
ATOM 2.0, Reversible Transactions & Polygon's BD Game | Blockworks Research
In this episode of Empire's Weekly Roundup, the Blockworks Research team takes over the pod! We start with a debate on the implications of ATOM 2.0 and USDC launching on Cosmos. Is ATOM no longer a meme coin? Does everything revolve around MEV? What opportunities does native USDC unlock for the Cosmos ecosystem? We then discuss the feasibility of reversible on-chain transactions, the next NFT catalyst and how Polygon is a relentless business development machine. Tune in for all of this and more! And don't worry, Jason and Santi will be back next week. - - Timestamps: (00:00 Introduction (01:15) ATOM 2.0 & USDC Cosmos Announcement (20:09) GMX MEV Opportunity Explained (23:33) Politicians Continue to Fight Crypto (26:37) Centre & USDC Dominance (29:45) Reversible Transactions (38:41) The Next NFT Catalyst (42:22) Polygon’s Business Development (47:39) Blockworks Research - - Follow Matt: https://twitter.com/MattFiebach Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Sam: https://twitter.com/swmartin19 Follow Garrett: https://twitter.com/G_C_Harp 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 - - Referenced in the show: Youssef Amrani's tweet on ATOM 2.0 https://bit.ly/3RwU1Re Polka tweet on GMX MEV Opportunity https://bit.ly/3LRO2VR Blockworks Research Twitter https://twitter.com/blockworksres Blockworks Research Newsletter https://blockworks.co/newsletter/daily-debrief-by-blockworks-research/ -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - 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.
30 Syys 202250min

Music NFTs & The Next Generation Of Music | Cooper Turley
In this episode of Empire, Jason and Santi are joined by Cooper Turley, aka Coopahtroopa, for a master class on music NFTs. We all listen to music every day, yet monetization for 99% of artists is abysmal. Coop explains how artists can leverage Web3 to maximize revenue, fan engagement and creativity. We explore how music NFTs work, why they have value, which artists should participate and how Web3 will revolutionize the music industry. Cooper is an absolute expert, you won't want to miss it! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:00) Coop Records & Intro to Music NFTs (06:50) The Evolution of Music Monetization (11:30) How to Value Music NFTs (14:41) Artists as CEOs & the Music NFT Market (22:59) Circle Ad (24:41) Should Every Artist Create Music NFTs? (28:57) Do Music NFTs Need Utility? (37:40) One-of-Ones vs Collections (41:35) AI-Generated Music & Virtual Artists (47:05) Monetization, Fan Data and the Innovator's Dilemma (53:16) Incubating Artists, Creator Equity Tokens & Community (1:00:01) Tokenized Media & Rapid Fire Questions - - Follow Cooper: https://twitter.com/Cooopahtroopa 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 - - Resources Relics by Monstercat https://relics.xyz/ Hume https://www.wearehume.com/ Coop's Substack https://thisweekinmusicnfts.substack.com/ Coop Records https://www.cooprecords.xyz/ -- Circle’s USDC has quickly become one of the most trusted and widely used stablecoins because of its composability, stability and reserve transparency. As a seamless, trusted digital currency, USDC is a zero-to-one opportunity for the global financial system. Check out their Transparency Hub at circle.com/transparency that outlines everything from links to USDC weekly reserve reports, monthly attestations, and blog posts written by their executive team highlighting how and why USDC was built the way it is. - - Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - 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.
26 Syys 20221h 7min

$160M Wintermute Exploit, Algo Stable Regulation & Arbitrum's Close Call | Roundup
In this episode of Empire's Weekly Roundup, Jason is joined by 0xpibblez and Westie from Blockworks Research to discuss this week's biggest stories. We start with the $160M Wintermute hack, Nasdaq's new custody offering and why pibblez is staying away from algo stablecoin governance tokens. We then discuss Arbitrum's white hat hacker, why the Cosmos ecosystem might start seeing more exploits, how DAOs should codify their cap tables and more! - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (00:38) Who The F*ck is Buying ETH Right Now? (01:46) Wintermute $160M Vanity Address Hack (14:36) Nasdaq's Crypto Custody Announcement (17:31) New Draft Stablecoin Bill (25:44) Avalanche Ad (27:12) Arbitrum Vulnerability Exposed (34:44) Rari Fuse Hack Payment - - Follow Pibblez: https://twitter.com/0xpibblez Follow Westie: https://twitter.com/WestieCapital 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 - - Referenced in the show: Arbitrum white hat hacker (Riptide) blog https://medium.com/@0xriptide/hackers-in-arbitrums-inbox-ca23272641a2 Riptide's tweet asking if Arbitrum would have been insolvent https://twitter.com/0xriptide/status/1572269938580115456 -- Core, from Ava Labs, is more than just a wallet. It’s a free, non-custodial browser extension that gives Avalanche users a more seamless and secure Web3 experience. Download Core today at https://www.core.app/ -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - 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.
23 Syys 202239min

The Cosmos App-Chain Thesis | Zaki Manian, Jack Zampolin
In this episode of Empire, Jason and Santi are joined by Zaki Manian and Jack Zampolin to explore the past, present and future of the Cosmos ecosystem and tech stack. What are the advantages of application-specific chains? How will IBC and Interchain security shape the future of cross-chain interactions? What is ATOM 2.0? We discuss these questions and more in this Cosmos deep dive. - - Follow Zaki: https://twitter.com/zmanian Follow Jack: https://twitter.com/jackzampolin 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 -- Timecodes: (00:00) Introduction (01:21) History of Cosmos & Tendermint (18:18) App-Chain Thesis (30:47) DyDx's Move to Cosmos (40:57) Circle Ad (42:39) Cosmos & ATOM Value Accrual (50:29) ATOM 2.0 Alpha (52:33) Asynchronous Composability, Flash Loans and New Innovations (1:05:44) Expanding Cosmos, MEV and IBC Ethereum (1:16:52) Pros and Cons of the Cosmos Developer Collective -- Circle’s USDC has quickly become one of the most trusted and widely used stablecoins because of its composability, stability and reserve transparency. As a seamless, trusted digital currency, USDC is a zero-to-one opportunity for the global financial system. Check out their Transparency Hub at circle.com/transparency that outlines everything from links to USDC weekly reserve reports, monthly attestations, and blog posts written by their executive team highlighting how and why USDC was built the way it is. - - Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - 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 20221h 26min

ETH Merged, Cosmos Spotlight, LSDs & Doodle Raise | Roundup
In this episode of Empire's Weekly Roundup, Jason and Santi discuss the most anticipated event in crypto's history: the merge. It finally happened. How does the successful transition to PoS change ETH's narrative? Where will the market's attention shift next? How important is the ESG-friendly narrative? We also explore the Cosmos & multichain thesis, liquid staking derivative yields, the Doodle raise controversy and more! -- (00:00) Introduction (00:20) Happy Merge Day (12:06) Liquid Staking Derivatives (19:12) Cosmos & the Multichain Thesis (31:08) Core Ad (32:36) New Coinbase Politics Feature & DAS (38:12) Doodles Raise Controversy & NFT speculation (49:18) Figma Acquired by Adobe, Do Kwon & Book Recs - - 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 - - Referenced in the show: Travis Kling, Empire podcast https://spoti.fi/3qFbgV9 Fred Wilson's blog on Ethereum flows https://avc.com/2022/08/the-merge/ LSDs are up only tweet https://twitter.com/mhonkasalo/status/1570060055789146114 Brian Armstrong's tweet on Coinbase's new politician feature https://twitter.com/brian_armstrong/status/1570133078022160384 Fixed Rate Lending Unlock, Bell Curve podcast https://spoti.fi/3Dugefd Building Market Microstructure for NFTs https://bit.ly/3Sp54Nd -- Core, from Ava Labs, is more than just a wallet. It’s a free, non-custodial browser extension that gives Avalanche users a more seamless and secure Web3 experience. Download Core today at https://www.core.app/ -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - 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.
16 Syys 202255min

The Web3 Bank Of The Future | Bill Barhydt, Abra
In this episode of Empire, Jason is joined by Bill Barhydt, founder of Abra, to discuss the 80-year debt cycle, Bill's crypto thesis and the future of Web3 banking. We start with macro, Q4 predictions and the "big Fed pause". We then discuss Bill's BTC and ETH investment thesis and the concept of a Web3 bank. Tune in to the end, where Bill announces a new product that could shape the future of financial services. - - (00:00) Introduction (01:32) The 80-Year Debt Cycle & the Big Fed Pause (15:35) ETH vs Bitcoin Investment Thesis (26:10) Circle Ad (27:33) Abra's Outperformance in the Bear Market (30:02) Ingredients for the Bank of the Future (41:56) Announcing Abra Bank, the Bank of Web3 - - Follow Bill: https://twitter.com/billbarhydt 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 - - Resources Abra https://www.abra.com/ The Blocksize War book https://amzn.to/3xf0IQw -- Circle’s USDC has quickly become one of the most trusted and widely used stablecoins because of its composability, stability and reserve transparency. As a seamless, trusted dollar digital currency, USDC is a zero-to-one opportunity for the global financial system. Check out their Transparency Hub at circle.com/transparency that outlines everything from links to USDC weekly reserve reports, monthly attestations, and blog posts written by their executive team highlighting how and why USDC was built the way it is. -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - 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 202251min

Are You Ready For The Merge? & Coinbase's MakerDAO Proposal | Roundup
In this episode of Empire's Weekly Roundup, Jason and Santi discuss the upcoming Ethereum merge and how to maximize your profit opportunity (warning: this is not financial advice). We also explore Coinbase's $1.6B Maker DAO proposal, Binance's BUSD announcement, value accrual frameworks, and more! - - (00:00) Intro (02:23) A Web3 CRM (04:48) How to Prep for the ETH merge (19:30) MakerDAO Proposal To Send $1.6B USDC to Coinbase Prime (27:24) Avalanche Ad (28:50) Coinbase Deal (36:16) Coinbase Backs Tornado Lawsuit Against the Treasury Department (40:45) Binance BUSD Announcement (46:02) Where Will Value Accrue In Crypto? (53:15) Chaos Labs, Mysten Labs & Fund Raises (59:20) Podcast & Book Recommendations - - 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 - - Referenced in the show: Tomasz Tunguz articles https://tomtunguz.com/ Robert Leshner's tweet thread on the merge https://twitter.com/rleshner/status/1559727104903757826 Katie Haun - Tornado Cash: What web3 Needs to Know https://bit.ly/3x9w4b8 Doug Colkitt blockspace fee tweet thread https://twitter.com/0xdoug/status/1566491825942237184 Bell Curve podcast https://spoti.fi/3DbPpwm Take Notes podcast https://spoti.fi/3Qow1yY Matthew Ball's new Metaverse book https://www.matthewball.vc/metaversebook -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - 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.
9 Syys 20221h 2min

How to Build a Sustainable DeFi Protocol | Kain Warwick, Synthetix
In this episode of Empire, Jason and Mike are joined by Kain Warwick, founder of Synthetix. This is one of my favorite episodes where we discuss why protocol fees are the next meta, the value of liquidity mining and token incentives, Synthetix's roadmap, protocol-specific stablecoins and much more! - - (00:00) Introduction (02:06) Protocol Revenue KPIs (10:40) Do open-source protocols have moats? (19:55) Airdrops, liquidity mining and attempts to grow TVL (28:00) Framing the cost of liquidity mining: cash vs equity (31:43) B2B permissoned composability and Protocol M&A (37:56) Token supply caps & path dependency (49:35) Should protocols retain or distribute fees (52:10) Payment for order flow (54:36) Synthetix’s End Game (1:00:16) Why DAOs will outcompete traditional organizations (1:04:38) Synthetix v3, Regulation and Liquidity-as-a-Service (1:12:46) Why Synthetix is removing inflation (1:16:04) Protocol-specific stablecoins & MakerDAO’s USDC reliance - - Follow Kain: https://twitter.com/kaiynne Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Mike: https://twitter.com/MikeIppolito_ 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/ - - 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.
5 Syys 20221h 26min





















