Crypto's Value Capture Problem & Why Robinhood Built Its Own Blockchain

AI and distribution moats are forcing investors to separate real business transformation from crypto’s unresolved value-capture problem. This week, Jason and Santi discuss what months of researching crypto adoption taught Inversion, why the firm's investment strategy is evolving, and what it reveals about where value is actually being created today. They also explore Robinhood's onchain strategy, whether AI is delivering stronger returns than crypto in traditional businesses, the debate over token versus equity value capture, and how the next generation of consumer finance is taking shape. Enjoy! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro 03:15 Inversion’s Crypto Thesis Reset 06:17 Where Crypto ROI Breaks 11:58 The Distribution Quality Trap 17:12 Inversion Broadens Its Mandate 22:02 Crypto’s Value Capture Problem 28:00 AI Rewrites Company Workflows 31:45 Ads (Peaq) 33:01 AI Pricing Hits The Limit 39:09 Robinhood Chain Takes Off 48:07 Regulatory Arbitrage Goes Onchain 52:35 Finance For The Next Generation 57:02 The Token Equity Debate FOLLOW THE SHOW › Empire – https://x.com/theempirepod › Jason – https://x.com/jasonyanowitz › Santiago – https://x.com/santiagoroel › Telegram – https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh › Blockworks – https://x.com/Blockworks Robots will soon outnumber humans onchain. peaqOS turns them into a new trusted liquid asset class, with yield tied to real-world workloads. It gives robots all they need to do business on any chain — and lets humans earn from automation. Explore the Machine Economy: https://peaq.xyz EVENTS › Join us at Digital Asset Summit 2026 Asia October 7th & Digital Asset 2026 London November 10-11th https://blockworks.com/events DISCLAIMER Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only. Any views expressed are opinions, not financial advice. Hosts and guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.