Empire

In today’s episode of Empire, Santi and Jason go full Michael Scott by hosting the Annual Empire Awards. We discuss our favorite projects of 2022, our wildest predictions, the most overhyped section of crypto, the best unsexy ideas and so much more! We then get personal by discussing our worst investment in 2022, our best/worst new habits, our favorite app and our personal goals for 2023. Don't miss this one - it's one of my favorites yet. - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (04:08) Biggest Mental Reframe (17:06) Favorite Project or Business (20:48) Crypto Person of the Year (23:08) Top Breakout Company (29:23) Best Unsexy Idea (35:40) Wildest Prediction for 2023 (43:40) Most Overlooked Vertical in Crypto (47:02) Most Overhyped Vertical in Crypto (50:33) Business You Want to See Built in 2023 (51:56) Your Best & Worst Investment in 2022 (59:37) Best Business Decision of 2022 (1:01:55) Most Helpful Thing You Started in 2022 (1:03:49) Worst & Best Habit (1:08:17) Favorite Content of 2022 (1:13:48) Besides Crypto, What Would You Work On? (1:22:11) Favorite New App or Product (1:24:33) Dream Podcast Guest (1:27:13) 2023 Business & Personal Goals - - 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/ - - Resources The Diff https://www.thediff.co/ I Pledge Allegiance https://bit.ly/3QgW2BK A Media Operator https://www.amediaoperator.com/ Graham Duncan https://grahamduncan.blog/about/ John Collison with Stanley Druckenmiller https://bit.ly/3QxSRpL Clay https://clay.earth/ The Summit (by Santi) https://bit.ly/3Cu4cBk - - 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 Jan 20231h 40min

In today’s episode of Empire, we bring on Mike and Mark from On The Margin to discuss our 2023 crypto thesis. We debate predictions on the Wallet Wars, ETH vs Bitcoin, the rise of insurance, app-specific vertical integration, the adoption of CBDCs, Coinbase vs DEXs, MEV as a business model and more! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (02:14) Crypto’s 2022 Wrapped (11:52) The Bottom is in for Crypto, not for Equities (19:35) Kings of Spot & NFT Trading Will Lose Market Share (22:44) Stablecoins, DeFi’s Resurgence and Permissioned Protocols (28:02) Regulators are Coming, and the CBDC debate (33:23) MEV will be the Business Model for DeFi & Exchanges (42:05) No Industry Takes Off Without Insurance (48:48) A Market Bottom & the Value of Memes (52:36) ETH vs Bitcoin (spicy) (1:03:34) Miner Capitulation, Wallet Wars & Gaming (1:11:31) Vertical Integration, Privacy and Payments (1:17:51) The Rise of Professional Guilds - - Follow Mark: https://twitter.com/MarkYusko Follow Mike: https://twitter.com/MikeIppolito_ Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Empire links Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7 Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod On The Margin links Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3YGtdml Subscribe on Apple: https://bit.ly/3BUZXhK Subscribe on Spotify: https://bit.ly/3hHY1m4 Follow OTM: https://twitter.com/OnTheMarginPod 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 Des 20221h 23min

In today’s episode of Empire, we explore the state of the crypto market. We discuss where we are in the market cycle, the investment landscape, why 2023 could be a blood bath for crypto startups and why there's reason to be optimistic. You don’t want to miss this section. We then talk through Visa’s new payments deployment on Starknet, the power of account abstraction, Yuga Labs’ big hire, DCG’s outlook, the evolving media landscape and more! - - 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/ - - Resources Barry Silbert's WSJ tweet https://twitter.com/BarrySilbert/status/1604837519224639488 Catherine's Visa announcement tweet https://twitter.com/catgu_/status/1604896035616264205 - - 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 Des 20221h 13min

In this episode of Empire, Simon Jones joins us to discuss DeFi's interest rate opportunity. A year ago, DeFi's meme was, "Why earn .01% in your bank account when you can earn 20%+ in DeFi". Fast forward to today, and TradFi offers higher yields than DeFi. Did we get rugged, or what's the new opportunity? Tune in as we explore the correlation between TradFi and DeFi rates, DeFi's low cost-of-capital opportunity, the efficiency of market-driven protocols, importing TradFi yields on-chain and more! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:15) The Divergence of TradFi & DeFi Rates (11:00) DeFi Responded 10x Faster Than the Fed (17:42) Leveraging DeFi as a Cheap Source of Funding (20:59) Importing TradFi Yields On-Chain (27:35) Why Institutions Will Use On-Chain Products (32:11) Replacing Regulation With Smart Contracts & Incentives (36:46) Voltz and the Importance of Fixed Rates (41:16) Will TradFi & DeFi Rates Eventually Converge? - - Follow Simon: https://twitter.com/0xSimonJones Follow Mike: https://twitter.com/MikeIppolito_ 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/ -- 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 http://empirepodcast.link/circle 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. - - Resources Voltz https://www.voltz.xyz/ Voltz research paper on DeFi vs TradFi rates https://www.voltz.xyz/tradfi-vs-defi-rates Bell Curve episode with Simon https://bit.ly/3PC7lEj - - 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 Des 202245min

In this episode of Empire, Jason is joined by Avi Felman and Jonah Van Bourg to discuss their new podcast 1000x and the state of crypto markets. Avi and Jonah explain their trading mindset, how to evaluate the buyers/sellers in the market, crypto's investment cycle, how catastrophe creates opportunity and more! A new 1000x episode will drop on Empire's RSS feed and the 1000x YouTube channel every two weeks. Links below! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:07) 1000x Podcast Launch (04:33) Market Outlook (07:48) Who’s Buying, Who’s Selling? (18:10) Crypto’s Investment Cycle (21:10) How Are People Positioned Right Now? (23:23) Leverage In The System (25:05) Trading Around Governance Events - - Follow Jonah: https://twitter.com/jvb_xyz Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Follow 1000x: https://twitter.com/1000xPod 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/ -- 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 http://empirepodcast.link/circle 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. - - Resources 1000x YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEAwYFRFUuekaEmKz4oiB_A The Prize https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/169354.The_Prize Sushi's protocol fee proposal https://bit.ly/3FWvOkA - - 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 Des 202228min

Blockworks just released a new podcast called 1000x! We're dropping the first episode here as we think you might want to add this podcast to the lineup. 1000x is a crypto markets podcast hosted by professional traders Avi Felman and Jonah Van Bourg that dives deep into the macro and micro factors that represent the lifeblood of digital money and web3.  In this episode, Avi and Jonah discuss how to think like a crypto trader. They explore how today's market compares to the 2018 bear, where to look for opportunities, the investment landscape post-FTX and our top investing frameworks.  A new 1000x episode will drop on Empire's RSS feed and the 1000x YouTube channel every two weeks. - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:28) Why We Started 1000x (06:18) Today’s Market Compared To 2018 (16:17) How To Think About Trading Markets (23:25) Market Structure Post-FTX (28:05) Managing Risks (36:30) Investing Frameworks (48:12) Crypto Is Here To Stay - - 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/3Fw083Z 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/ - - Resources Golden Tree https://www.goldentree.com/ Cumberland https://cumberland.io/ Avi's psychology of a market tweet https://twitter.com/AviFelman/status/1595176484766883843 - - 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.

15 Des 202254min

In this episode of Empire, Rob Behnke and Steve Walbroehl join us to discuss the state of Web3 security. When code equals money, security is everything. Rob and Steve explain the concept of blockchain cybersecurity, transactional-level audits, bridge hacks, crypto-native insurance and more. With over $2B in crypto hacks this year, this episode is worth everyone's time! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:30) Halborn, Cybersecurity For Web3 (12:17) The State Of Web3 Security (17:45) Are Smart Contract Audits A Sustainable Solution? (21:30) Reactive Security Measures (23:33) Seraph, A Tool That Enables Transactional Level Audits (26:25) Crypto-Native Insurance Solutions (29:53) Why Are There So Many Bridge Hacks? (42:20) Creating Security Standards (48:43) Solidity vs Other Programming Languages (53:56) The Best Way To Scale Blockchains (1:00:29) Why Rob & Steve Are Bitcoin “Maxis” (1:06:26) The Downsides Of Liquid Staking - - Follow Rob: https://twitter.com/robbehnke Follow Steve: https://twitter.com/HalbornSteve 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/ -- 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 http://empirepodcast.link/circle 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. - - Resources Seraph https://www.seraph.co/ Halborn https://halborn.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.

12 Des 20221h 13min

In this episode of Empire, we start with a 25-minute interview with Adam Brotman, the creator of Starbucks Rewards, to discuss why he believes every company will adopt an NFT strategy. We discuss his partnership with Starbucks, NFTs as the ultimate loyalty product and what OG crypto fans get wrong about NFTs. After this interview, we do something a bit different. Instead of our usual roundup, we dropped one of our favorite episodes from a new Blockworks show called 0xResearch. It's an episode with dYdX's founder Antonio Juliano that I highly recommend you check out. If that's not for you, check out the spicy roundup from our Bell Curve podcast [see links below]. - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (02:03) Creator of Starbucks Rewards talks NFTs (25:55) 0xResearch dYdX podcast with Antonio (26:05) FTX's Ripple Effects Across CeFi & DeFi (38:11) Brand As A Moat (42:49) How dYdX Can Outmatch CeFi (49:35) Expected FTX Regulatory Fallout (54:36) Risk Mgmt & dYdX’s Safety Module (1:01:40) SubDAOs & Governance (1:04:31) dYdX AppChain Update (1:13:36) How dYdX Will Approach MEV (1:16:53) On & Off Ramps To dYdX (1:23:16) Returning Fees To Stakers & The Future Of dYdX - - Follow Adam: https://twitter.com/adambrotman 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/ -- 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 http://empirepodcast.link/circle 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. - - Resources Forum3 https://www.forum3.com/ Bellcurve Podcast (roundup) Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Fdw7pB Apple: https://bit.ly/3UJid4b YouTube: https://bit.ly/3VH4jB6 0xResearch Podcast Spotify: https://bit.ly/3hhL81z Apple: https://bit.ly/3hcTsQ8 YouTube: https://bit.ly/3DNVFdp Blockworks Research twitter https://twitter.com/blockworksres - - 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 Des 20221h 28min