Empire

Latest Episodes:

No, We Have Not Topped Featuring Roshun Patel | Weekly Roundup Aug 22, 2025

Show notes

Happy Friday! On this week’s Roundup, Yano and Santi are joined by Ro to dive in and explore the signals, indicators and metrics that might or might not point to a top of the cycle. From Chamath’s SPAC, borrowing and lending numbers, Kanye meme coins, NFTs and more all provide unique insights into the potential frothy Q4 ahead of us.

Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from David Canellis.

Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts

Follow Roshun: https://x.com/roshunpatel

Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel

Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz

Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod

Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh

GEODNET is the world’s largest RTK network, delivering real-time, centimeter-level precision for drones, robots, farmers, and first responders. Recognized by the U.S. Congress, this blockchain-powered network supports mission-critical applications across a wide range of industries.

Discover how GEODNET is changing the world: [https://geodnet.com]

Get up to speed on the biggest stories in crypto each week. In five minutes.

Get the Bitwise Weekly CIO Memo delivered directly to your inbox at bitwiseinvestments.com/ciomemo/empire

"Mantle is pioneering ""Blockchain for Banking"" as a revolutionary new category that sits at the intersection of TradFi and web3.

Key elements for Mantle as the ""Blockchain for Banking"":

- Transactions posted to the blockchain

- Compatibility with TradFi rails

- Integrated DeFi features

UR, built by Mantle, is the first real-world example: an on-chain money app offering Swiss IBANs and unified access to fiat (EUR, CHF, USD, RMB) and crypto — bringing crypto into everyday finance.

Mantle Network, the access layer — transforms Mantle Network into a purpose-built vertical platform — the blockchain for banking — that enables financial services on-chain. Mantle leads the establishment of Blockchain for Banking as the next frontier.

Follow Mantle on X (@Mantle_Official) for the latest updates on Mantle as the 'Blockchain for Banking'."

Learn more about Citrea: https://citrea.xyz/?utm_source=bellcurve&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=website_promo

Follow Citrea on X/Twitter for the latest on its journey to mainnet: https://x.com/citrea_xyz

Chapters:

(00:52) Intro

(04:01) Top Indicators Explored

(25:33) Ads (Geodnet, Bitwise)

(27:02) Lending Markets & Leverage

(45:55) Private Markets

(54:38) Ads (Geodnet, Bitwise)

(56:00) Ads (Mantle,Citrea)

(57:36) Overlooked Sectors

(01:12:30) Content Recs

—

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.

Where Are We In The Cycle, ETHs Outperformance & The Perpification of Markets Aug 21, 2025

Show notes

This week, we're joined by Kaledora Fontana Kiernan-Linn to discuss the perpification of markets. We deep dive into where are we in the cycle, ETHs outperformance, how to compete with tradfi, what the tokenization of equities actually means & more. Enjoy!

Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross and David Canellis.

Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: ⁠https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire⁠

Follow Kaledora: https://x.com/kaledora

Follow Ceteris: https://x.com/ceterispar1bus

Follow Jose: ⁠https://x.com/ZeMariaMacedo

Follow Yan: ⁠https://x.com/YanLiberman

Follow Empire: ⁠https://x.com/theempirepod

Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠https://bit.ly/4jYEkBx⁠

Subscribe on Apple: ⁠https://bit.ly/3ECSmJ3⁠

Subscribe on Spotify: ⁠https://bit.ly/4hzy9lH⁠

Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: ⁠https://blockworks.co/newsletter/⁠

Timestamps:

(0:00) Introduction

(1:50) Where Are We In The Cycle?

(10:45) Who Is Actually Buying DATs?

(18:44) What Is The Ethereum Thesis?

(22:01) Trading TradFi Onchain

(29:46) Perp Funding On Ostium

(35:02) Crypto Exchanges Business Model

(39:09) How Can Crypto Compete With TradFi?

(56:16) Tokenizing Equities

(1:07:07) ETH Needs To Perform For An Alt Season

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, the Hivemind team, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

What Liquid Funds Are Buying Featuring Seth Ginns & Cosmo Jiang Aug 18, 2025

Show notes

Gm! This week, Seth Ginns, from CoinFund, and Cosmo Jian, of Pantera Capital, join Yano to dive into the funds’ mandates, the overall outlook of the market, whether narratives or fundamentals drive price, how DATs play a role in the investor ecosystem and why sometimes non-consensus trades pay off!

Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts

Follow Seth: https://x.com/sethginns

Follow Cosmo: https://x.com/cosmo_jiang

Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz

Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod

Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh

SKALE is high-performance and cost-effective, making it ideal for compute-intensive applications like AI, gaming, and consumer-facing dApps. Learn more at https://skale.space and stay up to date with the gas-free invisible blockchain on X at @skalenetwork

Katana is a DeFi-first chain built for deep liquidity and high yield. No empty emissions, just real yield and sequencer fees routed back to DeFi users.

Pre-deposit now: Earn high APRs with Turtle Club [https://app.turtle.club/campaigns/katana] or spin the wheel with Katana Krates [https://app.katana.network/krates]

Ledn is the leading platform for Bitcoin-backed loans, offering a secure and transparent way to unlock liquidity without selling your Bitcoin. Ledn has issued over $9 billion in loans since 2018 and has never lost a single satoshi of client assets, earning a reputation as the name you can trust in the crypto space.

Visit https://www.ledn.io to learn more.

–

Chapters:

(00:00) Intro

(02:34) Liquid Funds

(05:35) CoinFund’s Mandate

(06:40) Pantera Capital’s Mandate

(15:22) Portfolio Construction

(20:17) Ads (Skale, Katana)

(21:48) Token Picking Strategy

(29:20) Narrative Driven Markets

(35:42) Acquiring, Trading & Selling Tokens

(50:25) Ads (Skale, Katana)

(51:56) Investor Relations Advice For Founders

(55:03) DATs Explored

(01:12:29) Ads (LEDN)

(01:13:39) Convergence

(01:17:58) What Sectors Benefit Most From DATs

—

The Ether Machine Chairman: Real Risk of DATs And Who Wins From Stripe And Circle’s Chains | Weekly Roundup Aug 15, 2025

Show notes

For this week’s roundup, Andrew Keys, from The Ether Machine, joins Yano, Santi and Rob to dive into the unique value prop that The Ether Machine offers investors, his thoughts on the overall DAT landscape and how DATs, outside of BTC and ETH, are likely too far down the risk curve. They also discuss the rise and proliferation of private L1s like Stripe’s and Circle’s and explore who the winners and losers will be of these new projects.

Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts

Follow Andrew: https://x.com/AK_EtherMachine

Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM

Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel

Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz

Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod

Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh

Get up to speed on the biggest stories in crypto each week. In five minutes. Get the Bitwise Weekly CIO Memo delivered directly to your inbox at bitwiseinvestments.com/ciomemo/empire --"Mantle is pioneering ""Blockchain for Banking"" as a revolutionary new category that sits at the intersection of TradFi and web3. Key elements for Mantle as the ""Blockchain for Banking"": - Transactions posted to the blockchain - Compatibility with TradFi rails - Integrated DeFi featuresUR, built by Mantle, is the first real-world example: an on-chain money app offering Swiss IBANs and unified access to fiat (EUR, CHF, USD, RMB) and crypto — bringing crypto into everyday finance.Mantle Network, the access layer — transforms Mantle Network into a purpose-built vertical platform — the blockchain for banking — that enables financial services on-chain. Mantle leads the establishment of Blockchain for Banking as the next frontier.Follow Mantle on X (@Mantle_Official) for the latest updates on Mantle as the 'Blockchain for Banking'."

Citrea is the first zero-knowledge rollup to enhance the capabilities of Bitcoin blockspace and enable Bitcoin applications (₿apps). Citrea is optimistically verified by Bitcoin, offering the most Bitcoin-secured and native way to extend BTC’s utility to DeFi. Learn more about Citrea: https://citrea.xyz/?utm_source=bellcurve&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=website_promo Follow Citrea on X/Twitter for the latest on its journey to mainnet: https://x.com/citrea_xyz -- Chapters:

(0:00) Introduction

(2:06) Andrew Keys’ Background

(3:24) Why ETH Not BTC

(15:14) Why DATs

(24:44) Ads (Geodnet, Bitwise)

(26:21) Has The Vision Been Co-opted?

(35:57) DAT Rollups + M&As

(38:59) DATs Beyond BTC + ETH

(43:03) Ads (Geodnet, Bitwise)

(44:40) ETFs Are Flawed

(50:34) Other Worthwhile Ecosystems

(54:58) L1 Private Chain Launches

(1:06:25) Ads (Mantle, Citrea)

(1:08:04) Stripe’s L1 + Paradigm

(1:13:32) Weekly Content Recs

How to Launch a Token (Legally) Featuring Miles Jennings & Eddy Lazzarin Of a16z Crypto Aug 12, 2025

Show notes

Gm! This week Miles Jennings and Eddy Lazzarin join Yano to dive into how a16z is approaching the current crypto landscape with a big focus on token design, designation, and how Founders can think pragmatically both along legal and engineering lines to execute their project.

Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts

Follow Eddy: https://x.com/eddylazzarinFollow Miles: https://x.com/milesjenningsFollow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitzFollow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod

Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh

Katana is a DeFi-first chain built for deep liquidity and high yield. No empty emissions, just real yield and sequencer fees routed back to DeFi users.

Pre-deposit now: Earn high APRs with Turtle Club [https://app.turtle.club/campaigns/katana] or spin the wheel with Katana Krates [https://app.katana.network/krates]

Visit https://www.ledn.io to learn more.

–

Timestamps:

(03:36) Progress In DC

(05:42) Paul Atkins’ Onchain Declaration

(13:55) End of Foundation Era In Crypto

(27:31) Ads (Skale, Katana)

(29:02) DUNAs & BORGs

(40:12) Defining Tokens

(54:54) Ads (Skale, Katana)

(56:25) Token Transparency & Classifications

(01:07:29) When Fees?

(01:15:55) Ads (LEDN)

(01:16:57) Balancing PortCos

(01:19:44) Common Founder FAQs

—

No Top Signal In Sight | Weekly Roundup Aug 08, 2025

Show notes

Happy Friday! This week we livestreamed our Roundup and Yano, Santi and Rob got right into the topics of the week - DATs keep on keeping on, Coinbase’s convertible notes, Kraken and other upcoming crypto IPOs, Roman Storm’s guilty verdict, crypto and 401Ks, stablecoin growth continues, ChatGPT 5 launches and content recommendations.

Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross.

Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts

Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM

Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel

Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz

Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod

Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh

Discover how GEODNET is changing the world: [https://geodnet.com]

Get up to speed on the biggest stories in crypto each week. In five minutes.

Get the Bitwise Weekly CIO Memo delivered directly to your inbox at bitwiseinvestments.com/ciomemo/empire

"Mantle is pioneering ""Blockchain for Banking"" as a revolutionary new category that sits at the intersection of TradFi and web3.

Key elements for Mantle as the ""Blockchain for Banking"":

- Transactions posted to the blockchain

- Compatibility with TradFi rails

- Integrated DeFi features

UR, built by Mantle, is the first real-world example: an on-chain money app offering Swiss IBANs and unified access to fiat (EUR, CHF, USD, RMB) and crypto — bringing crypto into everyday finance.

Follow Mantle on X (@Mantle_Official) for the latest updates on Mantle as the 'Blockchain for Banking'."

Learn more about Citrea: https://citrea.xyz/?utm_source=bellcurve&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=website_promo

Follow Citrea on X/Twitter for the latest on its journey to mainnet: https://x.com/citrea_xyz

Timestamps:

(03:11) DATs State Of The Union

(12:45) Coinbase Convertible Notes

(27:16) Ads (Geodnet, Bitwise)

(28:44) Kraken IPO

(37:46) Upcoming IPOs

(39:39) Roman Storm Guilty

(48:55) Crypto + 401ks

(52:28) Ads (Geodnet, Bitwise)

(53:49) Ads (Mantle,Citrea)

(55:27) Ripple Acquisition

(57:16) Stablecoins Growth

(01:13:15) Content Recs + ChatGPT 5

—

Hivemind: Don’t Sleep on Ethena, Bull Case for Galaxy & The Hyperliquid Future Aug 07, 2025

Show notes

This week, the Hivemind team dives into the recent market pullback and whether it’s time to be bullish again. We explore the future of Ethena & USDe, why Galaxy Digital’s massive data center play may be the sleeper AI bet, Hyperliquid’s regulatory risk and future upside with HIP-3 & more. Enjoy!

Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross and David Canellis.

Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire

Follow Jason: https://x.com/3xLiquidated

Follow Jose: https://x.com/ZeMariaMacedo

Follow Yan: https://x.com/YanLiberman

Follow Duncan: https://x.com/FloodCapital

Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod

Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4jYEkBx

Subscribe on Apple: https://bit.ly/3ECSmJ3

Subscribe on Spotify: https://bit.ly/4hzy9lH

Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/

Timestamps:

(0:00) Market Too Frothy?

(7:10) Are There Reasons to be Bullish?

(13:21) Ethena & USDe

(21:05) Galaxy Bull Thesis

(32:07) Bonk/Pump.Fun Update

(38:15) Hyperliquid Still A Buy?

(49:51) Regulation & Bullish SEC Speech

(52:59) Hyperliquid Regulation

(55:01) Crypto’s Institutional Wet Dream

(56:45) Crypto IPO Outlook

(59:57) Base Token Incoming?

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, the Hivemind team, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

The Bull Case For GLXY With Duncan & Rittenhouse Research Aug 04, 2025

Show notes

Gm! This week, Duncan and Matt join Yano to dive into Galaxy the day before their quarterly earnings drop. In this episode, Duncan and Matt dive into Galaxy’s unique business model and how it’s perfectly positioned for the AI, crypto and datacenter narratives and how this will propel GLXY stock, as we move into the future.

Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts

Follow Rittenhouse Research: https://x.com/RHouseResearch Follow Duncan: https://x.com/FloodCapital

Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz

Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod

Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh

SKALE is the next evolution in Layer 1 blockchains with a gas-free invisible user experience, instant finality, high speed, and robust security. SKALE is built different as it allows for limitless scalability and has already saved its 50 Million users over $11 Billion in gas fees. SKALE is high-performance and cost-effective, making it ideal for compute-intensive applications like AI, gaming, and consumer-facing dApps. Learn more at https://skale.space and stay up to date with the gas-free invisible blockchain on X at @skalenetwork

Katana is a DeFi-first chain built for deep liquidity and high yield. No empty emissions, just real yield and sequencer fees routed back to DeFi users. Pre-deposit now: Earn high APRs with Turtle Club [https://app.turtle.club/campaigns/katana] or spin the wheel with Katana Krates [https://app.katana.network/krates]

(02:32) Unpacking Galaxy

(06:35) Bitcoin Mining

(14:01) Crypto Business

(16:02) Ads (Skale, Katana)

(17:32) Galaxy’s Products

(24:43) Goldman Sachs’ Valuation

(31:58) Data Center Business

(42:39) Ads (Skale, Katana)

(44:10) Galaxy’s Business Evolution

(53:40) Economics Explored

(01:01:06) Data Center Developments

(01:13:05) Ads (LEDN)

(01:14:06) Challenges

(01:26:55) GLXY Stock Analysis

—

Nearing The DAT Peak With Avichal Garg | Weekly Roundup Aug 01, 2025

Show notes

Happy Friday! On this Roundup, Rob is officially announced as the third host, Avichal join the pod to discuss DATs, and beyond DATs the White House Crypto Report is explored, Zora creator tokens, and the BIG news of the collaboration between Coinbase and Chase to push crypto into mass adoption orbit.

--Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts

Follow Avichal: https://x.com/avichal Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM

Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz

Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod

Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh

Get up to speed on the biggest stories in crypto each week. In five minutes. Get the Bitwise Weekly CIO Memo delivered directly to your inbox at bitwiseinvestments.com/ciomemo/empire

"Mantle is pioneering ""Blockchain for Banking"" as a revolutionary new category that sits at the intersection of TradFi and web3. Key elements for Mantle as the ""Blockchain for Banking"": - Transactions posted to the blockchain - Compatibility with TradFi rails - Integrated DeFi featuresUR, built by Mantle, is the first real-world example: an on-chain money app offering Swiss IBANs and unified access to fiat (EUR, CHF, USD, RMB) and crypto — bringing crypto into everyday finance.Mantle Network, the access layer — transforms Mantle Network into a purpose-built vertical platform — the blockchain for banking — that enables financial services on-chain. Mantle leads the establishment of Blockchain for Banking as the next frontier.Follow Mantle on X (@Mantle_Official) for the latest updates on Mantle as the 'Blockchain for Banking'."

Chapters:

(02:14) DATs Explored

(19:37) Ads (Geodnet, Bitwise)

(21:11) ETHZilla

(30:32) DAT KPIs

(36:15) Ads (Geodnet, Bitwise)

(37:49) DAT FUD

(51:15) Ads (Mantle,Citrea)

(52:54) Native Token or DAT

(01:00:06) White House Crypto Report

(01:07:29) Coinbase X Chase

(01:11:17) Zora + Creator Tokens

(01:19:21) Content Recs

—

Charles Hoskinson: ADA Is A Better Investment Than BTC Jul 28, 2025

Show notes

Gm! This week, Charles Hoskinson joins Yano to dive into everything Cardano, weigh in on crypto’s overall progress, how politics and crypto are playing out stateside, the impact of crypto treasury vehicles, the evolution of the 4 year cycle, his ranch life in Wyoming, his alien expedition adventures, the need for personal security now in crypto and why ADA remains a better investment than BTC. -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts -- Follow Charles: https://x.com/IOHK_Charles Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- SKALE is the next evolution in Layer 1 blockchains with a gas-free invisible user experience, instant finality, high speed, and robust security. SKALE is built different as it allows for limitless scalability and has already saved its 50 Million users over $11 Billion in gas fees. SKALE is high-performance and cost-effective, making it ideal for compute-intensive applications like AI, gaming, and consumer-facing dApps. Learn more at https://skale.space and stay up to date with the gas-free invisible blockchain on X at @skalenetwork -- Katana is a DeFi-first chain built for deep liquidity and high yield. No empty emissions, just real yield and sequencer fees routed back to DeFi users. Pre-deposit now: Earn high APRs with Turtle Club [https://app.turtle.club/campaigns/katana] or spin the wheel with Katana Krates [https://app.katana.network/krates] -- Mantle is building the financial infrastructure for a tokenised future—bridging traditional finance and on-chain innovation through six integrated product pillars: Mantle Network, mETH Protocol, Function BTC, and the upcoming launches of MantleX, Mantle Banking, and the Mantle Index Four (MI4) Fund. Anchored by one of the largest community-governed treasuries in the industry, valued at over $4 billion, Mantle is delivering institutional-grade products designed for global capital markets. Follow Mantle on X: https://x.com/Mantle_Official -- Ledn is the leading platform for Bitcoin-backed loans, offering a secure and transparent way to unlock liquidity without selling your Bitcoin. Ledn has issued over $9 billion in loans since 2018 and has never lost a single satoshi of client assets, earning a reputation as the name you can trust in the crypto space. Visit https://www.ledn.io to learn more. — Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 1:42 What’s Charles Up To? 4:51 Crypto’s Progress 8:55 Ads (Skale & Katana) 10:42 Charles’ Building Principles 24:01 Ads (Skale & Katana) 25:48 Crypto & US Politics 36:14 Crypto Treasury Vehicles 43:24 Cardano Founder Story 51:08 Ranches & Helicopters 55:43 Ads (Mantle & LEDN) 57:35 Bison In Wyoming 59:02 Alien Research Expeditions 1:05:28 Mo Money Mo Problems 1:09:18 The 4 Year Cycle Has Evolved 1:13:59 Alternative Health Solutions 1:18:54 EUTXO.org 1:23:25 Who goes to Osaka? -- 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.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected