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
Crypto’s Liquidity Engine, OTC Desks and CEXs | Jonah Van Bourg & Genia Mikhalchenko
In this episode of Empire, Jason and Santiago are joined by two crypto market experts, Jonah Van Bourg & Genia Mikhalchenko, to discuss the anatomy of a trade. An asset's price is derived from supply and demand, but who provides this liquidity, how are trades executed and what parties are involved? Tune in to find out & check out the highlights below! - The role of market makers - Why liquidity is the lifeblood of trading - How liquidity providers performed in the recent market crash - Why trade size matters and the risks of front running - The 3 most important things when evaluating an exchange - Understanding counterparty risks - How much leverage is left in the system - Consolidation is coming - Will legacy financial institutions compete with crypto-native service providers - - Follow Genia: https://twitter.com/Genia_xx Follow Jonah: https://twitter.com/jvb_xyz 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/ - - Resources Cumberland website https://cumberland.io/ BitMEX website https://www.bitmex.com/ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:36) How Market Makers Work (08:42) Operating An Exchange In a Bear Market (11:10) The Risk of Front Running (15:47) Understanding Counterparty Risk (18:50) Balancing Retail & Institutional Liquidity (25:50) How Much Leverage Is Left In the System? (32:40) The Relationship Between DeFi and Centralized Services (37:43) Biggest Opportunities, On and Off Chain (40:40) Consolidation Is Coming (43:06) Are Legacy Financial Institutions A Threat to Crypto Service Providers? (46:32) Rapid Fire Questions -- 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.
8 Aug 202258min
$195M Stolen, Angel Investing, NFT Growth Hacking & Synapse Chain | Roundup
In this episode of Empire's Weekly Roundup, Jason and Santi discuss the current market, angel investing, and the week's biggest news. Highlights include: - Santi's learnings from angel investing - Why this market is a great setup for investors - Santi explains why he's over-indexed on ETH - Over $195M stolen between the Slope and Nomad hack - Details on the newly launched Synapse chain - Should protocols vertically integrate or leverage composability - Magic Eden vs OpenSea - Coinbase & Blackrock partnership - Tiffany launched a new IRL NFT project - - 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: Twitter accounts to follow https://twitter.com/adamscochran https://twitter.com/tayvano_ https://twitter.com/samczsun https://twitter.com/0xfoobar Raj tweet on the need for Solana Mobile https://twitter.com/rajgokal/status/1554889457928613889 Blockworks Research report on Synapse https://www.blockworksresearch.com/research/synapse/ Empire episode on Layer Zero https://sptfy.com/KWqY - - 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/ -- (00:00) Introduction (02:31) Market Update & Why Santi Is "Feeling Hot" (05:45) Santi's Angel Investment Strategy (17:03) Why Santi Is Over Indexed on ETH (25:53) Solana (aka Slope) Hack (35:31) Core Ad (37:00) Nomad Hacked for $190M (40:18) NFTs, the Building Blocks of a Web3 CRM (46:16) Synapse Launches Their Own Chain (54:04) Protocol Vertical Integration vs Compatibility (59:50) Magic Eden & Marketplace Businesses (1:03:18) Michael Saylor, Coinbase/Blackrock Partnership and Other Headlines (1:05:43) Coinbase Finds Momentum (01:12:38) Tiffany Is Launching 250 Punk Pendants -- 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 Aug 20221h 16min
Inside the mind of crypto’s top traders | Dan Matuszewski (CMS) & Avi Felman
Attend DAS, crypto and macro’s favorite institutional conference: http://digitalassetsummit.co/ Use code EMPIRE250 to get $250 off tickets (Only available this week!) -- In this episode of Empire, Jason and Mike are joined by Dan Matuszewski (CMS Holdings) & Avi Felman (GoldenTree). If you don't know these two names, don't forget them - two of the best traders and sources of alpha in crypto. This episode is one of my favorites yet; check out the highlights below: - Is macro crypto's master - This will lead to crypto's divergence with Macro - How will ETH perform with the merge - What are the new, hidden narratives - The tradeoff between CeFi and DeFi - Is DeFi ready to take off - Retail open-term lending is dead - Regulators have two options - Why VCs are in trouble - - Follow Dan: https://twitter.com/cmsholdings Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman 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 -- (00:00) Introduction (01:08) The intersection of macro & crypto (12:47) How Will ETH's Price React to the Merge? (17:50) New Narratives & Market Leverage (25:28) A Catalyst for DeFi (29:10) What's About to Happen in CeFi? (31:37) Your DeFi Project Isn't Sexy (35:45) Can DeFi Tokens Accure Value? (41:23) Why You Should Avoid Low Float Tokens (44:27) VCs Are In Trouble (49:20) Avi and Dan Run Wild (51:06) Wrapping Things Up -- 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.
1 Aug 20221h 1min
