BREAKDOWN: Central Banks Cannot Print Jobs: Understanding Real Economic Recovery, Feat. Daniel Lacalle
A leading economist shares why crisis time monetary policy is saving zombie companies while hurting small businesses and startups.
ABOUT
Today on the Brief:
- Social media apps get caught in geopolitical tensions
- Pitchforks around the Paycheck Protection Program
- Brazil blocks Binance
This episode is sponsored by Bitstamp and Crypto.com.
Our main discussion is with Daniel Lacalle. Daniel is chief economist at Tressis and is the author of numerous books including “Life in the Financial Markets,” “Escape from the Central Bank Trap” and his most recent, “Freedom or Equality.” He has been named one of the 100 most influential economists in the world by Richtopia.
In this conversation, he and NLW discuss:
- Why the recovery will likely be “L” shaped and uneven, not “V” shaped
- Why the “bailout of everything” undermines capitalism and promotes zombie companies that can’t service their debts
- Why zombie companies crowd out space for startups and small businesses
- How government programs can incentivize relationships with government over strong business practices
- How the current economic crisis could become a banking crisis
Find our guest online:
Website: dlacalle.com
Twitter: @dlacalle_IA
HOST
CoinDesk is the world leader in news, prices and information on bitcoin and other digital currencies.
We cover news and analysis on the trends, price movements, technologies, companies and people in the bitcoin and digital currency world.

EPISODES
How Hex Trust is bringing multi-chain utility to the XRP ledger
Hex Trust CPO Giorgia Pellizzari explores Bitcoin’s evolution into a yield-bearing asset, the strategic launch of wra...
16 hours ago
Joe Lubin on turning MetaMask into a self-sovereign neobank
At Consensus Hong Kong 2026, Joseph Lubin detailed MetaMask’s evolution into a "personal neobank," a user-centric pla...
16 hours ago
The Blockspace Pod: The Shortest Bear Market Ever w/ Matt Hougan of Bitwise
Matt Hougan, CIO of Bitwise, breaks down why we’re still in a crypto winter, the truth about central bank gold buying...
22 hours ago
Charles Hoskinson and Ding X on Predict.Fun, privacy and building in public
Charles Hoskinson and former-anonymous PancakeSwap founder Ding X discuss the shift from pseudonymous building to pub...
Feb 18, 2026

The Mining Pod
Feb 10, 2025

CoinDesk Podcast Network
The top stories and best shows in the blockchain world, delivered daily from the team at CoinDesk.
Dec 20, 2023

Markets Outlook
Tune in as CoinDesk runs down action in the crypto market and some of the most important recent industry development.
Dec 19, 2023

Unchained
Unchained, your no hype resource for all things crypto by former Forbes senior editor Laura Shin, author of The Cryptopians.
Dec 18, 2023
