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Empire features interviews with top crypto founders to get the real stories that aren’t shared elsewhere. Empire is your look behind the curtain of the crypto industry. We release two episodes per week: guest interviews on Tuesday and a weekly roundup on Friday.
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Why Polychain Capital Founder Never Sells His Crypto | Olaf Carlson-Wee

Why Polychain Capital Founder Never Sells His Crypto | Olaf Carlson-Wee

In today's episode of Empire, Olaf Carlson, the founder of Polychain and first Coinbase employee, shares why he believes crypto is going to be the greatest wealth redistribution of the modern era. The conversation covers the impact of the leverage cycle, the viability of restaking, and the importance of privacy. They also touch on the L2 and Appchain thesis, embedding financial markets into social platforms, and the potential of wearables. Olaf breaks down why crypto is a one-way street and why it will outlive fiat currency. We hope you enjoy!  - - Follow Olaf: https://twitter.com/zxocw Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  - - Planning to grant token awards for your team? Toku makes implementing global token compensation and incentive awards simple. With Toku, you get unmatched legal and tax support to grant and administer your global team’s tokens. Toku navigates it across the lifecycle — from easy to use token grant award templates through tracking vesting to managing tax withholdings. Make it simple today, at https://www.toku.com/empire - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks.  Use the link below to learn more, and use EMPIRE20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there!  Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Timestamps: (00:00) Crypto Sentiment Check (06:38) The L2 Wave (14:52) App-chain Thesis (24:20) Impact of the Leverage Driven Cycle (33:35) DAS 2023 (34:51) Toku Ad (36:03) Crypto in 10 years (43:44) Privacy Solutions, Shared Security, and Wearables  (53:24) Why Olaf Doesn't Sell - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:00:4028/11/2023
CZ Steps Down from Binance and a Blast L2 Debate | Roundup

CZ Steps Down from Binance and a Blast L2 Debate | Roundup

In today's episode of Empire Santi and Jason discuss the bombshell news of Binance pleading guilty and paying over $4 billion in fines related to money laundering violations. They analyze the implications for Coinbase, DeFi, and institutional adoption. They then shift gears to the controversial launch of L2 platform Blast and its native yield offerings. This takes the duo into a deep discussion of why should more L2s exist and what are vital heuristics for valuing these scaling solutions. We hope you enjoy!  - - Northstake simplifies the way institutional investors own a stake in Web3 by offering regulatory-compliant staking products. By ensuring institutional investors can participate in the burgeoning crypto market while adhering to the necessary legal and regulatory requirements.  To learn how Northstake is bridging the gap between crypto and institutions go to: https://www.northstake.dk/tokenized-eth-staking - - Chronicle Protocol is a novel Oracle solution that has exclusively secured over $10B in assets for MakerDAO and its ecosystem since 2017. With a history of innovation, including the invention of the first Oracle on Ethereum, Chronicle Protocol continues to redefine Oracles. A blockchain-agnostic protocol, Chronicle overcomes the current limitations of transferring data on-chain by developing the first truly scalable, cost-efficient, decentralized, and verifiable Oracles, rewriting the rulebook on data transparency and accessibility.   Learn more about Chronicle Protocol: https://chroniclelabs.org/ Join the Chronicle Labs team: https://chroniclelabs.org/careers#open_roles - - Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Crypto’s premier institutional conference returns to London in March 2024 and we’ve got a killer deal for Black Friday...or as we call it BlackRock Friday. For a limited time we’re running a 20% promo on our 4 pack of DAS tickets. For just 399 GBP per ticket you can share the room with the world's top executives and hear from some of the largest institutions in crypto.  Grab 3 friends or 3 colleagues and use code BLACKROCK for 20% off on 4 pack tickets. Only valid until Nov 27th. Use code "BLACKROCKEMPIRE" at: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Timestamps (01:38) In-Laws, Working in Crypto, and Good Mood Santi (04:00) Binance CZ Steps Down  (28:46) Blast L2 Controversial Launch (38:08) DAS 2024 (39:23) Chronicle Ad (40:38) Northstale Ad (41:38) Bearish Takes on Blast L2 (01:04:33 )Why Does Paradigm Experiment? (01:09:34) Coindesk Acquired by Bullish - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:24:0224/11/2023
Trading Crypto Cycles With Ansem | 1000x

Trading Crypto Cycles With Ansem | 1000x

Follow 1000x On Spotify: https://spoti.fi/45htDli Follow 1000x On Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3Kz0Bpw Follow 1000x On YouTube: https://bit.ly/3DNc5C6 -- Happy thanksgiving! On today's episode of 1000x, Ansem joins the show for a discussion on trading crypto cycles. We deep dive into Ansem's introduction to crypto, the Solana thesis & where we are in the cycle right now. To hear all this & more, you'll have to tune in! -- Follow Ansem: https://twitter.com/blknoiz06 Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman Follow Jonah: https://twitter.com/jvb_xyz Follow 1000x: https://twitter.com/1000xPod Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps (0:00) Introduction (1:19) Binance Agrees to Settle $4.3B Fine (2:59) Ansem's Introduction To Crypto (6:01) Have Alt's Topped? (8:47) The Solana Thesis (13:47) Cycle Bags (20:39) The Crypto Thesis (26:33) Trading Crypto Cycles (31:26) Sentiment In Crypto (40:41) Only Possible On Solana (46:30) NFTs & Meme Coins (54:30) The Next Crypto Market Top (1:04:45) Crypto Twitter -- Disclaimer: Nothing said on 1000x is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Avi, Jonah and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:12:2123/11/2023
The Evolution of Synthetix and Onchain Perps | Kain Warwick

The Evolution of Synthetix and Onchain Perps | Kain Warwick

In today's episode of Empire, Kane Warwick returns to unpack Synthetix V3, the design thinking behind Infinex, and the challenges of decentralized governance. We explore funding rates, arbitrage opportunities, and what it will take to bring the DeFi trading experience to parity with centralized exchanges. Kane also provides his philosophical views on building in public, the societal benefits of open source crypto, and the pressures of "decentralization theater." We hope you enjoy! - - Follow Kain: https://twitter.com/kaiynne Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Planning to grant token awards for your team? Toku makes implementing global token compensation and incentive awards simple. With Toku, you get unmatched legal and tax support to grant and administer your global team’s tokens. Toku navigates it across the lifecycle — from easy to use token grant award templates through tracking vesting to managing tax withholdings. Make it simple today, at https://www.toku.com/empire - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use EMPIRE20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Timestamps (01:20) The Infinex & Synthetix Experiment (03:23) Synthetix Post Luna & FTX (13:23) Matching the CEX Experience Onchain (24:19) Perps Mechanism Explained (34:46) DAS 2024 (36:00) Chronicle Ad (37:21) Fragmentation of Users on L2s (46:08) Revenue Model & DAO Governance (54:25) The Case for Decentralized Governance (01:06:22) Improving DAO Efficiency (01:13:56) Benefits of Building in Public - - Resources: Synthetix: A fork in the road. https://mirror.xyz/kain.eth/lVhI3TWwpzPHSsFwUvcRFTz_8IBhdrOYC0ojtkvLbNY - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:23:1421/11/2023
How We're Positioning for The Next Crypto Cycle | Roundup

How We're Positioning for The Next Crypto Cycle | Roundup

In today's episode of Empire Santi and Jason discuss the current crypto market conditions, reflecting on whether the recent rally signals the start of a new bull market or just a temporary surge. The duo reveals the indicators they pay attention to like Bitcoin stability, altcoin movement, and stablecoin inflows to assess the health of the market. Sharing personal experiences, Santi shares his portfolio strategy, stressing probabilistic thinking and controlling emotions like FOMO. To close out they discuss relative value investing, the private market, trading vs investing, and how to manage risk as prices increase. Thanks for tuning in! - - Northstake simplifies the way institutional investors own a stake in Web3 by offering regulatory-compliant staking products. By ensuring institutional investors can participate in the burgeoning crypto market while adhering to the necessary legal and regulatory requirements, Northstake is bridging the gap between traditional finance and crypto. https://www.northstake.dk/tokenized-eth-staking - - Chronicle Protocol is a novel Oracle solution that has exclusively secured over $10B in assets for MakerDAO and its ecosystem since 2017. With a history of innovation, including the invention of the first Oracle on Ethereum, Chronicle Protocol continues to redefine Oracles. A blockchain-agnostic protocol, Chronicle overcomes the current limitations of transferring data on-chain by developing the first truly scalable, cost-efficient, decentralized, and verifiable Oracles, rewriting the rulebook on data transparency and accessibility.   Learn more about Chronicle Protocol: https://chroniclelabs.org/ Join the Chronicle Labs team: https://chroniclelabs.org/careers#open_roles - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use EMPIRE20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there!  Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ --  Timestamps: (00:00) DOXing, Marathons, and Influenza (06:13) Timing the Crypto Market (12:27) Buying Solana on a Break Out (16:45) Trading vs Holding (22:34) Santi Portfolio Construction (30:31) Catalysts vs Fundamentals (36:37) Allocation of Portfolios (42:56) DAS 2024 (44:12) Northstake Ad (45:10) Chronicle Ad (46:26) Identifying Price Targets (52:56) Evaluating Application Layer (01:00:43) Managing Investing Anxiety (01:07:24) Is the Bull Market Here? (01:12:57) Companies Not Considering the Future (01:15:54) The Coinbase Thesis — Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:27:5417/11/2023
How to Trade This Solana Rally | Joe McCann

How to Trade This Solana Rally | Joe McCann

In this episode of Empire, Joe McCann, founder of Asymmetric, shares why he believes Solana offers unique technical architecture that enables new types of web3 applications not possible on Ethereum. He explains why he thinks Solana's scalability offers a better developer experience compared to building on Ethereum L2s. McCann dives into macro trends, analyzing market flows to evaluate if the recent market move has legs. To close out he evaluates risks to his Solana thesis. We hope you enjoy! - - Follow Joe: https://twitter.com/joemccann Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use EMPIRE20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there!  Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Planning to grant token awards for your team? Toku makes implementing global token compensation and incentive awards simple. With Toku, you get unmatched legal and tax support to grant and administer your global team’s tokens. Toku navigates it across the lifecycle — from easy to use token grant award templates through tracking vesting to managing tax withholdings. Make it simple today, at https://www.toku.com/empire - - Timestamps: (00:00) Intellectual Convexity (10:16) Identifying Institutions & Jurisdictions of Interest (15:53) Bull Environment is Here? (20:46) The Solana Thesis (30:39) Bonk VS Solana Thesis (33:07) DAS 2024 (34:22) TOKU ad (35:35) Managing Risks & Taking Profit (46:46) Solana Investment (51:03) Factoring in Macro (56:41) Event vs Fundamental Driven Trades (01:03:51) Why L2s Won't Work (01:15:49) What Could Derail Solana? (01:22:06) Exciting Solana Applications - - Resources Asymmetric  https://asymmetric.financial/ - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:26:0515/11/2023
Institutionalizing Crypto & The Return of the Bull Market | Roundup

Institutionalizing Crypto & The Return of the Bull Market | Roundup

In this week's roundup, the Michael power duo from the Bell Curve podcast team dive into the recent market rally and explore its implications in crypto including debt proceedings and VC appetite. They explore the Ethereum ETF approval potentially becoming a reality and the controversy surrounding Wintermute’s CEO Evgeny Gaevoy and the Near Foundation. To close out they discuss the future developments to look out for in the crypto, including the potential rise of alternative L1s and newer narratives. Thanks for watching! - - Follow Mike: https://twitter.com/MikeIppolito_ Follow Michael A: https://twitter.com/im_manderson Subscribe to Bell Curve on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3R1D1D9 Subscribe to Bell Curve on Apple: https://apple.co/3pQTfmD Subscribe to Bell Curve on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3cpKZXH Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use BELL20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home - - Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (2:01) Are We Back? (8:28) Token Prices Impacting Bankruptcy Proceedings (10:31) An FTX Restart? (20:11) Cycle Change Indicators? (24:42) Institutionalizing Crypto (35:23) DAS London Ad (36:32) Bitcoin Hashrate Lag (42:30) Near Foundation & Aurora Accusations (48:44) End Game of Blockchain Stacks - - Resources Wintermute CEO Accuses Near  https://blockworks.co/news/wintermute-ceo-accused-near-foundation-of-failing-to-redeem-stablecoins BlackRock ETF Proposal  https://blockworks.co/news/blackrock-ishares-ether-etf - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Bell Curve is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mike, Jason, Michael, Vance and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.tt and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
59:1110/11/2023
 Return Of The Bull Market | 1000x

Return Of The Bull Market | 1000x

Follow 1000x On Spotify: https://spoti.fi/45htDli Follow 1000x On Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3Kz0Bpw Follow 1000x On YouTube: https://bit.ly/3DNc5C6 -- In today's episode of 1000x Jonah and Avi discuss the return of the crypto bull market as positive sentiment about a Bitcoin ETF spurs a massive rally in Solana. We also debrief on the episode with Anatoly, walk through how to find the best opportunities as a trader & how to navigate technical trades vs a fundamental investment thesis. To hear all this & more, you'll have to tune in! -- Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman Follow Jonah: https://twitter.com/jvb_xyz Follow 1000x: https://twitter.com/1000xPod Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Referenced In The Show: Solana's End Game with Anatoly Yakovenko: apple.co/3QuF7NZ Fake bitcoin ETF report triggers price jump to $30k, $100M wave of liquidations: https://blockworks.co/news/bitcoin-etf-report-price-jump -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:06) The Solana Debrief (8:32) Applications In Crypto (12:51) Bitcoin's Move To $35,000, Catalyst For A Crypto Rally (20:04) The Setup For A Bitcoin Bull Market (25:57) Technical vs Fundamental Trading (32:16) Opportunities In Crypto -- Disclaimer: Nothing said on 1000x is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Avi, Jonah and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
41:5209/11/2023
Why Resy Founder is Building in Crypto | Ben Leventhal & Li Jin

Why Resy Founder is Building in Crypto | Ben Leventhal & Li Jin

In this episode of Empire, Li Jin from Variant Fund and Ben Leventhal from Blackbird and co-founder of Resy, cover the intersection of the consumer market and crypto. They delve into the history of consumer startups, the limitations of traditional businesses in the dining industry, and the potential of crypto to transform ownership. Ben discusses Blackbird and how it addresses issues in the restaurant industry by establishing better connection and understanding between restaurants and customers. To close out Li touches on her vision for consumer crypto leading into 2024. Thanks for tuning in!  - - Follow Li: https://twitter.com/ljin18 Follow Ben: https://twitter.com/benleventhal Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  - - Planning to grant token awards for your team? Toku makes implementing global token compensation and incentive awards simple. With Toku, you get unmatched legal and tax support to grant and administer your global team’s tokens. Toku navigates it across the lifecycle — from easy to use token grant award templates through tracking vesting to managing tax withholdings. Make it simple today, at https://www.toku.com/empire - - Timestamps: (00:00) End of Times for Consumer Apps (05:58) Consumer Crypto's Advantage (17:22) Identity Rails for Restaurants (21:23) Balancing Blockchain & Consumer Rights (27:45) Complexity of Building On Web3 (30:00) Toku ad (31:16) Variant Fund Approach to Consumer Crypto (36:23) Why Use Crypto? (41:54) FLY Token & Progressive Ownership (46:44) Mitigating Attack Vectors (50:21) Consumer Crypto in 2024 - - Resources Blackbird Docs https://www.blackbird.xyz/flypaper Li Jin Barrier to Mainstream Adoption https://variant.fund/articles/barrier-to-mainstream-crypto-adoption-is-product-market-fit/ - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
56:2707/11/2023
Why DCG is Crypto's Enron Moment | Ram Ahluwalia

Why DCG is Crypto's Enron Moment | Ram Ahluwalia

In today's episode of Empire, we take an in-depth look at the controversies surrounding DCG (Digital Currency Group) with our special guest, Ram Ahluwalia. Ram sheds light on the complex DCG saga involving Barry Silbert, 3 Arrows Capital, and the 'Widow Maker' trade that entangled several entities, including Gemini and Grayscale. The team discusses the case and the roles played by various figures and corporations, challenging decisions made along the way, and contemplating what could have been done differently. To close out they speculate on the fate of Grayscale and the broader implications for the crypto and venture markets.  - - Follow Ram: https://twitter.com/ramahluwalia Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  - - Chronicle Protocol is a novel Oracle solution that has exclusively secured over $10B in assets for MakerDAO and its ecosystem since 2017. With a history of innovation, including the invention of the first Oracle on Ethereum, Chronicle Protocol continues to redefine Oracles. A blockchain-agnostic protocol, Chronicle overcomes the current limitations of transferring data on-chain by developing the first truly scalable, cost-efficient, decentralized, and verifiable Oracles, rewriting the rulebook on data transparency and accessibility.   Learn more about Chronicle Protocol: https://chroniclelabs.org/ Join the Chronicle Labs team: https://chroniclelabs.org/careers#open - - Timestamps: (00:00) DCG, Genesis, Gemini Case Overview (04:17) The Widow Maker Trade (12:45) Was this all avoidable? (18:02) $1.1B Promissory Note (23:21) Worse than Enron (28:06) Systemic Risk & Recouping Creditors (35:09) Chronicle Ad (36:27) Is Gemini Responsible? (43:46) Contagions and Second Order Effects (50:23) Barry's Empire (57:19) Does a New Genesis Happen? - - Resources Ram DCG Threads https://twitter.com/ramahluwalia/status/1594153586157670403 https://twitter.com/ramahluwalia/status/1716218498341597430 - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:01:0503/11/2023
Empire Debates: The Solana Comeback and BlackRock ETF Playbook

Empire Debates: The Solana Comeback and BlackRock ETF Playbook

In this episode of Empire Debates Santi, Tommy, and Ryan kick off with the anticipated approval of a Bitcoin ETF and its potential to usher institutional money into crypto. They then pivot to Ethereum's ascension as an asset and Solana's ability to attract developers and discuss if Solana will be the ultimate ETH killer. The conversation further explores the ramifications of institutional players entering the crypto space and examines the unique distribution strategy underpinning Telegram and Tron. Thanks for tuning in! Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Tommy, and Zach may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed. - - Follow Tommy: https://twitter.com/Shaughnessy119 Follow Ryan: https://twitter.com/kukulabanze Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:07) BlackRock ETF Approved? (10:12) ETF Impact on Portfolio Decisions (21:10) How Financial Systems Influence Decisions (29:31) The Solana Thesis (45:42) Aversion to Building on Ethereum (52:50) Telegram and Tron Wallets - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Tommy, and Zach may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:00:2702/11/2023
Why a $76B Asset Manager is Unlocking Onchain Yield to Institutions | Jan van Eck & Martin Leinweber

Why a $76B Asset Manager is Unlocking Onchain Yield to Institutions | Jan van Eck & Martin Leinweber

In today's episode of Empire Jason is joined by Jan van Eck, CEO of VanEck, a firm overseeing $76.4 billion in assets, and Martin Leinweber, a digital asset strategist at Market Vector Indexes. They dive into conversation ranging from the macroeconomic climate to the prospects of a Bitcoin ETF approval. They dissect how MarketVector aims to capture crypto native value through Ethereum staking rewards and other on-chain metrics, the demand for these products from institutions, and how MarketVector creates investible crypto products for institutions to get exposure.  - - Follow Jan van Eck: https://twitter.com/JanvanEck3 Follow Martin Leinweber: https://twitter.com/mleinweber2 Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  - - Planning to grant token awards for your team? Toku makes implementing global token compensation and incentive awards simple. With Toku, you get unmatched legal and tax support to grant and administer your global team’s tokens. Toku navigates it across the lifecycle — from easy to use token grant award templates through tracking vesting to managing tax withholdings. Make it simple today, at https://www.toku.com/empire - - Timestamps: (00:00) Macro Sentiment Check (07:51) Budget Deficit Concern: Overblown? (14:15) The van Eck Origin Story (18:31) The 60-40 Portfolio (22:23) Bitcoin ETF Likelihood in 2023 vs 2024 (28:11) Toku Ad (29:25) MarketVector Changing Data and Indices (40:46) Demand for Onchain Yield (45:19) Corporate Strategy Focus on Crypto (48:48) Identifying Tokens with Economic Traction (53:15) Central Banks Buying BTC - - Resources - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
58:1631/10/2023
Policy Series: Crypto Terrorism, FinCEN vs Mixers, and IRS Tax Updates | Rebecca Rettig and Jake Chervinsky

Policy Series: Crypto Terrorism, FinCEN vs Mixers, and IRS Tax Updates | Rebecca Rettig and Jake Chervinsky

In the latest episode of the Empire Policy Series, Santi hosts Rebecca Rettig and Jake Chervinsky to delve into recent allegations of Hamas leveraging cryptocurrency for terrorism funding, FinCEN's upcoming rules concerning crypto mixers, and the IRS's evolving crypto tax regulations. The trio also dissect the the forthcoming 3-6 months of crypto regulation and discuss recent bipartisan legislative triumphs in the stablecoin domain. To close out both Rebecca and Jake highlight the need for industry-wide collaboration to ensure regulations both foster innovation and effectively mitigate inherent risks. - - Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:31) Is Crypto Financing Terrorism? (11:37) Policy Maker Responses to Crypto Terrorism (18:34) Chainalysis Ad (19:38) Mixer Rule by Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (31:49) Defining the Mixer Use Case (45:22) Tax Provision for Crypto (51:59) Regulatory Outlook - - Follow Rebecca: https://twitter.com/RebeccaRettig1 Follow Jake: https://twitter.com/jchervinsky Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - This episode is brought to you by Chainalysis. Chainalysis is the blockchain data platform. We provide data, software, services, and research to government agencies, web3 companies, financial institutions, and insurance and cybersecurity companies. Our data powers investigation, compliance, and business intelligence software that has been used to solve some of the world’s most high-profile criminal cases. For more information, visit www.Chainalysis.com/empire. - - Resources Submit a comment on regulation https://www.protectdefi.org/ DeFi Education Fund https://www.defieducationfund.org/ The Blockchain Association https://theblockchainassociation.org/ https://twitter.com/BlockchainAssn - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
58:3430/10/2023
How to Position for a New Crypto Bull Market | Ben Forman and Jason Kam

How to Position for a New Crypto Bull Market | Ben Forman and Jason Kam

In today's episode of Empire Santi is joined by Jason Kam, Founder of Folius Ventures,and Ben Forman, Mananging Partner of ParaFi Capital, to find out if the bear market really is over. They dive into the recent crypto price action and whether an Ethereum ETF could be a catalyst for DeFi. They then look to the future and discuss how gaming and prediction markets could drive adoption, the opportunities in tokenizing real world assets, and why this environment rhymes with late 2019 when fundamentals were emerging but prices were low. Ben and Jason also discuss their outlook on the macro landscape, remaining opportunities in liquid and illiquid markets, and why they believe we may be in the early innings of a new bull market driven by growing institutional interest and real use cases. - - Follow Jason Kam: https://twitter.com/MapleLeafCap Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  - - Chronicle Protocol is a novel Oracle solution that has exclusively secured over $10B in assets for MakerDAO and its ecosystem since 2017. With a history of innovation, including the invention of the first Oracle on Ethereum, Chronicle Protocol continues to redefine Oracles. A blockchain-agnostic protocol, Chronicle overcomes the current limitations of transferring data on-chain by developing the first truly scalable, cost-efficient, decentralized, and verifiable Oracles, rewriting the rulebook on data transparency and accessibility.   Learn more about Chronicle Protocol: https://chroniclelabs.org/ Join the Chronicle Labs team: https://chroniclelabs.org/careers#ope... - - MetaMask Portfolio is your one-stop shop for all things web3. Instead of connecting to multiple exchanges, dapps, and tools, you just need to connect to one simple dapp to track and manage all your assets across different networks and accounts. MetaMask Portfolio provides a secure and convenient way to perform common tasks such as Buy, Sell, Swap, Bridge, and Stake.  Try MetaMask Portfolio at https://blckwrks.co/MetaMaskEmpire - - Timestamps: (00:00) Sentiment Check-in with Private Investors (08:48) Portfolio Positioning (18:08) Investing Outside of the Majors (24:00) Investing in Crypto Layers (30:44) Deciding Thesis Invalidation (35:40) DeFi Catalysts (45:13) Chronicle Ad (46:30) Metamask Ad (47:15) Unique Use Cases Outside of RWAs (54:12) Timing Investments & Managing Risk (59:41) Value in Gaming and Blockchain (01:12:39) How Financialization Complicates Social Behaviors (01:18:48) Why is Scaling Usage Hard? (01:35:26) Are We in a New Cycle? - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:44:4727/10/2023
Solana's End Game with Anatoly Yakovenko | 1000x

Solana's End Game with Anatoly Yakovenko | 1000x

Follow 1000x On Spotify: https://spoti.fi/45htDli Follow 1000x On Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3Kz0Bpw Follow 1000x On YouTube: https://bit.ly/3DNc5C6 -- In today's episode of 1000x Jonah and Avi welcome Anatoly Yakovenko to the show for a discussion on Solana's end game. After a tweet from Jonah questioning the future of Solana, we thought why not invite Anatoly himself to the show to explain Solana's ultimate vision. We deep dive into finding crypto's perfect use case, disrupting legacy financial rails, the challenges of building through a bear market & crypto's killer use case. To hear all this & more, you'll have to tune in! -- Follow Anatoly: https://twitter.com/aeyakovenko Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman Follow Jonah: https://twitter.com/jvb_xyz Follow 1000x: https://twitter.com/1000xPod Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps (0:00) Introduction (3:23) Solana's Ultimate Vision (7:57) Value Within A PoS Chain (10:25) Running A Solana Validator (13:03) Firedancer: Boosting Solana's Scalability (17:21) TVL & Volume On Solana (21:56) Crypto's Perfect Use Case (25:10) Stablecoins (31:05) The Future Of Solana (38:01) The Waves Of Adoption In Crypto (43:54) Building Community In Solana (48:06) Solana's Perfect Product Market Fit (54:47) What Solana Has Learnt From Ethereum -- Disclaimer: Nothing said on 1000x is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Avi, Jonah and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
58:3226/10/2023
The Bull Case for Crypto ETFs | Matt Hougan & Hunter Horsley

The Bull Case for Crypto ETFs | Matt Hougan & Hunter Horsley

In today's episode of Empire Jason and Santi are joined by Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley and CIO Matt Hougan to dive into the world of ETFs. They discuss the early skepticism and misconceptions around ETFs, why a Bitcoin ETF approval could be transformative for crypto adoption and maturity, the layers of security and regulation with ETFs, and the potential timeline and sequence for crypto ETF products. They close out by exploring how an ETF could boost crypto's credibility and accessibility for traditional investors and revisiting the bull case for Coinbase. - - Follow Hunter: https://twitter.com/HHorsley Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/Matt_Hougan Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Planning to grant token awards for your team? Toku makes implementing global token compensation and incentive awards simple. With Toku, you get unmatched legal and tax support to grant and administer your global team’s tokens. Toku navigates it across the lifecycle — from easy to use token grant award templates through tracking vesting to managing tax withholdings. Make it simple today, at https://www.toku.com/empire - - Timestamps: (00:00) False ETF News (02:30) What is an ETF? (09:03) Market Manipulation in Crypto (14:52) Investment Reality in Crypto (21:47) Who Wins if ETFs are Approved? (29:52) Regulatory Concerns for ETFs (35:15) Toku Ad (36:30) Voting and Delegate Structure of ETFs (40:26) Safety and Reporting of Crypto ETFs (46:43) Timeline and Sequence of ETF Types for Crypto (53:52) Can Crypto Change ETFs? (56:35) Coinbase Thesis -- Resources Bitwise ETFs https://blockworks.co/news/0xresearch-bitwise-spot-bitcoin-etf - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:09:2324/10/2023
SBF Trial Update: Damning Testimonies and What's at Stake

SBF Trial Update: Damning Testimonies and What's at Stake

In today's episode of Empire the Jason and Santi are back, diving into In this week's Empire Roundup, Jason and Santi welcome Blockworks' Senior Reporter, Casey Wagner, for an in-depth look into the unfolding Sam Bankman-Fried trial in the Southern District of New York. Casey shares firsthand observations, including compelling witness accounts from Caroline Ellison and Nishad Singh that implicate SBF. The trio delve into the prosecution's tactics, jury sentiment, and anticipates the defense's forthcoming arguments. Additionally, the episode explores the ripple effects of these developments on GBTC's prospects for Bitcoin ETF conversion, the future viability of Genesis and DCG amid NYAG lawsuit allegations, and the recent controversy surrounding Uniswap's fee structure changes.  - - MetaMask Portfolio is your one-stop shop for all things web3. Instead of connecting to multiple exchanges, dapps, and tools, you just need to connect to one simple dapp to track and manage all your assets across different networks and accounts. MetaMask Portfolio provides a secure and convenient way to perform common tasks such as Buy, Sell, Swap, Bridge, and Stake.  Try MetaMask Portfolio at https://blckwrks.co/MetaMaskEmpire - - Chronicle Protocol is a novel Oracle solution that has exclusively secured over $10B in assets for MakerDAO and its ecosystem since 2017. With a history of innovation, including the invention of the first Oracle on Ethereum, Chronicle Protocol continues to redefine Oracles. A blockchain-agnostic protocol, Chronicle overcomes the current limitations of transferring data on-chain by developing the first truly scalable, cost-efficient, decentralized, and verifiable Oracles, rewriting the rulebook on data transparency and accessibility.   Learn more about Chronicle Protocol: https://chroniclelabs.org/ Join the Chronicle Labs team: https://chroniclelabs.org/careers#open_roles - - Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ --  Timestamps: (00:00) SBF Trial Updates (23:20) Timeline for SBF Sentencing (29:24) Chronicle Ad (30:40) Metamask Ad (31:26) Gemini, Genesis, DCG Sued by New York AG (50:00) Ramifications of Explosions in Crypto (55:34) Uniswap Fee Switch (01:04:33) Pudgy Penguins LIVE Unboxing — Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:08:3220/10/2023
The Convo: Overlooked Projects and Navigating Nuance in Crypto

The Convo: Overlooked Projects and Navigating Nuance in Crypto

In today's Empire Debates episode Santi, Tommy, and Ryan discuss overlooked aspects in this bear market including the importance of nuance in analyzing projects, the potential for decentralized storage despite current low demand, and how poor regulation and lack of clarity opened the door for bad actors like FTX. They then cover why jurisdictional competition will shape the future of crypto and capital formation. Despite crypto Twitter sentiment seeming very negative, the team remains optimistic in identifying quality investments throughout the crypto space.  Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Tommy, and Zach may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed. - - Follow Tommy: https://twitter.com/Shaughnessy119 Follow Ryan: https://twitter.com/kukulabanze Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  - - Planning to grant token awards for your team? Toku makes implementing global token compensation and incentive awards simple. With Toku, you get unmatched legal and tax support to grant and administer your global team’s tokens. Toku navigates it across the lifecycle — from easy to use token grant award templates through tracking vesting to managing tax withholdings.    Make it simple today, at https://www.toku.com/empire - - Timestamps: (00:00) What is Overlooked? (14:46) Managing Portfolios After FTX (20:08) Attractiveness of Alt L1 Investments (31:45) Toku Ad (33:00) What Needs to be Decentralized? (45:22) Recovering From Valuation Crashes (50:22) Treasury Funds and VC Activism (54:33) VCs Selecting Jurisdictions (01:02:54) Future of Capital Formation (01:07:45) Rapid Fire Questions - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Tommy, and Zach may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:10:5317/10/2023
How VCs Cause Layoffs and BlackRock-Barclays on JPMorgan Chain | Roundup

How VCs Cause Layoffs and BlackRock-Barclays on JPMorgan Chain | Roundup

In today's episode of Empire Jason and Santi are back, diving into the latest revelations from the FTX trial, including Caroline Ellison's testimony about Sam Bankman-Fried's priorities and losses. They also cover a landmark trade between BlackRock and Barclays using JPMorgan's blockchain Onyx, showcasing blockchain power in collateral transfers. They move on to discuss crypto layoffs, the failure of real estate-backed stablecoin USDR, and the mainnet launch of crypto project Scroll. They close with reflections on declining ACT scores, their love for David Beckham's documentary, and what it'd take for Jason to shave his head. - - MetaMask Portfolio is your one-stop shop for all things web3. Instead of connecting to multiple exchanges, dapps, and tools, you just need to connect to one simple dapp to track and manage all your assets across different networks and accounts. MetaMask Portfolio provides a secure and convenient way to perform common tasks such as Buy, Sell, Swap, Bridge, and Stake.  Try MetaMask Portfolio at https://blckwrks.co/MetaMaskEmpire - - Chronicle Protocol is a novel Oracle solution that has exclusively secured over $10B in assets for MakerDAO and its ecosystem since 2017. With a history of innovation, including the invention of the first Oracle on Ethereum, Chronicle Protocol continues to redefine Oracles. A blockchain-agnostic protocol, Chronicle overcomes the current limitations of transferring data on-chain by developing the first truly scalable, cost-efficient, decentralized, and verifiable Oracles, rewriting the rulebook on data transparency and accessibility.   Learn more about Chronicle Protocol: https://chroniclelabs.org/ Join the Chronicle Labs team: https://chroniclelabs.org/careers#open_roles - - Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ --  Timestamps: 00:00 Israel Based Start-up Support 05:30 SBF Trial Updates 17:00 BlackRock - Barclays Trade on JPMorgan Chain 21:16 Crypto Layoffs 25:00 Chronicle ad 26:15 Metamask ad 27:00 USDR Stablecoin Depeg 33:38 What We're Reading and Watching — Resources Israel Start-up Support https://twitter.com/ShalvaGozland/status/1711938126111768852 SBF Trial Updates https://blockworks.co/news/caroline-ellison-cross-examination BlackRock-Barclays Trade https://blockworks.co/news/blackrock-barclays-jpmorgan-chase-dapp-tcn USDR Stablecoin Depeg https://blockworks.co/news/tangible-real-usd-illiquid-stablecoin-real-world-assets - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
44:0513/10/2023
What Is Crypto's Bullish Catalyst? | 1000x

What Is Crypto's Bullish Catalyst? | 1000x

Follow 1000x On Spotify: https://spoti.fi/45htDli Follow 1000x On Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3Kz0Bpw Follow 1000x On YouTube: https://bit.ly/3DNc5C6 -- In today's episode of 1000x Jonah and Avi discuss market forces introducing increasing risk in the crypto markets. With a recent bond market sell-off, geopolitical tensions & rising oil prices, could these forces spill over into risk asset's, and how would that impact crypto? We then move onto discuss what is crypto's next bullish catalyst that will bring the greatest returns for both traders & investors, but to hear that, you'll have to tune in! -- Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman Follow Jonah: https://twitter.com/jvb_xyz Follow 1000x: https://twitter.com/1000xPod Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:45) Markets During Geopolitical Events (04:32) We're In A Shaky Environment For Risk Asset's (10:38) Surging Yield's, Geopolitical Conflict & Rising Oil (12:51) Stars Arena (15:22) FTX Hack (16:36) Ethereum Faces L2 Scaling Headwinds, But The Pendulum Will Swing (24:10) Stablecoins (30:15) Are L1's In Trouble? -- Referenced In The Show: Iran Helped Plot Attack on Israel Over Several Weeks: https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-israel-hamas-strike-planning-bbe07b25 New report shows ‘chaos’ during FTX hack last November: Wired: https://blockworks.co/news/ftx-hack-wired-bankruptcy-chaos -- Disclaimer: Nothing said on 1000x is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Avi, Jonah and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
39:1012/10/2023
Dollarization 2.0: How Stablecoins Unlock Emerging Markets | Nic Carter & Martin Carrica

Dollarization 2.0: How Stablecoins Unlock Emerging Markets | Nic Carter & Martin Carrica

In today's episode of Empire Jason and Santi are joined by Crypto investor Nic Carter and Martin Carrina, founder of Mountain Protocol, to discuss the past and future of stablecoins. They compare stablecoins to the rise of Eurodollars, arguing they meet a real demand for dollar exposure and could ultimately strengthen US interests, yet also face hostility akin to offshore banking. The guests debate whether crypto yields rising above fiat rates or expanding use cases like high-yield accounts are needed to drive stablecoin growth. To close things out the team covers the endgame for stablecoins and the vectors for mass adoption.  - - Follow Nic: https://twitter.com/nic__carter Follow Martin: https://twitter.com/mcarrica Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  - - Planning to grant token awards for your team? Toku makes implementing global token compensation and incentive awards simple. With Toku, you get unmatched legal and tax support to grant and administer your global team’s tokens. Toku navigates it across the lifecycle — from easy to use token grant award templates through tracking vesting to managing tax withholdings. Make it simple today, at https://www.toku.com/empire - - Bumper is an innovative DeFi protocol that protects the value of the crypto you hold from the downside & simultaneously preserves gains when the price climbs.  - A superior alternative to crypto options for traders  - 30% cheaper and more efficient than traditional tools - Liquidity providers earn 3-18% real yield on USDC - Get a share in $250,000 of BUMP rewards for Early Adopters Visit bumper.fi for more info! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Stablecoins Today (10:25) Efficiencies of Stablecoins (15:36) Emerging Markets & USDT on Tron (25:53) Time Horizon for Stablecoin Standard (30:42) Mobile Money Apps Powered by Stables (36:20) Bumper Ad (37:23) Toku Ad  (38:36) Market Structure of Stables (41:32) Algorithmic Stablecoin Design (46:28) Peg Designs and Risks (50:20) Acceptance of US Dollars (56:40) SigNet Design and Fiat Speed Limits (01:03:28) Economic Outlook of US Dollar  (01:15:04) Growth Catalysts for Stablecoins  - - Resources Nic Carter Token2049 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MD2Au5JwhZ0 Mountain usdm https://mountainprotocol.com/ Articles Shared by Jason https://www.lanacion.com.ar/  https://twitter.com/BowTiedMara/statu... - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:21:4410/10/2023
SBF Trial: Week 1 Unpacked | Roundup

SBF Trial: Week 1 Unpacked | Roundup

In today's episode of Empire all eyes are on Sam Bankman-Fried. Santi is joined by Blockworks Senior Reporter Casey Wagner who is covering SBF's criminal trial live from the Southern District of New York court. She provides details on the jury selection process, opening statements from the prosecution and defense, and testimony so far from witnesses like Bankman-Fried's former best friend and roommate. Casey covers the nuanced strategies of the prosecution and defense while providing unique insights into the sentiment in the courtroom. She also discusses potential witness testimony over the next few weeks which may shed more light on Bankman-Fried's knowledge and actions leading up to FTX's collapse. - - Planning to grant token awards for your team? Toku makes implementing global token compensation and incentive awards simple. With Toku, you get unmatched legal and tax support to grant and administer your global team’s tokens. Toku navigates it across the lifecycle — from easy to use token grant award templates through tracking vesting to managing tax withholdings. Make it simple today, at https://www.toku.com/empire - - Chronicle Protocol is a novel Oracle solution that has exclusively secured over $10B in assets for MakerDAO and its ecosystem since 2017. With a history of innovation, including the invention of the first Oracle on Ethereum, Chronicle Protocol continues to redefine Oracles. A blockchain-agnostic protocol, Chronicle overcomes the current limitations of transferring data on-chain by developing the first truly scalable, cost-efficient, decentralized, and verifiable Oracles, rewriting the rulebook on data transparency and accessibility. Learn more about Chronicle Protocol: https://chroniclelabs.org/ Join the Chronicle Labs team: https://chroniclelabs.org/careers#open_roles - - Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (00:00) Southern District of New York Court Coverage (15:44) Prosecution Strategy (25:00) Will Sam Testify? (30:34) Chronicle Ad (31:50) TOKU ad (33:00) Witnesses (41:25) Sam's Best Friend Testifies (51:00) Prosecution and Defense Teams (54:47) How is SBF? (58:55) Courtroom Sentiment -- Resources SBF Trial Live Updates https://blockworks.co/news/sbf-trial-day-1 — Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:10:0806/10/2023
Blockchain Capital's $580M Dollar Bet on Crypto | Spencer Bogart & Aleks Larsen

Blockchain Capital's $580M Dollar Bet on Crypto | Spencer Bogart & Aleks Larsen

In today's episode of Empire Jason and Santi interview Blockchain Capital General Partners Aleks and Spencer. Blockchain Capital recently closed two new funds, early stage and opportunity, totaling $580 million. Since its inception in 2013, Blockchain Capital has invested in more than 110 companies, protocols and crypto assets across the ecosystem. Today's discussion dives into their fund thesis and overall managing strategy, the time horizon for mass adoption, deploying capital in U.S. based projects, and existing discounts in later stage start-ups.  - - Follow Aleks: https://twitter.com/_alekslarsen Follow Spencer: https://twitter.com/CremeDeLaCrypto Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  - - Get 5% off your business insurance today with Vouch, the leading insurer of crypto startups. With over 4000 clients, Vouch offers exclusive coverages with crypto enhancements including Directors & Officers with digital asset regulatory defense and Cyber that includes smart contract vulnerabilities.  Get started today at https://vouch.us/web3/blockworks - - Bumper is an innovative DeFi protocol that protects the value of the crypto you hold from the downside & simultaneously preserves gains when the price climbs.  - A superior alternative to crypto options for traders  - 30% cheaper and more efficient than traditional tools - Liquidity providers earn 3-18% real yield on USDC - Get a share in $250,000 of BUMP rewards for Early Adopters Visit bumper.fi for more info! - - Timestamps: (00:00) $580M Fund Raise (08:00) Fund Performance and Power Dynamics (16:45) Time Horizon for Mass Adoption (22:04) Allocating Capital in U.S. (29:58) Exciting Innovation (38:30) Bumper Ad (39:34) Vouch ad (40:42) Balancing Portfolio Competition (44:50) Investment Stage Discount (47:18) What's Misunderstood about WorldCoin (51:01) Potential of AI & Crypto (54:09) Lessons Learned from Previous Cycles (58:56) Revisiting Old Ideas - - Resources: Blockchain Capital https://www.blockchaincapital.com/blog/doubling-up-while-doubling-down-announcing-our-latest-funds - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:10:2403/10/2023
Empire Debates: Is Using Binance Negligence?

Empire Debates: Is Using Binance Negligence?

In today's Empire Debates episode Santi, Tommy, and Ryan dive into several spicy takes. To start things off they discuss the general climate of funds in crypto and how founders are utilizing VC money to pivot project visions. They move on to break down the Binance rumors and discuss the potential struggles the exchange giant may be facing. - - Follow Tommy: https://twitter.com/Shaughnessy119 Follow Ryan: https://twitter.com/kukulabanze Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (06:31) Fund Returns in Crypto (19:26) Founders Pivoting on Investor Money (23:02) Token Treasury Management (27:07) Binance Rumors & Speculation (41:26) Investing in a Bear (52:09) Evaluating Token Cash-flows  (55:20) Advancements of zk Tech - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:10:0502/10/2023
Pudgy Penguins in Walmart and Coinbase Perps Approved | Roundup

Pudgy Penguins in Walmart and Coinbase Perps Approved | Roundup

In today's episode of Empire Jason and Santi cover the biggest news this week including Coinbase's massive approval for a non-US retail perpetuals trading and Pudgy Penguins invading 2000 Walmarts. They also dive into the market structure of crypto perps and whether Coinbase can claw marketshare. The duo also unpack the Gensler hearing and why AI valuations may be in a local top. They close out this week's RU by discussing locked token deals and how they have impacted projects throughout the space. Thanks for tuning in! - - Planning to grant token awards for your team? Toku makes implementing global token compensation and incentive awards simple. With Toku, you get unmatched legal and tax support to grant and administer your global team’s tokens. Toku navigates it across the lifecycle — from easy to use token grant award templates through tracking vesting to managing tax withholdings. Make it simple today, at https://www.toku.com/empire - - Chronicle Protocol is a novel Oracle solution that has exclusively secured over $10B in assets for MakerDAO and its ecosystem since 2017. With a history of innovation, including the invention of the first Oracle on Ethereum, Chronicle Protocol continues to redefine Oracles. A blockchain-agnostic protocol, Chronicle overcomes the current limitations of transferring data on-chain by developing the first truly scalable, cost-efficient, decentralized, and verifiable Oracles, rewriting the rulebook on data transparency and accessibility.   Learn more about Chronicle Protocol: https://chroniclelabs.org/ Join the Chronicle Labs team: https://chroniclelabs.org/careers#open_roles - - Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ --  Timestamps: (00:00) Discovering Apples & Marathons (08:35) Global Crypto Climate (14:32) Pudgy Penguins in Walmart (21:00) Coinbase Perps Trading (33:38) Chronicle ad (34:54) TOKU  (36:07) Gensler Congressional Hearing (39:14) AI Valuations (50:13) Locked Token Deals (56:32) Upcoming Pods — Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:01:5029/09/2023
Crypto & Oil Synergy, Leading L2s and zk Implementations | 1000x

Crypto & Oil Synergy, Leading L2s and zk Implementations | 1000x

In today's episode of 1000x Jonah and Avi are back from a brief hiatus and ready to dive into the biggest movements in the crypto markets. The duo begin by diving into the potential opportunities that lay within crypto and oil and uniquely discuss oil & USDT use-cases for global oil transactions. Turning to crypto, the guys dive into Polygon's significant lead in zk implementations and how Asia based investors are particularly interested in this innovation. To close things out they discuss their market outlooks and why altcoins may struggle to perform. We'll drop a new 1000x episode on Empire's RSS feed and the 1000x YouTube channel every two weeks. Hit the links below and give us a follow! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:33) Jonah's Update (04:13) From Crypto to Oil (13:28) Token2049 Reflection (16:58) Best zkEVM Implementation? (20:38) Optimism's ROI on Base Chain (23:14) Telegram Wallet Release (30:01) Market Outlook (33:06) Altcoin Avoidance - - Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman Follow Jonah: https://twitter.com/jvb_xyz Follow 1000x: https://twitter.com/1000xPod Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3FuSarX Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on 1000x is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Avi, Jonah and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
39:4228/09/2023
Wallets and MEV: Decoding Ethereum’s Supply Chain | Matt Cutler, Blocknative

Wallets and MEV: Decoding Ethereum’s Supply Chain | Matt Cutler, Blocknative

In today's episode of Empire Jason interviews Matt Cutler, CEO & co-founder of Blocknative. They dive deep into the supply chain of blockchains, exploring the various layers of what a transaction actually means on a blockchain network. They discuss the power balances of validators, block builders, relayers, sequencers, and users when considering the supply chain of transactions. They close out the conversation by digging into MEV and how wallets are positioned to capture major value with the adoption of account abstraction and the usage of intents.  - - Follow Matt Cutler: https://twitter.com/mcutler Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Get 5% off your business insurance today with Vouch, the leading insurer of crypto startups. With over 4000 clients, Vouch offers exclusive coverages with crypto enhancements including Directors & Officers with digital asset regulatory defense and Cyber that includes smart contract vulnerabilities. Get started today at https://vouch.us/web3/blockworks - - Bumper is an innovative DeFi protocol that protects the value of the crypto you hold from the downside & simultaneously preserves gains when the price climbs. - A superior alternative to crypto options for traders - 30% cheaper and more efficient than traditional tools - Liquidity providers earn 3-18% real yield on USDC - Get a share in $250,000 of BUMP rewards for Early Adopters Visit bumper.fi for more info! - - Timestamps: (00:00) From Early Internet to Ethereum (05:41) Supply Chain of Eth Transactions (17:49) Power Struggles & Economics of MEV Layers (29:09) Business Model of Relays (44:15) Vouch Ad (45:24) Bumper Ad (46:27) Private Transactions and Mempools (01:01:38) Wallet Value Capture (01:10:58) Uniswap MEV Market Share (01:17:50) Ethereum Outlook - - Resources Blocknative https://www.blocknative.com/ - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:21:1326/09/2023
Why Protocols Should Advertise and When to Buy Your Watchlist | Roundup

Why Protocols Should Advertise and When to Buy Your Watchlist | Roundup

In today's episode of Empire Jason and Santi are checking-in on their market sentiments. Jason explains how ad-revenue may be a helpful indicator of market sentiment. Santi explores portfolio construction, decision making, and market potential. To finish out the cover the latest news including Blockchain Capital $580M, FTX disclosures, Eclipse SVM L2 Launch, and Paypal pyUSD on Venmo.  - - Bumper is an innovative DeFi protocol that protects the value of the crypto you hold from the downside & simultaneously preserves gains when the price climbs.  - A superior alternative to crypto options for traders  - 30% cheaper and more efficient than traditional tools - Liquidity providers earn 3-18% real yield on USDC - Get a share in $250,000 of BUMP rewards for Early Adopters Visit bumper.fi - - Chronicle Protocol is a novel Oracle solution that has exclusively secured over $10B in assets for MakerDAO and its ecosystem since 2017. With a history of innovation, including the invention of the first Oracle on Ethereum, Chronicle Protocol continues to redefine Oracles. A blockchain-agnostic protocol, Chronicle overcomes the current limitations of transferring data on-chain by developing the first truly scalable, cost-efficient, decentralized, and verifiable Oracles, rewriting the rulebook on data transparency and accessibility.   Learn more about Chronicle Protocol: https://chroniclelabs.org/ Join the Chronicle Labs team: https://chroniclelabs.org/careers#open_roles - - Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ --  Timestamps: 0:00 Sentiment Check 05:11 Ad-Revenue Proxy for Sentiment 16:57 Impact of Marketing 22:15 Evaluating Portfolio 26:31 Decision Making in Bear Markets 38:23 Bumper Ad  39:27 Chronicle Ad  40:43 Blockchain Capital Raises $580M 43:39 Paypal pyUSD on Venmo 45:54 FTX Disclosed 48:28 Eclipse SVM L2 Launch — Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:02:0522/09/2023
Permissionless II Recap: RWAs, DeFi Resurgence, Top Takeaways

Permissionless II Recap: RWAs, DeFi Resurgence, Top Takeaways

After a week filled with panels, keynote speaking, and expo visiting Santi and Jason share their biggest takeaways from the Permissionless 2 conference. They dive into the awakening of the RWA DeFi narrative, regulatory discussions, crypto investment landscape and much more.  - - Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  - - Get 5% off your business insurance today with Vouch, the leading insurer of crypto startups. With over 4000 clients, Vouch offers exclusive coverages with crypto enhancements including Directors & Officers with digital asset regulatory defense and Cyber that includes smart contract vulnerabilities.  Get started today at https://vouch.us/web3/blockworks - - Chronicle Protocol is a novel Oracle solution that has exclusively secured over $10B in assets for MakerDAO and its ecosystem since 2017. With a history of innovation, including the invention of the first Oracle on Ethereum, Chronicle Protocol continues to redefine Oracles. A blockchain-agnostic protocol, Chronicle overcomes the current limitations of transferring data on-chain by developing the first truly scalable, cost-efficient, decentralized, and verifiable Oracles, rewriting the rulebook on data transparency and accessibility.   Learn more about Chronicle Protocol: https://chroniclelabs.org/ Join the Chronicle Labs team: https://chroniclelabs.org/careers#open_roles - - Timestamps: (00:00) Permissionless 2 Reflection (07:39) Are RWAs Coming? (13:48) Crypto Investment Landscape (23:13) Crypto Skepticism  (30:36) Chronicle Ad (31:53) Vouch Ad  (33:01) Regulation Takeaways - - Resources: Erik Vorhees "Why are we here?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XlYSmIlpfs&t=35s - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
48:5119/09/2023
JPMorgan Crypto Strategy Revealed | Tyrone Lobban

JPMorgan Crypto Strategy Revealed | Tyrone Lobban

In this episode of Empire, Tyrone Lobban, Head of Onyx Digital Assets from JPMorgan Chase joins us to dive into how traditional financial institutions are adopting onchain capabilities. They explore Onyx digital assets goal, project guardian's aim to unlock institutional access to DeFi, and how JPM views blockchain.  - - Follow Tyrone: https://twitter.com/TyLobban Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  - - Get 5% off your business insurance today with Vouch, the leading insurer of crypto startups. With over 4000 clients, Vouch offers exclusive coverages with crypto enhancements including Directors & Officers with digital asset regulatory defense and Cyber that includes smart contract vulnerabilities.  Get started today at https://vouch.us/web3/blockworks - - Timestamps: (00:00) What is Onyx? (08:43) 4 Aspects of Onyx (22:10) USDC and Stablecoin Market (26:24) Project Guardian & DeFi Interaction (34:24) Vouch ad  (35:34) Rights and Wrongs in Crypto (42:30) ETF Approval (47:59) JPMorgan Crypto Buy-in (49:22) Onyx Hackathon - - Resources Institutional DeFi https://www.jpmorgan.com/onyx/content-hub/institutional-defi.htm Digital Identity https://www.jpmorgan.com/onyx/content-hub/digital-identity-in-web3.htm#second-article Onyx Digital Assets https://www.jpmorgan.com/onyx/onyx-digital-assets.htm JPM Coollateral Settlement https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-26/jpmorgan-finds-new-use-for-blockchain-in-collateral-settlement?leadSource=uverify%20wall - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
54:0512/09/2023
MakerDAO and Visa Adopt Solana, Nima Capital MIA, Spot Ether ETF | Roundup

MakerDAO and Visa Adopt Solana, Nima Capital MIA, Spot Ether ETF | Roundup

In today's round-up, Jason and Santi dive into MakerDAO selection of Solana codebase, Visa using Solana for payments, Nima Capital going dark, and recent Spot Ether ETF news. Find out why Solana was selected for Maker's NewChain and how Visa aims to provide merchants transactions at the speed of light.  - - Bumper is an innovative DeFi protocol that protects the value of the crypto you hold from the downside & simultaneously preserves gains when the price climbs.  - A superior alternative to crypto options for traders  - 30% cheaper and more efficient than traditional tools - Liquidity providers earn 3-18% real yield on USDC - Get a share in $250,000 of BUMP rewards for Early Adopters Visit bumper.fi - - Use code EMPIRE30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ --  Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 05:24 MakerDAO Chain on Solana Codebase 27:50 Bumper ad 28:53 Permissionless 30:17 Visa x Solana Crypto Payments 46:59 Nima Capital Goes Dark 55:16 Spot Ether ETF 59:31 Metamask Sell Feature — Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:01:4408/09/2023
Policy Corner: Grayscale ETF, Uniswap Dismissal, Tornado Cash Indictment | Rebecca Rettig, Jake Chervinsky

Policy Corner: Grayscale ETF, Uniswap Dismissal, Tornado Cash Indictment | Rebecca Rettig, Jake Chervinsky

Jason is joined by Rebecca Rettig and Jake Chervinsky in today's special Policy Series episode to tackle the monumental implications of Grayscale ETF decision, Uniswap case dismissal and Tornado Cash indictments. They discuss how these decisions could impact the broader industry and what's coming up next for Bitcoin ETF decisions. - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:37)The Importance of Grayscale ETF Victory (11:20) “Chainalysis Ad” (12:24) ETF Consequences & What's Next? (28:48) Uniswap Case Dismissal (36:52) Impacts of Decisions (39:39) Creating a New Asset Class (41:27) Cravath Paper & Tornado Cash Indictment - - Follow Rebecca: https://twitter.com/RebeccaRettig1 Follow Jake: https://twitter.com/jchervinsky Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - This episode is brought to you by Chainalysis. Chainalysis is the blockchain data platform. We provide data, software, services, and research to government agencies, web3 companies, financial institutions, and insurance and cybersecurity companies. Our data powers investigation, compliance, and business intelligence software that has been used to solve some of the world’s most high-profile criminal cases. For more information, visit www.Chainalysis.com/empire. - - Resources: Grayscale ETF https://twitter.com/jchervinsky/status/1696544309699363201 https://blockworks.co/news/judges-grayscale-sec-ruling https://twitter.com/MTCoppel/status/1696856472762683814 Uniswap Case Dismissal https://blockworks.co/news/uniswap-class-action-dismissed https://twitter.com/haydenzadams/status/1696991910370411003 Cravath Paper & Tornado Cash https://twitter.com/Cravath/status/1697693810363351358?s=20 https://twitter.com/RebeccaRettig1/status/1697716451358982364 Crypto Use-cases thevaluedrop.io The Blockchain Association https://theblockchainassociation.org/ https://twitter.com/BlockchainAssn - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
48:5807/09/2023
Inside Polygon 2.0: Sandeep on L2 Wars and Business Model

Inside Polygon 2.0: Sandeep on L2 Wars and Business Model

In this episode of Empire, Sandeep Nailwal, co-founder of Polygon, elaborates on Polygon 2.0's bold approach to achieving infinite scalability in blockchain networks. Sandeep outlines his thesis for Polygon as not just a scalability solution, but as the foundational "Value Layer of the Internet." The conversation explores various components of Polygon 2.0 including it's innovation of zk EVM, POL Tokenomics, and the 3 pillars for governance. Nailwal also touches on Polygon's strategic partnerships with big brands like Reddit, Nike, and Starbucks, emphasizing their role in accelerating the mass adoption of the network. - - Follow Sandeep: https://twitter.com/sandeepnailwal Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  - - Get 5% off your business insurance today with Vouch, the leading insurer of crypto startups. With over 4000 clients, Vouch offers exclusive coverages with crypto enhancements including Directors & Officers with digital asset regulatory defense and Cyber that includes smart contract vulnerabilities.  Get started today at https://vouch.us/web3/blockworks - - Use code EMPIRE30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Timestamps: (00:00) Why Polygon 2.0? (07:53) Why is ZK the solution? (25:06) Polygon 2.0 Competition (28:49) Vouch Ad (29:58) Permissionless  (31:22) POL Tokenomics  (38:17) 3 Governance Pillars (43:56) The BD Chain Narrative (53:11) The Business Model of Polygon (58:32) Polygon CDK - - Resources Polygon 2.0 https://polygon.technology/blog/introducing-polygon-2-0-the-value-layer-of-the-internet zkEVM https://polygon.technology/blog/whats-happening-on-polygon-zkevm-summer-edition - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:01:1305/09/2023
Grayscale ETF Triumph, Uniswap case dismissal, and 10 Brian Armstrong Ideas | Roundup

Grayscale ETF Triumph, Uniswap case dismissal, and 10 Brian Armstrong Ideas | Roundup

In today's round-up, Jason and Santi dive into the Greyscale ETF victory and why it matters, the Uniswap case dismissal, and the 10 things Brian Armstrong is most excited to see in crypto. Their conversation digs into why ETFs have deep implications for the space, complexities of P2P markets, Web3 ad verticals, and much much more!  - - Use code EMPIRE30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources 10 Things - Brian Armstrong https://twitter.com/brian_armstrong/status/1696923807855042601?s=20 Greyscale ETF Triump https://twitter.com/jchervinsky/status/1696544309699363201?s=20 Uniswap - Paradigm Case Dismissal https://twitter.com/BillHughesDC/status/1696897567500505514?s=20 --  Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (02:45) Grayscale ETF Triumph (17:06) Why does the ETF Matter? (31:43) Permissionless  (33:10) Uniswap Case Dismissal (37:40) Brian Armstrong 10 Things Needed in Crypto — Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:09:1601/09/2023
Empire Debates: L2 Wars, FriendTech, Crypto Regs, Digital Art Movement

Empire Debates: L2 Wars, FriendTech, Crypto Regs, Digital Art Movement

In today's special premiere Empire Debate episode, Santiago, Tommy, and Ryan dissect the biggest debates affecting Crypto. They dive into the L2 wars, whether Base needs a token, or if decentralization even matters for mass adoption. Also discussed are ETF approval chances, Crypto regs on the horizon, and NFTs new movement as fine digital art. - - Follow Tommy: https://twitter.com/Shaughnessy119 Follow Ryan: https://twitter.com/kukulabanze Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Use code EMPIRE30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (05:38) Narrative Emergence (12:42) Friend.Tech & Base Adoption Narratives (16:54) Will Tokens Attract Mainstream Adoption? (26:56) “Permissionless Promotion” (28:19) Does Decentralization Matter for Mass Adoption? (40:47) Ethereum & Bitcoin ETFs (56:43) Crypto Regulation Impact & Timeline (1:04:16) NFTs as Fine Digital Art - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:16:2601/09/2023
Web3 Ad Markets Explained | Antonio García Martínez

Web3 Ad Markets Explained | Antonio García Martínez

In this episode of Empire, we're joined by Antonio García Martínez, Founder of Spindle, New York Times best selling author, and tech leader with experience ranging from Facebook to Goldman Sachs. Today's episode delves into the intricate world of advertising, contrasting traditional Web2 paradigms with emerging Web3 possibilities. Learn about the the decentralization of advertising platforms, evolving monetization models, and the ethical implications surrounding data privacy. - - Follow Antonio: https://twitter.com/antoniogm Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  - - Get 5% off your business insurance today with Vouch, the leading insurer of crypto startups. With over 4000 clients, Vouch offers exclusive coverages with crypto enhancements including Directors & Officers with digital asset regulatory defense and Cyber that includes smart contract vulnerabilities.  Get started today at https://vouch.us/web3/blockworks - - Use code EMPIRE30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Timestamps: (00:00) Who is Antonio García Martínez? (06:35) The Facebook Ad Market (10:41) Sourcing Off-Platform Data  (18:46) The State of the Ad Market   (24:14) Ad Space Landscape (26:41) Are Web2 Platforms Listening to you? (29:10) Hardware VS Software Layer (32:02) The State of Crypto Ad Markets (36:48) Vouch ad  (37:56) Permissionless Ad (39:21) Web3 Impact on Ad Markets  (44:32) Ad Marketplaces  (51:25) Web3 Master of Ads  (55:35) How Does Spindl Work? (01:00:25) Web3 User Tracking - - Resources: Ghostery Pixel Tracking https://www.ghostery.com/ LumaScape - A visual guide https://lumapartners.com/lumascapes/  Facebook isn't Listening to you (Antonio Wired Piece)  https://www.wired.com/story/facebooks-listening-smartphone-microphone/  - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:09:2329/08/2023
Solana & Shopify, Tornado Cash vs DOJ, Coinbase & Circle | Roundup

Solana & Shopify, Tornado Cash vs DOJ, Coinbase & Circle | Roundup

In today's round-up, Jason and Santi discuss Solana & Shopify's partnership, DOJ's arrest of Tornado Cash's Co-founder, and Coinbase's acquisition of Circle. They explore the collaboration's implications between Solana and Shopify. When discussing the DOJ's arrest of Tornado Cash's Co-founder, they address legal aspects and community impact. Finally, they analyze Coinbase's acquisition of Circle, highlighting strategic significance and revenue potential. - - Use code EMPIRE30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources FriendTech Links https://dune.com/austin_adams/friendstech-dashboard https://twitter.com/friendtech/status/1693745768145063954?s=20 Coinbase Circle https://www.coinbase.com/blog/ushering-in-the-next-chapter-for-usdc Solana x Shopify https://solana.com/news/solana-pay-shopify David Marcus Article  https://medium.com/@davidmarcus/why-building-a-new-protocol-for-money-is-the-only-way-to-truly-change-the-game-for-people-254c55407e22 --  Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:31) Friend.Tech Updates (13:02) DOJ Arrests Tornado Cash Co-founder (23:30) Permissionless ad (24:57) Coinbase & Circle Deal (35:58) Shopify x Solana Integration (45:26) Final Thoughts — Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
51:5425/08/2023
Trading Principles, Friend.tech's "Perfect Use Case" & Bitcoin's Sell-Off | 1000x

Trading Principles, Friend.tech's "Perfect Use Case" & Bitcoin's Sell-Off | 1000x

Follow 1000x On Spotify: https://spoti.fi/45htDli Follow 1000x On Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3Kz0Bpw Follow 1000x On YouTube: https://bit.ly/3DNc5C6 -- On today's episode of 1000x, Avi & Jonah discuss the recent Bitcoin sell-off, perfecting a trading strategy to avoid periods of volatility & key principles for a successful trading strategy. We then dive deep into crypto's latest hype & potential "perfect use case"... Friend.tech. Arguing that you need to be paying attention, Avi & Jonah weight in on the bull vs bear case for the social media platform. To hear all this & more, you'll have to tune in! -- Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman Follow Jonah: https://twitter.com/jvb_xyz Follow 1000x: https://twitter.com/1000xPod Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:48) Bitcoin Tumbles To $26,000 (09:13) Finding A Trading Process (17:28) Defining Value In Crypto (23:01) A Debate On Friend.tech (36:17) The Financialization Of Friend.tech -- Disclaimer: Nothing said on 1000x is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Avi, Jonah and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
38:3124/08/2023
Friend.tech Debate: Innovation or Implosion? | Ansem

Friend.tech Debate: Innovation or Implosion? | Ansem

In today's episode, Ansem joins us to dive into Friend.Tech, Crypto twitter's latest hot narrative. The discussion dives into Friend.Tech, a Base chain native app that allows users to create and trade tokens associated with their online profiles. They explore how Friend.tech enables trading of personal tokens and its potential impact on independent artists, debate its ethical considerations, and future potential of social tokens.  - - Follow Ansem: https://twitter.com/blknoiz06 Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  - - Use code EMPIRE30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Timestamps: (00:52) Friend.Tech Explained (15:24) Friend.Tech Social Betting Model (22:57) Friend.Tech Bull Case (26:41) Bear Case (33:23) Speculation vs Fandom (37:55) Permissionless ad (39:23) Social Token Price Manipulation (45:49) Will Social Tokens Cause Harm? (48:40) Airdrop Point System (51:34) BitClout VS Friend.Tech (53:17) Social Token Exit Plans (01:00:34) Social Fractionalization (01:02:42) L2 Wars (01:09:22) Stock Ownership (01:16:24) Fan Base Monetization   - - Resources Friend.Tech https://twitter.com/friendtech https://www.friend.tech/ BitClout https://bitclout.com/ - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:22:1122/08/2023
Ending the Modular vs Monolithic Debate | Kyle Samani

Ending the Modular vs Monolithic Debate | Kyle Samani

We're joined by Kyle Samani, the co-founder of Multicoin Capital and one of crypto's most independent thinkers. In this episode, we cover why "monolithic L1s" is a misnomer, the value of global state, how a protocol establishes moats, why DePIN is finding product-market fit, how Kyle synthesizes new ideas and more! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:34) The Modular vs Monolithic Debate (07:43) Bootstrapping Communities (09:17) A Case for Rollups and Appchains (15:33) The Value of Composability and Globally Shared State (23:22) Crypto’s Moats, Meat Space and the Saga Phone (28:38) Don’t Sleep on DePIN (45:11) Spatial Computing and New Form Factors (53:42) Kyle’s Thinking Process (57:49) Zero Knowledge Proof Use Cases (01:04:21) How Kyle Cultivated His Communication Style (01:06:03) Advice for Founders - - Although our guests this week are managing partners of a registered investment adviser, nothing in this podcast should be considered an offer of Multicoin’s investment advisory services or should otherwise be confused for investment, tax, legal or other financial advice. - - Follow Kyle: https://twitter.com/KyleSamani Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Use code EMPIRE30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Resources: Multicoin Capital https://multicoin.capital/ Unlocking Payments Over Crypto Rails https://multicoin.capital/2022/12/08/unlocking-payments-over-crypto-rails/ Stratechery (Ben Thompson) https://stratechery.com/ - - Disclaimers: Lightspeed was kickstarted by a grant from the Solana Foundation. Nothing said on Lightspeed is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mert, Garrett and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:09:2918/08/2023
Solana’s Ultimate Vision | Anatoly Yakovenko

Solana’s Ultimate Vision | Anatoly Yakovenko

Anatoly joins us to discuss why Solana is uniquely designed to utilize ever-increasing bandwidth and compute. We cover Solana's core thesis, how blockchains benefit from hardware improvements, the fundamental flaws of L2s, Anatoly's favorite applications, decentralization and more! Anatoly is a legend, you don't want to miss this one! - - Follow Anatoly: https://twitter.com/aeyakovenko Follow Mert: https://twitter.com/0xMert_ Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/GarrettHarper_ Follow Lightspeed: https://twitter.com/Lightspeedpodhq Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/43o3Syk Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3OhiXgV Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3OkF7PD Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Use code EMPIRE30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Timestamps: (00:00) Solana’s Core Thesis (10:40) The Scaling Bottleneck (13:58) Do All Blockchains Equally Benefit From Hardware Improvements? (17:57) Pros and Cons of Parallel Execution (21:12) The Realities of Decentralization (24:43) Solana’s Design Moat (28:10) Permissionless ad (29:37) The Fundamental Tradeoffs of L2s (44:12) How Should Solana Approach Business Development? (48:12) The Role of Solana Labs and the Solana Foundation (49:47) The Compressed NFT Opportunity (53:31) We Need to Fix DAO Governance (55:14) Anatoly’s Metric of Success for Solana (57:58) Why Anatoly Hasn’t Left Crypto (01:00:03) Why an Average Joe Would Use Solana (01:01:39) Rapid Fire    - - Resources Endgame: Proof of Governance by Jon Charbonneau https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toPd1vgHjVE&t=0s - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:15:3815/08/2023
The Future of Stablecoins | Bell Curve Roundup

The Future of Stablecoins | Bell Curve Roundup

This week we're excited to bring you the Round Up episode from our Bell Curve Podcast, a show where we breakdown the most important themes in crypto. In today’s episode, Mike and Michael discuss all things Stables and more! The guys kick things off with PayPal, discussing their PYUSD Stablecoin launch and what it means for the wider ecosystem and future Stablecoin market structure. We then take a closer look at Coinbase’s Q2 earnings, before touching on future Rollup value accrual. We then close with a Ripple update, Cantina (Web3’s security marketplace), the endgame for Stablecoins, and more! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (02:28) PYUSD: PayPal stablecoin (07:37) Future Stablecoin Market Structure (11:31) Coinbase Update (24:39) Portnoy's Barstool Sports $1 Buy Back  (26:10) Rollup Value Accrual (44:43) Ripple XRP Update (50:04) Web3 Security Marketplace: Cantina (55:10) News-to-price Incongruities (58:15) The Stablecoin Endgame - - Follow Michael: https://twitter.com/im_manderson Follow Mike: https://twitter.com/MikeIppolito_ Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3R1D1D9 Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3pQTfmD Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3cpKZXH -- Research, news, data, governance and models – now, all in one place. As a listener of Bell Curve, you can use code "BELLCURVE10" for a 10% discount when signing up to Blockworks Research https://www.blockworksresearch.com/ -- Use code BELLCURVE30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Resources: PYUSD: PayPal stablecoin: https://www.paypal.com/us/digital-wallet/manage-money/crypto/pyusd Coinbase earnings: https://blockworks.co/news/crypto-stocks-stumble-earnings - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire or Bell Curve is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Mike, Jason, Michael, Vance and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:02:2711/08/2023
Crypto Is Entering A Paradigm Shift | 1000x

Crypto Is Entering A Paradigm Shift | 1000x

Follow 1000x On Spotify: https://spoti.fi/45htDli Follow 1000x On Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3Kz0Bpw Follow 1000x On YouTube: https://bit.ly/3DNc5C6 -- On today's episode of 1000x, Avi & Jonah discuss the major shift happening in crypto markets. As green shoots emerge across the industry, are there signs of liquidity beginning to return? We also deep dive into the performance of crypto hedge funds throughout 2023, how a Bitcoin ETF would open up a "gateway of liquidity" and PayPal's stablecoin launch. To hear all this & more, you'll have to tune in! -- Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman Follow Jonah: https://twitter.com/jvb_xyz Follow 1000x: https://twitter.com/1000xPod Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Referenced In The Show: PayPal launches stablecoin tied to the US dollar, issued on Ethereum: https://blockworks.co/news/paypal-launches-stablecoin -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (02:26) How Have Crypto Hedge Funds Performed In 2023? (05:52) Has Bitcoin Dominance Peaked? (07:56) Alt Coin Season & The Bitcoin ETF (12:28) Re-Thinking The Multi Chain Thesis (19:38) PayPal Launches A Stablecoin (24:50) Tether (29:48) From Crypto To Crude Oil -- Disclaimer: Nothing said on 1000x is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Avi, Jonah and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
32:5410/08/2023
Base: Decentralization Funding, Public Infrastructure, & Onchain Native Life | Jesse Pollak

Base: Decentralization Funding, Public Infrastructure, & Onchain Native Life | Jesse Pollak

In today's episode, Santi is joined by Jesse Pollak, a Base contributor. Base is an Ethereum Layer 2 (L2) chain incubating inside of Coinbase with plans to progressively decentralize the chain over time. They discuss Coinbase role in the ecosystem, account messaging & abstraction, privacy approach, and ecosystem growth trajectories.  - -  Follow Jesse: https://twitter.com/jessepollak  Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz  Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel  Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod  Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j  Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7  Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw  Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news.  Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  - -  Use code EMPIRE30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023  - -  Timestamps:  (00:00) Base: High Level Overview  (07:08) Base Neutrality  (10:25) Base Bridging  (13:52) Base dApp Development  (19:15) Base Privacy Approach  (21:27) Permissionless Ad  (22:54) Base Value to Coinbase Revenue  (25:57) Coinbase Wallet Adoption  (30:32) User Incentives  (37:05) Onchain Identity  (41:25) Bald Meme Coin Season  (46:13) Real Consumer Experiences on Base  (48:44) Sequencer Decentralization  (51:53) Onchain Messaging  (58:42) USDC Importance  - -  Resources  Introducing Base https://www.coinbase.com/blog/introducing-base https://base.mirror.xyz/lt3JR-mZ51q9eIOtGO36L3ZVzCTXmZVnbIiXz6crqzQ Onchain Summer https://www.coinbase.com/blog/celebrate-onchain-summer-with-coinbase Prop House https://prop.house/base - -  Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:02:5009/08/2023
The Blockworks Origin Story | Michael & Jason

The Blockworks Origin Story | Michael & Jason

In today's episode, the tables have flipped. Santi & Michael interview Co-founders of Blockworks Michael and Jason. They dive into the Blockworks origin story, from conception, surviving COVID, the hiring difference, and the evolving thesis for Blockworks growth & trajectory.  - - Follow Michael I: https://twitter.com/MikeIppolito_ Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Michael A: https://twitter.com/im_manderson Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  - - Use code EMPIRE30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Timestamps: (00:00) The Blockworks Start (08:20) Entrepreneur Mindset Origination (11:42) Determining Product Categories (19:18) The COVID Pivot (24:12) Competitive Landscape (30:26) The Hiring Difference (34:36) Cycle Sentiment Check-in (39:24) Aligning Teams in Crypto (43:37) Target Audience (47:04) Permissionless (48:30) Evolving Thesis Approach (57:03) Narrative Pulse Check-in (01:00:02) Crypto's Killer App (01:02:38) Why Back Blockworks? (01:13:11) The Biggest Mistake (01:16:16) DAO Bullishness (01:23:12) Staying Interested Advice - - Resources Go to Permissionless  https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:32:0008/08/2023
Curve Hack Explained | Roundup

Curve Hack Explained | Roundup

In today's round-up, we dive into the $70M Curve Exploit. Joined by Ren, a blockworks research analyst, and Andrew, blockwork's lead data reporter, the team dives into how the exploit happened, the impacted pools, MEV & White Hat recovery efforts, and Egorov's liquidation hunt. - - Use code EMPIRE30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Ren: https://twitter.com/purplepill3m Follow Andrew: https://twitter.com/Blockanalia Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources Technical Post-mortem https://hackmd.io/@LlamaRisk/BJzSKHNjn Egorov's Debank Profile https://debank.com/profile/0x7a16ff8270133f063aab6c9977183d9e72835428?chain=eth Egorov's Aave https://aave.blockanalitica.com/v2/ethereum/wallets/0x7a16ff8270133f063aab6c9977183d9e72835428/ OTC Deals https://twitter.com/thiccythot_/status/1686728604326002688 -- Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (00:24) What is Curve? (03:49) Exploit Explained (08:59) Impacted Curve Liquidity Pools (16:01) Vyper Code Exploit (20:25) Permissionless Ad (21:51) Centralized War Rooms (25:54) MEV Bots vs Hackers (31:29) Egorov Liquidation Hunt (38:09) Abracadabra Governance Proposal (40:25) Bad Debt Stand-off (44:06) OTC Deals (49:04) Lending Protocol Watershed Moment — Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:01:5104/08/2023
Why VC is Dumb Money, OpenSea Token, and The NFT Comeback | Nick Tomaino

Why VC is Dumb Money, OpenSea Token, and The NFT Comeback | Nick Tomaino

In today's episode, Nick Tomaino, GP of 1confirmation, joins Santiago and Jason. They dive into why the Next Gen L1 Thesis is wrong, Opensea token launch, VC issues, and his thesis for NFTs moving forward.  - - Follow Nick Tomaino: https://twitter.com/NTmoney Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  - - This episode is brought to you by Carbon.  Carbon is a new DEX on Ethereum that makes concentrated liquidity easy. LPs can automate their liquidity strategy with custom on-chain limit and range orders: all from a beautiful UI. Check out Carbon today at https://www.carbondefi.xyz/.  - - Use code EMPIRE30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Timestamps: (00:00) Why Crypto VC is Dumb Money (08:06) Narrative Investing (17:48) The Key to VC Success (23:10) Bull Case for Prediction Markets (31:40) Carbon Ad (32:59) Permissionless  (34:24) The NFT Thesis (44:19) NTS & RWAs (49:02) NFT Fractionalization (54:52) The Future of Open Sea (01:00:04) Coinbase and Wallstreet (01:04:15) Timeline for Mainstream Adoption (01:12:25) 2024 US Election Outlook - - Resources Polymarket https://polymarket.com/ https://twitter.com/Polymarket The Scapegoat by Rene Girard https://www.amazon.com/Scapegoat-Ren - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:17:3101/08/2023
Centralized Builders Bull Case, Bear Market Conference, zkEVM Problems | EthCC Reflection

Centralized Builders Bull Case, Bear Market Conference, zkEVM Problems | EthCC Reflection

In today's episode Dan and Sam are joined by host of Bell Curve Podcast & Blockworks Co-Founder Michael and Blockworks research analyst Matt. The team dives into their key takeaways of the EthCC and converse on zkEVM problems, the bull case for centralization, scaling solutions, interoperability, and much more! - - Follow 0xResearch on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3foDS38 Subscribe to 0xResearch on Apple: https://apple.co/3SNhUEt Subscribe to 0xResearch on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3NlP1hA - - Follow Michael: https://twitter.com/MikeIppolito_ Follow Sam: https://twitter.com/swmartin19 Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/MattFiebach Follow Blockworks Research: https://twitter.com/blockworksres Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3foDS38 Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3SNhUEt Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3NlP1hA Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  -- Use code EMPIRE30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Resources Alex Blania Interview spoti.fi/3BuCzab https://apple.co/3W94QN6  https://youtu.be/ImPvUOwFR68 McHenry Bill Derailing https://blockworks.co/news/house-stablecoin-markup Vitalik Buterin - A history of account abstraction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLf8qpOmxQc LayerZero https://layerzero.network/ — Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (02:27) EthCC Vibe Check (09:30) Discussions on zkEVM Problems (15:11) Takeaways for Interoperability (23:52) The Bull Case for Centralized Builders (39:49) Enshrining Eigen Layer in Ethereum Protocol (46:21) Are Scaling Solutions Too Much? (55:01) Lido Bribe Mechanism (59:45) Web2 at EthCC (01:01:55) Permissionless Discount (01:03:19) What Does Institutional Adoption Look Like? - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:09:0528/07/2023
Will AI Agents Use Crypto? | Qiao Wang

Will AI Agents Use Crypto? | Qiao Wang

In today's episode, Jason is joined by Qiao Wang, Partner at Alliance DAO. They start today's episode by sentiment checking the market, reflecting on the current building landscape, and the types of founders and projects currently raising funds. They wrap up the show by diving into the intersection of Crypto & AI, decentralizing AI, and consumer crypto AI products.  - - Follow Qiao Wang: https://twitter.com/QwQiao Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  - - This episode is brought to you by Carbon.  Carbon is a new DEX on Ethereum that makes concentrated liquidity easy. LPs can automate their liquidity strategy with custom on-chain limit and range orders: all from a beautiful UI. Check out Carbon today at https://www.carbondefi.xyz/.  - - Use code EMPIRE30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023 - - Timestamps: (00:00) Bear Market Sentiment Check (08:23) The Stages of a Bear Market (13:19) What Buildoors are Building (18:50) What Layer has the Buildoors? (21:55) Types of Founders (29:44) Characteristics of a Successful Founder (33:47) Where Web3 Innovation is (37:03) Permissionless ad (38:28) Carbon ad (39:47) Is AI on the Gartner Hype Cycle? (43:07) The Intersection of AI (50:06) Decentralizing AI (59:41) Is There a Crypto Element for AI? (01:05:43) Consumer Crypto & AI Products - - Resources Alliance DAO https://twitter.com/alliancedao  - - Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:16:5325/07/2023
Chainlink CCIP Bomb, UniswapX, & Synthetix upgrades explained | Roundup

Chainlink CCIP Bomb, UniswapX, & Synthetix upgrades explained | Roundup

In today's episode special edition cross-over episode Jason and Santi are joined by Michael, Co-founder at Framework Ventures and Co-host of the Bell Curve podcast. They cover EthCC Account Abstraction takeaways, Infinex, UniswapX, Chainlink CCIP & LayerZero, the VC landscape and MUCH much more.  - - This episode is brought to you by Kwenta, the premier derivatives trading platform on Optimism that offers deep liquidity, low fees and up to 50x leverage across 24+ assets.  Go to Kwenta.io and start trading today! --  This episode is brought to you buy Thales.  Thales is an innovative digital options platform on Arbitrum and Optimism that gets you exposure to crypto assets in the simplest way possible. As simple as choosing UP or DOWN! Experience the simplicity and power of Thales by visiting:  https://thalesmarket.io/?mtm_campaign=blockworks - - Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Resources UniswapX https://twitter.com/Uniswap/status/1680955621343129600 Infinex https://twitter.com/DefiantNews/status/1679838219201028097 Chainlink CCIP https://twitter.com/chainlink/status/1680970793331613697 Celo Move to L1 https://blockworks.co/news/celo-return-home-ethereum --  (00:00) EthCC (03:46) Account Abstraction & Crypto UX (06:48) Infinex: The CEX Killer? (10:25) UniswapX Release (17:19) Chainlink CCIP (27:43) LayerZero vs Chainlink (31:04) Policy Episode Takeaways (36:23) Thales (37:19) Kwenta (38:15) CoinDesk Acquired (41:25) Sequoia Shakes Up Crypto Arm (48:24) Crypto VC Competitive Landscape (52:16) Crypto VC Strategies & Investment Practices (01:03:13) Most Important Factor for L1s (01:12:43) Celo Transition to Ethereum L2 — Disclaimer: Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and any views expressed by anyone on the show are solely our opinions, not financial advice. Santiago, Jason, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
01:22:1821/07/2023