Bitcoin’s October rally isn’t just another crypto surge — it’s part of what JPMorgan calls the Debasement Trade. As gold spikes and the dollar weakens, major banks and economists are finally voicing fears long held by Bitcoiners: runaway deficits, fading Fed independence, and a loss of faith in fiat currencies. Today NLW unpacks why Wall Street is suddenly embracing Bitcoin as a hedge against currency decay, how Japan’s yield crisis and global debt pressures fit in, and what the IMF’s latest warnings mean for the next phase of this trade.
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12:44
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12:44
ICE Invests $2 Billion in Polymarket
The parent company of the New York Stock Exchange just made a $2 billion investment in Polymarket, valuing the prediction-market platform at $9 billion and signaling a huge shift toward crypto-native financial infrastructure. NLW breaks down what the deal means for institutional adoption, how it compares to ICE’s previous crypto efforts, and why this could mark a new phase for decentralized finance. Plus: Bitcoin’s brief pullback, S&P Global’s new crypto index, BNY Mellon’s tokenized deposits, and Christine Lagarde’s latest anti-Bitcoin comments.
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10:57
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10:57
The TradFi-Crypto Fusion Is Here
Galaxy Digital just launched Galaxy One — a platform merging crypto, stocks, and yield accounts into a single financial hub. Coinbase is pursuing a banking charter. Stripe and stablecoin issuers are driving a yield war that could upend global banking profits. Standard Chartered warns of $1T in emerging-market capital flight to stablecoins. From TradFi’s defensive moves to FinTech’s stablecoin play, today’s Breakdown explores how the financial system’s borders are dissolving before our eyes.
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10:26
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10:26
Bitcoin Breaks $125,000: The October Melt-Up Is On
Bitcoin hit a new all-time high over the weekend, surging past $125,000 and capping its strongest week since May. Analysts point to ETF inflows, a weakening dollar, and broad asset rotation as drivers behind the move — while skeptics warn of monetary panic and late-cycle exuberance. In today’s episode, NLW explores whether this is a true macro melt-up, what it means for institutional adoption, and how traditional portfolios are evolving as hard assets take center stage.
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11:28
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11:28
The Five Most Important Stories in Crypto This Week
On today’s Breakdown, NLW kicks off the first Friday Five of October with Bitcoin’s soaring price action. From October’s uncanny seasonality and ETF inflow momentum to government shutdown delays and Citi and JPMorgan’s bold predictions, the conversation explores why markets seem determined to shrug off risk. NLW also covers the potential regulatory fallout of a prolonged shutdown, new SEC-CFTC collaboration, Kraken’s $20B raise, and Stripe’s stablecoin play. Plus, the week’s strangest culture clash story—Netflix cancellations over Elon Musk tweets.
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A daily analysis of macroeconomics, bitcoin, geopolitics and big picture power shifts, hosted by Nathaniel Whittemore @nlw. The Breakdown is part of Blockworks.
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