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

We're back to discuss the top stories of the week. We deep dive into Pump Fun & the future of media, why there is so much uncertainty despite massive positive tailwinds for crypto, Plasma's success story, is Base launching a token & more. Enjoy! -- 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 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 -- Crypto-native institutions and developers demand institutional-grade infrastructure with regulatory clarity and full asset control. Blockdaemon's Earn Stack is a non-custodial platform combining high-performance staking rewards and seamless DeFi integration with no intermediate smart contract or vaults. Programmatically access leading Ethereum & Solana staking rewards, plus DeFi opportunities across lending protocols, DEXs, and AMMs. Book a Demo! -- Welcome to Get Real — Web3’s first-ever campaign rewarding you for creating real-world value. Connect your devices to real-world apps on peaq and earn rewards for: Measuring noise pollution Providing compute Mapping the word And more Total prize pool: 5% of $PEAQ’s initial supply. Get Real is relaunching soon — follow peaq on X and get ready. -- 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 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'. -- Is your treasury losing value to inflation? Learn how to make digital assets like ETH and SOL productive with uncorrelated, protocol-driven staking rewards. A new report from Liquid Collective and EigenCloud outlines a practical guide for CFOs to integrate institutional-grade staking and restaking. Read The Productive Treasury Report: https://liquidcollective.io/corporate-treasury-staking/ -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:15) Pump Fun, Livestreaming & The Future Of Media (14:48) Stablecoins (16:06) Ads (Blockdaemon, Peaq) (17:34) We’re Still In A Bull Market, It’s Still Not The One You Wanted (26:01) Why Has Plasma Been So Successful? (36:19) How To Develop A Successful Ecosystem (45:52) Ads (Blockdaemon, Peaq) (47:20) More DATs & ETFs Are Coming (57:40) CFTC Updates (01:00:30) Ad (Mantle, Eigen Layer) (01:02:04) Is Base Launching A Token? (01:14:54) Content Of The Week — 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.

19 Syys 20251h 21min

This week, the Hivemind team discusses the state of crypto markets after the Fed just lowered interest rates by 25bps. We deep dive into what will outperform going forward, the rise of SOL DATs, is it still time to be bullish, Pump Fun & more. Enjoy!--Follow Ceteris: https://x.com/ceterispar1busFollow Jason: https://x.com/3xliquidatedFollow Yan: https://x.com/YanLibermanFollow Jose: https://x.com/ZeMariaMacedoFollow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod--Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4jYEkBxSubscribe on Apple: https://bit.ly/3ECSmJ3Subscribe 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 (0:58) The Rate-Cut Cycle Begins (4:29) State Of The Market (7:56) Crypto’s Mag7 Moment (13:16) Are SOL DATs Bullish For Solana DeFi? (24:27) Pump Fun (40:14) CZ Launches Aster, Hyperliquid Unlocks & The L1 Premium (53:07) Base Token Launch Coming?--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.

19 Syys 20251h

This week Kyle Samani joins the show to discuss the successful $1.65B raise for Forward Industries. We deep dive into how Forward Industries plan to converge between traditional markets & DeFi, the ultimate vision for the Solana treasury company, the difference between SOL & BTC DATs & why stablecoins are crypto's iPhone moment. Enjoy! Although our guest this week is an Investment Partner 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://x.com/KyleSamaniFollow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitzFollow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod--Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJhStart your day with crypto news, analysis and data from David Canellis. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts--Welcome to Get Real — Web3’s first-ever campaign rewarding you for creating real-world value. Connect your devices to real-world apps on peaq and earn rewards for: Measuring noise pollution Providing compute Mapping the word And more Total prize pool: 5% of $PEAQ’s initial supply. Get Real is relaunching soon — follow peaq on X and get ready.--Is your treasury losing value to inflation? Learn how to make digital assets like ETH and SOL productive with uncorrelated, protocol-driven staking rewards. A new report from Liquid Collective and EigenCloud outlines a practical guide for CFOs to integrate institutional-grade staking and restaking. Read The Productive Treasury Report: https://liquidcollective.io/corporate-treasury-staking/--Timestamps: --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.

19 Syys 202558min

We're back to discuss the top stories of the week. We deep dive into how crypto can redefine private equity, who wins from the battle for USDH, Figure's IPO, could DeFi projects go public & more. Enjoy!--Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickMFollow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroelFollow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitzFollow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod--Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh 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 Referenced in the show: A letter from Mike Cagney, Figure’s co-founder and executive chairman - https://www.figure.com/newsroom/company-voices/a-letter-from-mike-cagney-figure-co-founder-and-executive-chairman/ -- False Claim From Story: “vast majority was bought from founder” Response: This is simply not true. The vast majority was acquired from the Foundation in two transactions. First, the Foundation contributed $IP (at a discount) for shares in CASK. Additionally, the cash PIPE proceeds were used to buy tokens at a discount. These two transactions represent most of the total token balance held by CASK. The shareholder ownership for the Foundation and SY individually are all public in the S-1 filing. See page 153-157.--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]--"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 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'."-- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (02:50) Inversion Raises $26.5M (10:51) A New Era For Private Equity (25:54) Hyperliquid’s USDH Proposal (47:31) Ads (Mantle, Geodnet) (48:54) The Stablecoin Superbowl: Who Wins? (1:02:08) Takeaways From Figure’s IPO (01:14:45) Could DeFi Projects Go Public? (01:16:37) Content Of The Week — 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.

12 Syys 20251h 22min

This week Guy Young joins the show to discuss the next chapter for Ethena. We deep dive into Ethena's business model, how DATs could enable DeFi's breakout moment, how Ethena will scale in the future, advice for founders & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Guy: https://x.com/gdog97_ Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh 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 -- Is your treasury losing value to inflation? Learn how to make digital assets like ETH and SOL productive with uncorrelated, protocol-driven staking rewards. A new report from Liquid Collective and EigenCloud outlines a practical guide for CFOs to integrate institutional-grade staking and restaking. Read The Productive Treasury Report: https://liquidcollective.io/corporate-treasury-staking/ -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (03:29 )The Ethena Business Model (07:04) Valuations & VC Unlocks (12:44) The Ethena DAT (StablecoinX) (15:11) Are DATs Sustainable? (18:36) DeFi’s Breakout Moment (24:12) Partnering With Pendle & Aave (31:49) Ads (Eigen Layer) (32:48) Advice For Founders (37:34) How Does Ethena Scale (44:18) What Is iUSDe? (47:47) Hyperliquid Is Launching A Stablecoin (USDH) (53:39) Corporate Chains -- 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.

10 Syys 20251h 1min

Gm! This week we're back to discuss the top stories of the week. We deep dive into the mechanics behind DATs, the WLFI token launch, Stripe's announcement of Tempo, onchain equities & more. Enjoy! -- 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 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 -- 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 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'." -- Is your treasury losing value to inflation? Learn how to make digital assets like ETH and SOL productive with uncorrelated, protocol-driven staking rewards. A new report from Liquid Collective and EigenCloud outlines a practical guide for CFOs to integrate institutional-grade staking and restaking. Read The Productive Treasury Report: https://liquidcollective.io/corporate-treasury-staking/ -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (04:24) Are DAT Mechanics Sustainable? (16:23) Do DATs Actually Unlock Token Access? (21:48) Ads (Bitwise) (22:34) Breaking Down The $WLFI Token Launch (33:46) Stripe Launches Tempo (49:12) Ads (Bitwise, Mantle, Eigenlayer) (51:27) Onchain Equities & Tokenization -- 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, Rob and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

5 Syys 20251h 7min

This week, the Hivemind team discusses post-Jackson Hole conditions, Bitcoin seasonality, and rate cut expectations. They analyze DATs and liquidity dynamics, MicroStrategy’s S&P potential, Solana versus Base adoption, Pokémon TCG crypto experiments, and creator coin streaming models. They also unpack Plasma’s TGE, World LibertyFi, stablecoin and institutional chain use cases, and Tom Lee’s ETH commentary. 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 Ceteris: https://x.com/ceterispar1bus Follow Jason: https://x.com/3xliquidated Follow Yan: https://x.com/YanLiberman Follow LTR: https://x.com/0xLTR 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: (00:00) Introduction (02:25) Market Outlook (09:53) The State of DATs (17:07) Streaming & Creator Coins (36:28) Plasma's TGE & World LibertyFi (39:51) Stablecoins & the Tempo Announcement (48:48) Tom Lee's ETH Saga —-- 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.

4 Syys 20251h 8min

Gm! In this episode, Arjun Sethi, Co-CEO of Kraken, joins Yano to dive into how his background in tech, growth and IPOs makes him the perfect candidate to join Kraken and take the company to the next level. Arjun dives into how his compensation plan and overall approach to Kraken paves the way for a decade long growth trajectory that will take Kraken global and one of the most recognized brands in crypto for retail, traders and beyond. -- 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 Arjun: https://x.com/arjunsethi Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow 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] -- Is your treasury losing value to inflation? Learn how to make digital assets like ETH and SOL productive with uncorrelated, protocol-driven staking rewards. A new report from Liquid Collective and EigenCloud outlines a practical guide for CFOs to integrate institutional-grade staking and restaking. Read The Productive Treasury Report: https://liquidcollective.io/corporate-treasury-staking/ -- 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] -- (00:00) Intro (01:10) Arjun’s Background (14:08) Culture + Product Velocity (16:45) Arjun’s Incentives (18:03) Ads (Katana) (18:50) 1st month at kraken (21:56) Prioritizing What To Build (26:00) Future Onchain Trading (31:20) Kraken Stablecoin (33:38) Crypto Market Structure (35:16) Competitor Analysis (40:17) Hyperliquid (42:25) X Stocks (44:58) Ninja Trader Acquisition (49:33) IPO? (52:39) Long term Leadership (53:53) Ads (Eigenlayer, Geodnet) (55:32) Prediction Markets + Perps (59:16) Tokenization / Onchain IPOs (01:04:18) What's Obvious to Arjun (01:09:46) 4 Year 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, Rob and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

1 Syys 20251h 13min