
• Palantir considering adding bitcoin to balance sheet

Our main discussion:

Inflation has seen its biggest growth month in a very long time. Is it just transitory or reducible to base effects or is something more going on? Meanwhile, a new survey suggests 46 million Americans now own bitcoin. Related? 

-

Nexo.io lets you borrow against your crypto at 5.9% APR, earn up to 12% on your idle assets, and exchange instantly between 75+ market pairs with the tap of a button. Get started at nexo.io.

-

Bitstamp is the world’s longest-running cryptocurrency exchange, supporting investors, traders and leading financial institutions since 2011. With a proven track record and dedication to personal customer service with a human touch, Bitstamp’s fast, secure and reliable crypto investing platform is trusted by over four million people worldwide. To learn more, visit www.bitstamp.net.

-

Join thousands of newsmakers and influencers talking the future of money at Consensus 2021, a live virtual experience from CoinDesk. (Use discount code "BREAKDOWN" to save $25!) 

-

Image credit: TARIK KIZILKAYA/iStock/Getty Images Plus

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The argument that the dollar is losing prestige worldwide got a major boost from a legendary investor. 

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io and Bitstamp.

Last year, hedge fund gurus like Paul Tudor Jones set off the wave of institutional bitcoin buying by cementing the narrative of bitcoin as an inflation hedge. Today, one of those investors - Stanley Druckenmiller - is back with even more dire pronouncements about the likely implication of Federal Reserve policies. The dollar, he says, will lose reserve currency status in the next 15 years. The most likely candidate to replace it? Crypto.

-

Nexo.io lets you borrow against your crypto at 5.9% APR, earn up to 12% on your idle assets, and exchange instantly between 75+ market pairs with the tap of a button. Get started at nexo.io.

-

Bitstamp is the world’s longest-running cryptocurrency exchange, supporting investors, traders and leading financial institutions since 2011. With a proven track record and dedication to personal customer service with a human touch, Bitstamp’s fast, secure and reliable crypto investing platform is trusted by over four million people worldwide. To learn more, visit www.bitstamp.net.

-

Join thousands of newsmakers and influencers talking the future of money at Consensus 2021, a live virtual experience from CoinDesk. (Use discount code "BREAKDOWN" to save $25!) 

-

Image credit: Scott Eells/Bloomberg/Getty Images

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Every day sees new reports of prices going up – from commodities to plastic to fruit. Are we ready to use the “I” word? 

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io and Bitstamp.

Today on the Brief:

• Elon Musk saves an SNL flop with a dogecoin satellite 
• Growing interest in Ethereum 
• UBS explores offering crypto to wealthy clients

Our main discussion:

The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg are both running headlines about increasing consumer prices. For now, most pieces like these remain a healthy combination of spot data (in other words specific companies raising prices) and anecdotes versus aggregate data. That isn’t stopping a new inflation narrative from forming, however. Listen to find out what it means. 

-

Nexo.io lets you borrow against your crypto at 5.9% APR, earn up to 12% on your idle assets, and exchange instantly between 75+ market pairs with the tap of a button. Get started at nexo.io.

-

Bitstamp is the world’s longest-running cryptocurrency exchange, supporting investors, traders and leading financial institutions since 2011. With a proven track record and dedication to personal customer service with a human touch, Bitstamp’s fast, secure and reliable crypto investing platform is trusted by over four million people worldwide. To learn more, visit www.bitstamp.net.

-

Join thousands of newsmakers and influencers talking the future of money at Consensus 2021, a live virtual experience from CoinDesk. (Use discount code "BREAKDOWN" to save $25!) 

-

Image credit: Galina Sandalova/iStock/Getty Images Plus

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A China-focused discussion on this week’s “Long Reads Sunday.”

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR.org and Genesis Trading.

On this week’s “Long Reads Sunday,” NLW reads Sune Sorenson’s “China Is Opting Out of US-Run Financial System.” He also discusses recent pieces by Niall Ferguson and The Economist that point to a growing conversation about CBDCs that is fundamentally about power and the global system.

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Nexo.io lets you borrow against your crypto at 5.9% APR, earn up to 12% on your idle assets, and exchange instantly between 75+ market pairs with the tap of a button. Get started at nexo.io.

-

NEAR.org - Infrastructure for innovation. NEAR is an open-source platform that accelerates the development of decentralized applications overcoming high fees and slow speeds with its fast, scalable, low-cost, and climate-neutral blockchain protocol. One transaction on NEAR consumes about 1300x less carbon than a similar transaction on other chains.

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Click here to read the Genesis Q1 2021 Digital Asset Market report. To learn more about Genesis, click here. To learn more about Genesis Prime, their prime brokerage offering, click here. The information provided in this communication does not constitute investment advice. Please see this link for important disclosures.

-

Join thousands of newsmakers and influencers talking the future of money at Consensus 2021, a live virtual experience from CoinDesk. (Use discount code "BREAKDOWN" to save $25!) 

-

Image credit: Anson_iStock/iStock/Getty Images Plus

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

While everyone was paying attention to Dog Money, bitcoin was quietly accumulating institutional news.

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR.org and Genesis Trading.

On this edition of “The Breakdown’s Weekly Recap,” NLW looks at:

• Why ETH should have had most of the attention
• The camps forming around dogecoin and why it’s likely to dump after “Saturday Night Live”
• A slew of massive institutional bitcoin news that flew under the radar

"Remy: Dogecoin Rap" (Dog Money), ReasonTV

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbI31x3FpS0

-

Nexo.io lets you borrow against your crypto at 5.9% APR, earn up to 12% on your idle assets, and exchange instantly between 75+ market pairs with the tap of a button. Get started at nexo.io.

-

NEAR.org - Infrastructure for innovation. NEAR is an open-source platform that accelerates the development of decentralized applications overcoming high fees and slow speeds with its fast, scalable, low-cost, and climate-neutral blockchain protocol. One transaction on NEAR consumes about 1300x less carbon than a similar transaction on other chains.

-

Click here to read the Genesis Q1 2021 Digital Asset Market report. To learn more about Genesis, click here. To learn more about Genesis Prime, their prime brokerage offering, click here. The information provided in this communication does not constitute investment advice. Please see this link for important disclosures.

-

Join thousands of newsmakers and influencers talking the future of money at Consensus 2021, a live virtual experience from CoinDesk. (Use discount code "BREAKDOWN" to save $25!) 

-

Image credit: Popular meme based on Doge meme, Elon Musk and The Lion King

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From Iran miner control to “OFAC compliant blocks,” a new attack vector has emerged.

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR.org and Genesis Trading.

Today on the Brief:

• Square puts up monster Q1 bitcoin numbers
• First crypto comments from new SEC Chair Gary Gensler
• 3 new institutional bitcoin developments 

Our main discussion: 

As bitcoin becomes more mainstream, the attempts from the powers that be to control it will become more subtle. This week, NLW argues we got a preview of a new approach to trying to exert that control. He argues there is a new attempt to Balkanize Bitcoin and looks at:

• Iran banning crypto that wasn’t mined in the country
• Marathon mining an “OFAC-compliant” block
• Kevin O’Leary insisting on only owning bitcoin not mined in China 

-

Nexo.io lets you borrow against your crypto at 5.9% APR, earn up to 12% on your idle assets, and exchange instantly between 75+ market pairs with the tap of a button. Get started at nexo.io.

-

NEAR.org - Infrastructure for innovation. NEAR is an open-source platform that accelerates the development of decentralized applications overcoming high fees and slow speeds with its fast, scalable, low-cost, and climate-neutral blockchain protocol. One transaction on NEAR consumes about 1300x less carbon than a similar transaction on other chains.

-

Click here to read the Genesis Q1 2021 Digital Asset Market report. To learn more about Genesis, click here. To learn more about Genesis Prime, their prime brokerage offering, click here. The information provided in this communication does not constitute investment advice. Please see this link for important disclosures.

-

Join thousands of newsmakers and influencers talking the future of money at Consensus 2021, a live virtual experience from CoinDesk. (Use discount code "BREAKDOWN" to save $25!) 

-

Image credit: Allexxandar/iStock/Getty Images Plus

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A new research paper from ING suggests that, at the very least, they’re paying more attention.

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR.org and Genesis Trading.

Today on the Brief:

• MercadoLibre has added bitcoin to its balance sheet
• Galaxy Digital buys BitGo 
• Debates around the new, improved, real economy 

Our main discussion:

While the last year has seen a massive amount of growth in decentralized finance, it has been mostly driven by enfranchised insiders and builders. In this bull market, that is starting to change. In today’s episode, NLW looks at a recent paper by the $1.1 trillion bank ING around where DeFi fits in the context of traditional finance.

-

Nexo.io lets you borrow against your crypto at 5.9% APR, earn up to 12% on your idle assets, and exchange instantly between 75+ market pairs with the tap of a button. Get started at nexo.io.

-

NEAR.org - Infrastructure for innovation. NEAR is an open-source platform that accelerates the development of decentralized applications overcoming high fees and slow speeds with its fast, scalable, low-cost, and climate-neutral blockchain protocol. One transaction on NEAR consumes about 1300x less carbon than a similar transaction on other chains.

-

Click here to read the Genesis Q1 2021 Digital Asset Market report. To learn more about Genesis, click here. To learn more about Genesis Prime, their prime brokerage offering, click here. The information provided in this communication does not constitute investment advice. Please see this link for important disclosures.

-

Join thousands of newsmakers and influencers talking the future of money at Consensus 2021, a live virtual experience from CoinDesk. (Use discount code "BREAKDOWN" to save $25!) 

-

Image credit: SchulteProductions/iStock/Getty Images Plus, modified by CoinDesk

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The latest in NYDIG’s year of institutional partnerships has perhaps the broadest potential for financial inclusion in Bitcoin yet.

This episode is sponsored by Nexo.io, NEAR.org and Genesis Trading.

NLW is joined today by Robby Gutmann, CEO of NYDIG. NYDIG is quickly emerging as one of the leading companies helping onboard institutions to bitcoin. This year, it received investment from and announced partners with companies like MassMutual, New York Life, Liberty Mutual, Morgan Stanley and more. 

In this episode, Gutmann discusses why the firm’s latest partnership with bank software provider FIS could represent their biggest opportunity for bringing bitcoin to the masses yet. 

-

Nexo.io lets you borrow against your crypto at 5.9% APR, earn up to 12% on your idle assets, and exchange instantly between 75+ market pairs with the tap of a button. Get started at nexo.io.

-

NEAR.org - Infrastructure for innovation. NEAR is an open-source platform that accelerates the development of decentralized applications overcoming high fees and slow speeds with its fast, scalable, low-cost, and climate-neutral blockchain protocol. One transaction on NEAR consumes about 1300x less carbon than a similar transaction on other chains.

-

Click here to read the Genesis Q1 2021 Digital Asset Market report. To learn more about Genesis, click here. To learn more about Genesis Prime, their prime brokerage offering, click here. The information provided in this communication does not constitute investment advice. Please see this link for important disclosures.

-

Join thousands of newsmakers and influencers talking the future of money at Consensus 2021, a live virtual experience from CoinDesk. (Use discount code "BREAKDOWN" to save $25!) 

-

Image credit: Nuthawut Somsuk/iStock/Getty Images Plus

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.