Empire

Latest Episodes:

Will AI Agents Use Crypto? | Qiao Wang Jul 25, 2023

Show notes

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.

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Follow Qiao Wang: https://twitter.com/QwQiao

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

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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/.

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Use code EMPIRE30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023

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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

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Resources

Alliance DAO

https://twitter.com/alliancedao

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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.

Chainlink CCIP Bomb, UniswapX, & Synthetix upgrades explained | Roundup Jul 21, 2023

Show notes

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.

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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

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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

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

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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

—

The Bear Case for Risk Assets | 1000x Jul 20, 2023

Show notes

In today's episode of 1000x, Avi & Jonah explore the bear case despite the XRP rally. Also discussed are the impact of XRP versus ETF news, Ripple effect on Alt Market, the multi-chain thesis, on-chain RWAs, and much more!

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!

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:17) Market Sentiment Check-in

(06:40) Market Insights From News

(12:18) Impact of XRP vs ETF News

(17:19) Ripple Effect on Alt Market

(22:18) Is Multi-chain the Future?

(26:35) Are Useful On-chain RWAs Here?

(32:19) The Bear Case for Risk Assets

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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/

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Resources:

XRP (Ripple) Case News

https://blockworks.co/news/traders-profit-cautious-markets-ripple

Figure Technologies (RWAs On-Chain)

https://twitter.com/Figure

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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.

Policy Series: The Ripple Effect | Rebecca Rettig, Jake Chervinsky Jul 20, 2023

Show notes

Join Santi and guests Rebeca Rettig and Jake Chervinsky in today's special Policy Series episode as they discuss the landmark Ripple case and its monumental impact. Explore the implications for future legislation, token sales practices, decentralization & governance, and get updates on MiCA & EU regulations.

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:24) Landmark Ripple Case

(14:00) Verdict Impact on Industry Financing

(19:08) What's Next for Ripple Case?

(24:35) Influence on Future Legislation

(28:36) Token Sales in Practice

(38:31) Decentralization & Governance

(48:57) Digital Asset Market Structure Proposal

(56:25) Updates on MiCA & EU

(01:01:18) Call Your Representatives

(01:09:02) Futures Curve

(01:15:07) Recession Risk

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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/

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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.

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Resources

Crypto Usecases

thevaluedrop.io

The Blockchain Association

https://theblockchainassociation.org/

https://twitter.com/BlockchainAssn

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Pudgy Penguins Path to Legacy Brand & IP Powerhouse | Luca Netz Jul 18, 2023

Show notes

In today's episode, Jason is joined by Luca Netz, CEO of Pudgy Penguins, to discuss his journey, Pudgy Penguins' business model, IP Houses, Brand Licensing, and Pudgy Penguins future.

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Follow Luca Netz: https://twitter.com/LucaNetz

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

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

Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j

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

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This episode is brought to you by Carbon.

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This episode is brought to you by Synthetix.

This episode is brought to you by Synthetix. Synthetix Perps is the most efficient decentralized perpetual futures engine, with 5/10 bp fees and up to 25x leverage. With a growing list of over 20 tradable markets, Synthetix Perps are available on Optimism via Kwenta.io and Polynomial.fi, with more coming soon! As a permissionless liquidity layer, Synthetix makes it easy for any protocol to integrate perps and earn 5%-10% of trade fees.

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Who is Luca Netz?

(04:35) Buying Pudgy Penguins

(10:47) Pudgy Penguins' Business Model

(25:16) Pudgy Penguins as an IP House

(31:44) Carbon Ad

(33:03) Synthetix Ad

(34:43) Monetization & NFT Bear Markets

(38:22) Confidence In NFT Projects

(44:23) The Future of Pudgy Penguins

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Resources

Pudgy Penguins

https://twitter.com/pudgypenguins

https://www.pudgypenguins.com/

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The Reboot | Uncommon Core 2.0 with Hasu and Jon Charbonneau Jul 17, 2023

Show notes

Uncommon Core - one of my favorite podcasts of all time - is back! This reboot is hosted by Hasu and Jon Charbonneau, two of the brightest minds in crypto. We are dropping their first episode here to share the news and because you’ll want to add this show to your podcast lineup!

In this episode, we explore Jon’s journey into crypto and our mutual passion for research and the writing process. We then give an overview of the key areas of crypto infrastructure today. Finally, we zoom into rollup decentralization roadmaps, and Jon shares a controversial new thesis about sequencer decentralization.

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(02:42) Interview start

(03:44) Jon's work week

(08:04) ChatGPT & writing

(10:57) Jon's start in crypto

(14:45) How to pick things to work on

(17:08) Outsider's perspective on crypto

(19:05) Jon's research process

(22:00) Jon's proudest moment in crypto

(23:06) Crypto Infrastructure overview

(29:58) Why crypto infrastructure is interesting

(35:57) Rollup decentralization overview

(42:44) Challenges decentralizing the sequencer

(47:46) Ethereum vs Cosmos approach to governance & decentralization

(53:35) User ability to opt out

(56:37) Staking vs. governance deciding sequencers

(01:08:31) L3s

(01:13:34) Superchain

(01:16:38) Summary of rollup decentralization

(01:21:08) Outro

Hasu - https://twitter.com/hasufl

Jon Charbonneau - https://twitter.com/jon_charb

UCC2 - https://twitter.com/UCC2_xyz

Website - https://ucc2.xyz

Disclaimer: The material and information presented in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the speakers and are not the views of any entity or other person with whom the speaker is affiliated, including, without limitation, DBA Crypto, LLC. The “DBA Crypto” name and all forms thereof are the sole property of its owner, and its use does not imply endorsement of or opposition to any specific organization, product, or service.

Landmark Ripple & SEC Case: XRP Not a Security (maybe) | Roundup Jul 14, 2023

Show notes

In today's episode, Jason and Santiago dive into Ripples landmark victory over the SEC, Celsius CEO's arrest, the first smart contract exploit criminal case, On-chain RWAs, and Coinbase's Wallet-to-wallet messaging.

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/

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This episode is brought to you by QuickNode.

QuickNode is an end-to-end blockchain developer platform that makes building Web3 apps easy. Go to QuickNode.com and use code Empire for a free month on their feature-packed Build Plan!

Use code EMPIRE30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023

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Resources

Solana Hacker

https://cointelegraph.com/news/new-york-prosecutor-charges-hacker-over-exploit-of-solana-dex

SEC Ripple Lawsuit

Ripple Determination

Celsius CRO Notes

https://twitter.com/tier10k/status/1679486245754535936?s=20

Timestamps:

(00:00) Federal Judge Sides with Ripple

(17:09) Alex Mashinsky Charged with Fraud

(20:41) First Ever Smart Contract Exploit Criminal Case

(24:12) Patek Philippe NFT & RWAs On-Chain

(37:20) Quicknode ad

(39:09) Permissionless ad

(40:34) Coinbase Wallet-to-wallet Messaging

(46:10) Google Play to Earn Crypto

Superstate: Unlocking On-Chain RWAs | Rob Leshner Jul 11, 2023

Show notes

In today's episode, Jason is joined by Rob Leshner, former founder of Compound, to discuss his newly created venture Superstate. We cover the challenges & impacts of bringing RWAs on-chain, the go-to-market strategy and competitive landscape for Superstate, and the upcoming battleground for stablecoins.

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Timestamps:

(00:00) What is Superstate

(08:06) Challenges of bringing RWAs on-chain

(18:27) Impact of Trad Assets on Crypto

(28:52) Quicknode ad

(30:39) Carbon Ad

(32:18) Superstate Raise & Competitive Landscape

(38:07) Legal Challenges of Superstate GTM

(41:24) Taking on Stablecoins & Token Model

(47:48) Exploring On-Chain KYC

(51:31) Business Model & Founding a Company

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Follow Rob Leshner: https://twitter.com/rleshner

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/

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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.

Don't miss out on Carbon's "ROI Trading Competition" that's live until July 11! Here’s how to play:

Click this Carbon link: https://bit.ly/43Vo2AB

Create a new Carbon strategy

Boom. You're eligible to win USDC rewards based on the performance of your strategy

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This episode is brought to you by QuickNode.

QuickNode is an end-to-end blockchain developer platform that makes building Web3 apps easy. Go to QuickNode.com and use code Empire for a free month on their feature-packed Build Plan!

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Resources

Superstate Website

https://superstate.co/

https://twitter.com/superstatefunds

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Larry Fink Just Ignited BTC's Institutional Adoption Narrative | Roundup Jul 07, 2023

Show notes

In today's episode, Jason and Santiago discuss institutional impacts on crypto including BlackRock CEO Larry Fink's comments on Bitcoin as digital gold and Coinbase ETF rally affect. We also cover the NFT market capitulation, Blur scapegoating, Lido treasury conversion, and the excitement around Permissionless.

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

3:10 Threads: The Twitter Killer?

13:41 Larry Fink on BTC as Digital Gold

21:09 Coinbase ETF Rally

26:50 NFT Capitulation: Is Blur a scapegoat?

37:43 Lido Converts Ethereum Treasury

40:30 Permissionless & Crypto Conferences

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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/

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Resources

Adam Mosseri on ActivityPub Support

https://www.threads.net/t/CuRtcYTNY3J/

Blur Founder: Why Optimizing for Creators is a Bad Strategy

https://blockworks.co/podcast/empire/76db49fe-b1b0-11ed-97b4-1ff56c36f1b8

Blend: Unlock The Value of Your NFTs | Pacman, Blur

https://blockworks.co/podcast/empire/bc263054-e9a6-11ed-b6cc-e309579281c5

Bell Curve: The End Game for Liquid Staking | S5 Premiere

https://blockworks.co/podcast/bellcurve/51960928-1a55-11ee-b504-7700561a4789

Research, news, data, governance and models – now, all in one place. As a listener of Empire, you can use code "EMPIRE10" for a 10% discount when signing up to Blockworks Research https://www.blockworksresearch.com/

Use code EMPIRE30 to get 30% off Permissionless 2023 in Austin: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-2023

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How to Analyze the ETH:BTC Trade | 1000x Jul 06, 2023

Show notes

In today's episode of 1000x, Jonah and Avi discuss markets and trading ETH:BTC. We also cover our worst trades and what we learned, why OG DeFi tokens pumped, how most NFTs resemble brands (not art), trading a BTC ETF approval, the setup for the next bull run and more!

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!

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:56) Our Worst Trades and Lessons from History

(17:18) Addressing Crypto Naysayers

(19:23) The OG DeFi Token Pump

(24:51) Why Are You Bullish NFTs?

(35:01) What Happens to ETH:BTC if an ETF is Approved?

(43:40) The Setup for a Bull Run in 24/25

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Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman