The DeFi Credit Boom | Season One Pilot
Blockworks just released a new podcast called Bell Curve! We're dropping the pilot episode here as we think you might want to add this podcast to the lineup. Season one of Bell Curve revolves around our DeFi credit boom thesis. Simply put, CeFi's implosion will create a DeFi credit boom that will bring new users and fixed-rate lending markets to DeFi. What products will be created? Who will be the users of these products? Where will capital flow first? These are a few of the questions we'll explore as we put our thesis to the test. Join Jason and Mike in this season one pilot episode, where we provide context for our thesis and explain what you should expect in the upcoming episodes. If you consider yourself a curious degen, builder or investor: this show is for you. - - Follow Mike: https://twitter.com/MikeIppolito_ Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Bell Curve: https://twitter.com/thebellcurvepod Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3R1D1D9 Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3pQTfmD Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3cpKZXH - - 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, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
30 Aug 202210min
The State of Crypto Regulation | Rebecca Rettig and Jake Chervinsky
In this episode of Empire, Jason and Santi are joined by Rebecca Rettig and Jake Chervinsky to discuss the state of crypto regulation. We explore what Tornado Cash sanctions mean for crypto, how to define decentralization, if tokens will be considered securities, Ethereum censorship, what to expect from future regulation and more! - - (00:00) Introduction (01:18) Tornado Cash Sanctions (16:09) Defining Decentralization (26:17) What Has Been Most Damaging to Crypto? (31:03) Do Regulators Understand the Nuances of Crypto? (37:35) What Regulations Should Be Prioritized Today? (39:27) A Focus on User Protection (46:17) Getting Congress on Our Side (59:45) The SEC's Attack on Crypto (Coinbase) (1:01:02) Uniswap Fee Switch Implications (1:08:17) ETH Validators & OFAC Compliance (1:19:27) Permissionless vs Permissioned DeFi - - 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/ - - 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.
29 Aug 20221h 26min
Fat Protocol Thesis, Web3 Consultants, Fei's Controversial Shutdown | Roundup
In this episode of Empire's Weekly Roundup, Jason and Santi discuss how DAOs should fund protocol development, why liquidity providers aren't considered creditors, the future of staking derivatives, app vs protocol value capture and much more! - - Timestamps (00:00) Aave’s Retroactive Funding, Protocol Development and Web3 Consultants (17:52) Coinbase Announces a New Staking Derivative (25:55) The Fei Protocol Shutdown and Liquidity Providers as Creditors Debate (32:28) Avalanche Ad (33:56) The Fei Protocol Shutdown and Liquidity Providers as Creditors Debate cont. (39:24) Fat Protocol vs Application Thesis (52:27) Crypto Needs Regulatory Clarity and Fixed Rate Lending - - 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: Byron's Blockworks Newsletter https://blockworks.co/newsletter/daily/?id=28814320 ETH Staking Distribution Charts https://dune.com/sixdegree/ethereum-the-merge Westie Tweet on the Fat Application Thesis https://twitter.com/WestieCapital/status/1562079476837765120 -- 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.
26 Aug 20221h 1min
Your Privacy, Risks, and Rights Following Tornado Cash Sanctions | Jill Gunter & Michael Mosier
The US Treasury's sanctions on Tornado Cash could go down as one of the most significant events in crypto's history. The implications and nuances are vast, so we've decided to do something a little different for today's episode. On August 12th, Jill Gunter and Michael Mosier from Espresso Systems hosted a Twitter Space on Tornado's sanctions, financial privacy and regulation. We've teamed up with Jill and Michael to share this epic conversation with a wider audience. This is a massive episode, almost 3 hours, but it's full of profound insights and has an all-star lineup of speakers. I highly recommend listening if you want to learn more about the recent sanctions and where regulation is heading! Shoutout to @f1v3am and @nedbgq, who provided a recording of the conversation and made this episode possible. -- Follow Jill: https://twitter.com/jillrgunter Follow Michael: https://twitter.com/M_Mosier_ Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- Resources Link to the original Twitter Space https://twitter.com/jillrgunter/status/1558150917387534336
25 Aug 20222h 49min
MakerDAO’s Growth Strategy | monetsupply and Sam MacPherson
In this episode of Empire, Jason is joined by two of MakerDAO's top contributors, monetsupply and Sam MacPherson, to discuss the future of MakerDAO and the DAI stablecoin. Highlights include: -- Is USDC an existential risk to MakerDAO? -- Why is Maker financing off-chain assets? -- How can DAI scale to become the de facto money of DeFi? Tune in to find out! -- (00:00) Introduction (00:18) How Big Of a Threat Are US Sanctions? (05:34) The Importance of Maker's PSM (11:30) What Is the Ideal Basket of Collateral for DAI? (18:05) Embracing Real World Asset Lending (25:20) Tokenizing Assets & the Huntington Valley Loan (28:16) Increasing Maker's Surplus Buffer (34:16) The D3M and Specialized Lending Partners (42:01) CeFi Contagion and Liquidation (44:38) Vertical Integration Across the DeFi Stack (52:02) Maker's Evolving Governance (59:57) Are A DAO's Inefficiency Tradeoffs Worth It? (1:05:04) Maker's Long-Term Vision - - Follow monetsupply: https://twitter.com/MonetSupply Follow Sam: https://twitter.com/hexonaut 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 MakerDAO https://makerdao.com/en/ -- 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.
22 Aug 20221h 9min
Sudoswap Hype, Ethereum Censorship Risk & ETH PoW Debate | Roundup
In this episode of Empire's Weekly Roundup, Jason is joined by two of Blockworks' top research analysts, Dan Smith and Sam Martin, to discuss this week’s biggest stories. Highlights include: -- Is Sudoswap a zero to one moment for NFTs? -- Is Ethereum's censorship resistance compromised? -- Will anyone use ETH PoW post-merge? Tune in to find out! - - Timecodes: (00:00) Introduction (00:32) Ethereum's censorship risk, 3 potential outcomes (11:40) Will the ETH PoW chain have value? (15:42) FlashBots is open sourcing their relayer software (19:19) Crypto's reliance on centralized cloud providers (21:24) Avalanche Ad (22:52) Sudoswap, a zero to one moment for NFTs? (33:17) OpenSea vs Sudo (35:48) Should NFTs have creator royalty fees? (39:12) Canto, a weird crypto experiment (NFA) (47:26) Canada enforces new crypto regulation - - Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/smyyguy Follow Sam: https://twitter.com/swmartin19 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: Blockworks Research https://www.blockworksresearch.com/ Ape Board (migrated to Nansen Portfolio) https://portfolio.nansen.ai/ -- 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.
19 Aug 202250min
Crypto Networks Are Monetizable Public Goods | Jake Brukhman
In this episode of Empire, Jason and Santi are joined by Jake Brukhman, the founder and CEO of CoinFund, to explore the concept of crypto as a public good. We discuss: -- How crypto is a public good, and why that's important -- How public goods can monetize and accrue value -- How crypto will democratize public goods funding Tune in for these answers and more! - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (02:23) Defining Crypto's Value Proposition (07:17) Private vs Public vs Common Goods (13:59) Can Public Goods Accrue Value? (28:41) The Tragedy Of The Commons (32:35) What Crypto Skeptics Get Wrong (38:32) Why Users Will Want Decentralized Networks (41:50) A New Business Model To Fund Public Goods (50:03) Rapid Fire Questions - - Follow Jake: https://twitter.com/jbrukh 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 -- The Network State by Balaji https://thenetworkstate.com/ -- 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.
15 Aug 20221h 3min
Tornado Cash Banned, USDC Blacklist and KYC DeFi | Roundup
In this episode of Empire's Weekly Roundup, Jason and Santi discuss the US Treasury's sanctions on Tornado Cash, Circle freezing USDC transfers, the future of KYC DeFi and more. Show Highlights: -- How do privacy protocols work? -- Does this ban mean crypto isn't decentralized? -- How did Circle freeze the transfer of USDC tokens? -- Should DeFi protocols be worried? - - Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (07:28) Tornado Cash Sanctioned By The US Treasury (14:44) How Mixers And Privacy Tokens Work (21:06) Github, Infura, AWS And Crypto’s Centralization Vectors (23:00) Core Ad (24:30) USDC Blacklist And Implications For DeFi (38:05) What Happens If All DeFi Is KYC’d (41:54) How Does The Ban Affect Other Privacy Protocols (43:40) Curve Hack, Coinbase Earnings (53:55) Uniswap Protocol Fee And Foundation Approved (58:46) ETH PoW Chain, Hot Or Not? (01:03:03) Reddit Embraces Web3 - - 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: Eric Peters episode https://tinyurl.com/ydfhu6fd SWIFT & OFAC episode https://tinyurl.com/yc2jhfsn - - 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.
12 Aug 20221h 6min
