Empire

In today's episode of Empire all eyes are on Sam Bankman-Fried. Santi is joined by Blockworks Senior Reporter Casey Wagner who is covering SBF's criminal trial live from the Southern District of New York court. She provides details on the jury selection process, opening statements from the prosecution and defense, and testimony so far from witnesses like Bankman-Fried's former best friend and roommate. Casey covers the nuanced strategies of the prosecution and defense while providing unique insights into the sentiment in the courtroom. She also discusses potential witness testimony over the next few weeks which may shed more light on Bankman-Fried's knowledge and actions leading up to FTX's collapse. - - Planning to grant token awards for your team? Toku makes implementing global token compensation and incentive awards simple. With Toku, you get unmatched legal and tax support to grant and administer your global team’s tokens. Toku navigates it across the lifecycle — from easy to use token grant award templates through tracking vesting to managing tax withholdings. Make it simple today, at https://www.toku.com/empire - - Chronicle Protocol is a novel Oracle solution that has exclusively secured over $10B in assets for MakerDAO and its ecosystem since 2017. With a history of innovation, including the invention of the first Oracle on Ethereum, Chronicle Protocol continues to redefine Oracles. A blockchain-agnostic protocol, Chronicle overcomes the current limitations of transferring data on-chain by developing the first truly scalable, cost-efficient, decentralized, and verifiable Oracles, rewriting the rulebook on data transparency and accessibility. Learn more about Chronicle Protocol: https://chroniclelabs.org/ Join the Chronicle Labs team: https://chroniclelabs.org/careers#open_roles - - 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/ -- Timestamps: (00:00) Southern District of New York Court Coverage (15:44) Prosecution Strategy (25:00) Will Sam Testify? (30:34) Chronicle Ad (31:50) TOKU ad (33:00) Witnesses (41:25) Sam's Best Friend Testifies (51:00) Prosecution and Defense Teams (54:47) How is SBF? (58:55) Courtroom Sentiment -- Resources SBF Trial Live Updates https://blockworks.co/news/sbf-trial-day-1 — 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.

6 Okt 20231h 10min

In today's episode of Empire Jason and Santi interview Blockchain Capital General Partners Aleks and Spencer. Blockchain Capital recently closed two new funds, early stage and opportunity, totaling $580 million. Since its inception in 2013, Blockchain Capital has invested in more than 110 companies, protocols and crypto assets across the ecosystem. Today's discussion dives into their fund thesis and overall managing strategy, the time horizon for mass adoption, deploying capital in U.S. based projects, and existing discounts in later stage start-ups.  - - Follow Aleks: https://twitter.com/_alekslarsen Follow Spencer: https://twitter.com/CremeDeLaCrypto Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: 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/  - - Get 5% off your business insurance today with Vouch, the leading insurer of crypto startups. With over 4000 clients, Vouch offers exclusive coverages with crypto enhancements including Directors & Officers with digital asset regulatory defense and Cyber that includes smart contract vulnerabilities.  Get started today at https://vouch.us/web3/blockworks - - Bumper is an innovative DeFi protocol that protects the value of the crypto you hold from the downside & simultaneously preserves gains when the price climbs.  - A superior alternative to crypto options for traders  - 30% cheaper and more efficient than traditional tools - Liquidity providers earn 3-18% real yield on USDC - Get a share in $250,000 of BUMP rewards for Early Adopters Visit bumper.fi for more info! - - Timestamps: (00:00) $580M Fund Raise (08:00) Fund Performance and Power Dynamics (16:45) Time Horizon for Mass Adoption (22:04) Allocating Capital in U.S. (29:58) Exciting Innovation (38:30) Bumper Ad (39:34) Vouch ad (40:42) Balancing Portfolio Competition (44:50) Investment Stage Discount (47:18) What's Misunderstood about WorldCoin (51:01) Potential of AI & Crypto (54:09) Lessons Learned from Previous Cycles (58:56) Revisiting Old Ideas - - Resources: Blockchain Capital https://www.blockchaincapital.com/blog/doubling-up-while-doubling-down-announcing-our-latest-funds - - 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.

3 Okt 20231h 10min

In today's Empire Debates episode Santi, Tommy, and Ryan dive into several spicy takes. To start things off they discuss the general climate of funds in crypto and how founders are utilizing VC money to pivot project visions. They move on to break down the Binance rumors and discuss the potential struggles the exchange giant may be facing. - - Follow Tommy: https://twitter.com/Shaughnessy119 Follow Ryan: https://twitter.com/kukulabanze Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: 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/ - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (06:31) Fund Returns in Crypto (19:26) Founders Pivoting on Investor Money (23:02) Token Treasury Management (27:07) Binance Rumors & Speculation (41:26) Investing in a Bear (52:09) Evaluating Token Cash-flows  (55:20) Advancements of zk Tech - - 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.

2 Okt 20231h 10min

In today's episode of Empire Jason and Santi cover the biggest news this week including Coinbase's massive approval for a non-US retail perpetuals trading and Pudgy Penguins invading 2000 Walmarts. They also dive into the market structure of crypto perps and whether Coinbase can claw marketshare. The duo also unpack the Gensler hearing and why AI valuations may be in a local top. They close out this week's RU by discussing locked token deals and how they have impacted projects throughout the space. Thanks for tuning in! - - Planning to grant token awards for your team? Toku makes implementing global token compensation and incentive awards simple. With Toku, you get unmatched legal and tax support to grant and administer your global team’s tokens. Toku navigates it across the lifecycle — from easy to use token grant award templates through tracking vesting to managing tax withholdings. Make it simple today, at https://www.toku.com/empire - - Chronicle Protocol is a novel Oracle solution that has exclusively secured over $10B in assets for MakerDAO and its ecosystem since 2017. With a history of innovation, including the invention of the first Oracle on Ethereum, Chronicle Protocol continues to redefine Oracles. A blockchain-agnostic protocol, Chronicle overcomes the current limitations of transferring data on-chain by developing the first truly scalable, cost-efficient, decentralized, and verifiable Oracles, rewriting the rulebook on data transparency and accessibility.   Learn more about Chronicle Protocol: https://chroniclelabs.org/ Join the Chronicle Labs team: https://chroniclelabs.org/careers#open_roles - - 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/ --  Timestamps: (00:00) Discovering Apples & Marathons (08:35) Global Crypto Climate (14:32) Pudgy Penguins in Walmart (21:00) Coinbase Perps Trading (33:38) Chronicle ad (34:54) TOKU  (36:07) Gensler Congressional Hearing (39:14) AI Valuations (50:13) Locked Token Deals (56:32) Upcoming Pods — 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 Sep 20231h 1min

In today's episode of 1000x Jonah and Avi are back from a brief hiatus and ready to dive into the biggest movements in the crypto markets. The duo begin by diving into the potential opportunities that lay within crypto and oil and uniquely discuss oil & USDT use-cases for global oil transactions. Turning to crypto, the guys dive into Polygon's significant lead in zk implementations and how Asia based investors are particularly interested in this innovation. To close things out they discuss their market outlooks and why altcoins may struggle to perform. 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! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:33) Jonah's Update (04:13) From Crypto to Oil (13:28) Token2049 Reflection (16:58) Best zkEVM Implementation? (20:38) Optimism's ROI on Base Chain (23:14) Telegram Wallet Release (30:01) Market Outlook (33:06) Altcoin Avoidance - - 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/ - - 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.

28 Sep 202339min

In today's episode of Empire Jason interviews Matt Cutler, CEO & co-founder of Blocknative. They dive deep into the supply chain of blockchains, exploring the various layers of what a transaction actually means on a blockchain network. They discuss the power balances of validators, block builders, relayers, sequencers, and users when considering the supply chain of transactions. They close out the conversation by digging into MEV and how wallets are positioned to capture major value with the adoption of account abstraction and the usage of intents.  - - Follow Matt Cutler: https://twitter.com/mcutler Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: 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/ - - Get 5% off your business insurance today with Vouch, the leading insurer of crypto startups. With over 4000 clients, Vouch offers exclusive coverages with crypto enhancements including Directors & Officers with digital asset regulatory defense and Cyber that includes smart contract vulnerabilities. Get started today at https://vouch.us/web3/blockworks - - Bumper is an innovative DeFi protocol that protects the value of the crypto you hold from the downside & simultaneously preserves gains when the price climbs. - A superior alternative to crypto options for traders - 30% cheaper and more efficient than traditional tools - Liquidity providers earn 3-18% real yield on USDC - Get a share in $250,000 of BUMP rewards for Early Adopters Visit bumper.fi for more info! - - Timestamps: (00:00) From Early Internet to Ethereum (05:41) Supply Chain of Eth Transactions (17:49) Power Struggles & Economics of MEV Layers (29:09) Business Model of Relays (44:15) Vouch Ad (45:24) Bumper Ad (46:27) Private Transactions and Mempools (01:01:38) Wallet Value Capture (01:10:58) Uniswap MEV Market Share (01:17:50) Ethereum Outlook - - Resources Blocknative https://www.blocknative.com/ - - 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 Sep 20231h 21min

In today's episode of Empire Jason and Santi are checking-in on their market sentiments. Jason explains how ad-revenue may be a helpful indicator of market sentiment. Santi explores portfolio construction, decision making, and market potential. To finish out the cover the latest news including Blockchain Capital $580M, FTX disclosures, Eclipse SVM L2 Launch, and Paypal pyUSD on Venmo.  - - Bumper is an innovative DeFi protocol that protects the value of the crypto you hold from the downside & simultaneously preserves gains when the price climbs.  - A superior alternative to crypto options for traders  - 30% cheaper and more efficient than traditional tools - Liquidity providers earn 3-18% real yield on USDC - Get a share in $250,000 of BUMP rewards for Early Adopters Visit bumper.fi - - Chronicle Protocol is a novel Oracle solution that has exclusively secured over $10B in assets for MakerDAO and its ecosystem since 2017. With a history of innovation, including the invention of the first Oracle on Ethereum, Chronicle Protocol continues to redefine Oracles. A blockchain-agnostic protocol, Chronicle overcomes the current limitations of transferring data on-chain by developing the first truly scalable, cost-efficient, decentralized, and verifiable Oracles, rewriting the rulebook on data transparency and accessibility.   Learn more about Chronicle Protocol: https://chroniclelabs.org/ Join the Chronicle Labs team: https://chroniclelabs.org/careers#open_roles - - 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/ --  Timestamps: 0:00 Sentiment Check 05:11 Ad-Revenue Proxy for Sentiment 16:57 Impact of Marketing 22:15 Evaluating Portfolio 26:31 Decision Making in Bear Markets 38:23 Bumper Ad  39:27 Chronicle Ad  40:43 Blockchain Capital Raises $580M 43:39 Paypal pyUSD on Venmo 45:54 FTX Disclosed 48:28 Eclipse SVM L2 Launch — 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 Sep 20231h 2min

After a week filled with panels, keynote speaking, and expo visiting Santi and Jason share their biggest takeaways from the Permissionless 2 conference. They dive into the awakening of the RWA DeFi narrative, regulatory discussions, crypto investment landscape and much more.  - - Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: 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/  - - Get 5% off your business insurance today with Vouch, the leading insurer of crypto startups. With over 4000 clients, Vouch offers exclusive coverages with crypto enhancements including Directors & Officers with digital asset regulatory defense and Cyber that includes smart contract vulnerabilities.  Get started today at https://vouch.us/web3/blockworks - - Chronicle Protocol is a novel Oracle solution that has exclusively secured over $10B in assets for MakerDAO and its ecosystem since 2017. With a history of innovation, including the invention of the first Oracle on Ethereum, Chronicle Protocol continues to redefine Oracles. A blockchain-agnostic protocol, Chronicle overcomes the current limitations of transferring data on-chain by developing the first truly scalable, cost-efficient, decentralized, and verifiable Oracles, rewriting the rulebook on data transparency and accessibility.   Learn more about Chronicle Protocol: https://chroniclelabs.org/ Join the Chronicle Labs team: https://chroniclelabs.org/careers#open_roles - - Timestamps: (00:00) Permissionless 2 Reflection (07:39) Are RWAs Coming? (13:48) Crypto Investment Landscape (23:13) Crypto Skepticism  (30:36) Chronicle Ad (31:53) Vouch Ad  (33:01) Regulation Takeaways - - Resources: Erik Vorhees "Why are we here?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XlYSmIlpfs&t=35s - - 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 Sep 202348min