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

See also: Elon Musk and Vitalik Buterin’s Moves Send Ripples Across Crypto Markets and More

Image credit: rudall30/iStock/Getty Images Plus

CoinDesk Podcasts

The Breakdown With NLW Episode

Et tu, Elon? What’s Really Behind Tesla’s Bitcoin Betrayal

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

Host

Nathaniel Whittemore

Episodes

The EU Has Now Become the Global Crypto Regulatory Leader

Apr 23, 2023, 10:00 a.m.

Hasta La Vista, U.S.! Crypto Companies Look Abroad

Apr 22, 2023, 12:00 p.m.

A Landmark Moment for Crypto in Europe as MiCA Passes

Apr 22, 2023, 12:36 a.m.

The Case for U.S. Stablecoin Regulation

Apr 20, 2023, 5:15 p.m.

Congress Grills Gensler on Anti-Crypto Stance

Apr 19, 2023, 9:39 p.m.

Coinbase Says Without Regulatory Clarity It Will Be Forced to Leave the U.S.

Apr 18, 2023, 9:53 p.m.

The House Finally Introduces a Stablecoin Bill, but Will Crypto Opponents Even Come to the Table?

Apr 17, 2023, 8:38 p.m.

The Latest New York Times Bitcoin Mining Hit Piece Is a Monument to Intellectual Laziness

Apr 16, 2023, 9:00 a.m.

Will Withdrawals Drive a New Institutional Ethereum Narrative?

Apr 15, 2023, 5:03 p.m.

Sergey Nazarov on Why the World Needs a New Model of (Cryptographic) Trust

Apr 14, 2023, 11:41 p.m.

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