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Empire

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Empire features interviews with top crypto founders to get the real stories that aren’t shared elsewhere. Empire is your look behind the curtain of the crypto industry. We release two episodes per week: guest interviews on Monday and a weekly roundup on Friday.

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  • 37 episodes
  • a few times a week
  • Avg 1 hr 1 min
  • English

Episodes 37

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  • July 16 · 1 hr 14 min

    Clarity Window Closing, Robinhood Eating Ethereum Value & Coinbase's Base Reset

    Crypto's window for regulatory clarity is about to close while Robinhood raises questions about who actually captures the value created onchain. This week, we unpack Clarity’s narrowing path through Congress and what failure could mean for crypto markets and institutional adoption. We also debate Ethereum’s economics, Coinbase’s Base reset, the Ostium hack vs instant settlement, and Stripe’s reported PayPal bid. Enjoy! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro 01:50 Clarity Act’s Closing Window 08:40 Trump’s Crypto Ethics Roadblock 14:07 What Clarity Means For Markets 18:13 Robinhood Exposes Ethereum’s Value Problem 28:14 Coinbase Resets Base’s Strategy 39:28 Ostium Hack Challenges Instant Settlement 50:50 Stripe’s Bid To Reinvent PayPal 01:04:57 AI Trades And Biohacking 01:10:20 Content Of The Week FOLLOW THE SHOW › Empire – https://x.com/theempirepod › Jason – https://x.com/jasonyanowitz › Santiago – https://x.com/santiagoroel › Rob – https://x.com/HadickM › Telegram – https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh › Blockworks – https://x.com/Blockworks 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.

  • July 14 · 1 hr 14 min

    Fomo Co-Founders on Building the Social Network for Finance

    What happens when crypto finally builds a trading experience for everyone, not just crypto natives? This week, Jason sits down with fomo co-founders Paul and Se to discuss why consumer crypto has struggled, how fomo is approaching onchain trading differently, and why they believe social finance is the next major platform. They explore building for mainstream users, the future of tokenized assets, product design tradeoffs, creator-driven distribution, and why transparent onchain data could redefine how investors discover ideas. Enjoy! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro 03:35 Why Consumer Crypto Keeps Failing 09:32 Selling The Social Finance Vision 15:57 From Niche App To Breakout 22:22 How Fomo Acquires Users 27:57 Building The Social Trading Layer 34:44 Fees, Perps, And Onchain Competition 43:37 Expanding Beyond Trading Fees 49:12 Funding Growth Through Market Cycles 53:14 Robinhood, X, And Copy Trading 58:00 Media And Frictionless Onboarding 01:04:03 The Everything Trading App 01:09:00 Crypto, Tokens, And Going Public FOLLOW GUESTS › Se – https://x.com/seyong › Paul – https://x.com/paulerlanger › fomo – https://x.com/fomo FOLLOW THE SHOW › Empire – https://x.com/theempirepod › Jason – https://x.com/jasonyanowitz › Telegram –https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh › Blockworks – https://x.com/Blockworks 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.

  • July 10 · 1 hr 13 min

    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.

  • July 3 · 1 hr 17 min

    What’s Circle’s End Game, Robinhood Launches A Chain & Venice Raises $65M

    This week, we’re back with another weekly roundup to discuss the announcement of OUSD and what it means for the future of Circle. We then deep dive into Robinhood’s recent product launches, Venice’s $65M raise, crypto’s continued discussion around tokens vs. equity, and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- 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 -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (02:52) Did Saylor End Strategy’s Sell Off? (10:15) The Launch of OpenUSD (17:49) Should Everyone Launch A Stablecoin? (32:42) peaq Ad (33:28) Cloudflare's Monetization Gateway (38:35) Robinhood Launches A Chain (56:00) Venice Raises $65M & Crypto’s Token vs Equity Problem (01:16:14) Content of The Week -- 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, Rob and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

  • June 29 · 48 min

    Can You Really Buy A House Without Selling Your Crypto? | Vishal Garg

    This week, Vishal Garg joins the show to discuss how crypto and AI are reshaping the mortgage market. We deep dive into Better’s business model, why the mortgage market is so inefficient today, how to leverage tokenization and AI, partnering with Coinbase and OpenAI, and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Vishal: https://x.com/vishal_better Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- 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 -- Timestamps: (00:00) What’s Wrong With The Mortgage Market Today (03:10) The Better Business Model (20:35) peaq Ad (21:21) Launching Crypto Backed Mortgages (30:04) Partnering With Sky (35:10) The Opportunity For Tokenization & AI (44:21) Running a Public Company -- 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, Rob and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

  • June 27 · 53 min

    State of The Market, The Prediction Market Wars & Kraken Pursues Aave

    This week, we’re back with another weekly roundup to discuss the current state of markets as worries around Strategy drag crypto lower. We then deep dive into the competition in prediction markets, the state of crypto venture, Kraken’s pursuit of a stake in Aave, Fomo’s $75M raise, and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- 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 -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (02:33) State of The Market (07:01) State of Crypto Venture (21:57) peaq Ad (22:43) The Prediction Market Wars (38:07) Kraken Pursuing 15% Stake in Aave (48:18) Fomo Raises $75M at $550M Valuation (50:35) Content of The Week -- 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, Rob and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

  • June 22 · 1 hr 9 min

    Optimism Co-Founders: What Happened to the L2s? Ben Jones & Karl Floersch

    This week, Ben Jones and Karl Floersch join the show to discuss what happened to the L2s. We take a deep dive into Optimism's new strategy for 2026, the current state of Ethereum, why companies need to launch a chain, having a token, and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Karl: https://x.com/karl_dot_tech Follow Ben: https://x.com/ben_chain Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- 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 -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (03:43) What L2s Got Right vs Wrong (12:46) peaq Ad (13:42) Optimism’s Strategy in 2026 (32:36) What’s Optimism’s Moat? (40:02) Who Needs To Build a Chain? (51:20) The Current State of Ethereum (59:39) Launching a Token (01:03:10) What Defines Success in Crypto? -- 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, Rob and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

  • June 19 · 1 hr 10 min

    Anthropic's Fable Banned, Will Microstrategy Blow Up & Structuring A Portfolio in 2026

    This week, we’re back with another weekly roundup to discuss why the US government placed export controls on Anthropic's Fable model. We then deep dive into open vs close sourced models, will Microstratgey blow up, structuring a portfolio in 2026, Coinbase's new product announcement and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Jordi: https://x.com/gametheorizing Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- 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 -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (07:16) Anthropic's Fable Banned by US Government (20:10) peaq Ad (20:57) Open vs Closed Source Models (26:42) Structuring A Portfolio Post 10/10 (40:07) Will Microstrategy Blow Up? (59:12) Coinbase's Product Announcement (1:05:40) Content of The Week -- 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, Rob and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

  • June 15 · 1 hr 8 min

    The Bull Case For Hyperliquid | Ryan Watkins

    This week, Ryan Watkins join the show to discuss the current state of crypto and where he sees the most opportunity in 2026. We deep dive into running a crypto fund in 2026, do four year cycles still exist, the Hyperliquid thesis, token unlocks and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Ryan: https://x.com/RyanWatkins_ Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- 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 -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (04:02) Running A Crypto Fund In 2026 (09:55) Do Four Year Cycles Exist? (16:36) peaq Ad (17:22) How To Find A Trade (25:52) The Hyperliquid Thesis (49:44) Is The Hyperliquid Trade Overcrowded? (53:28) Opportunities In Crypto, Token Unlocks & The L1 Trade (01:02:16) Zcash & Privacy -- 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, Rob and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

  • June 12 · 28 min

    Blockworks Acquires Messari

    In this special episode, Blockworks announces its acquisition of Messari and unpacks what it means for crypto’s next phase. Michael and Jason explore why Messari’s breadth of data, APIs, and research complement Blockworks’ deep on-chain analytics, investor relations, and disclosure products. They also address crypto’s trust problem, the need for standardized data and disclosures, and how Blockworks aims to become the trusted data layer connecting issuers, investors, exchanges, regulators, and AI agents in on-chain markets. Learn more: https://blockworks.com/insights/blockworks-acquires-messari Follow Blockworks on X: https://x.com/Blockworks Follow Messari on X: https://x.com/MessariCrypto Follow Michael on X: https://x.com/MikeIppolito_ Follow Jason on X: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz

  • June 8 · 1 hr 2 min

    CFTC Chair Michael Selig On Perps, Prediction Markets & Crypto In The U.S

    This week, CFTC Chair Michael Selig joins the show to discuss the CFTC's recent policy announcement on perps in the U.S. We deep dive into how to regulate crypto in the U.S, prediction markets, 24/7 markets, working with the SEC and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Michael: https://x.com/MichaelSelig Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- 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 -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (04:20) Working With The SEC (08:40) Bringing Perps To The U.S (19:03) peaq Ad (19:49) How To Regulate DeFi? (26:08) Becoming The Crypto Capital of The World (29:10) Prediction Markets (45:28) 24/7 Capital Markets (56:39) The Clarity Act (01:00:14) Final Thoughts -- 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, Rob and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

  • June 5 · 1 hr 16 min

    SpaceX’s $1.75T IPO, Strategy Sells Bitcoin & Crypto’s Hard Reset

    This week, we’re back with another weekly roundup to discuss the upcoming SpaceX IPO with early investor Ryan Zurrer. We deep dive into how to value SpaceX, why this crypto bear market feels worse than others, opportunities in DeFi today, Strategy selling Bitcoin and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Ryan: https://x.com/kukulabanze Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- 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 -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:52) Takeaways From Money 2020 & All-In Summit (07:50) The Bull vs Bear Case For SpaceX (19:02) peaq Ad (19:48) Why This Bear Market Feels Worse Than Others (30:17) The Aftermath of SpaceX’s IPO (36:20) DeFi Opportunities In 2026 (48:50) Strategy Sells Bitcoin, Will BTC Hit $40k? (01:10:40) Content of The Week -- 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, Rob and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

  • June 1 · 1 hr 1 min

    Avichal Garg On Investing in Crypto, AI and Ethereum’s Path Forward

    This week, Avichal Garg joins the show to discuss how he is currently allocating to crypto in 2026. We deep dive into the opportunity in crypto and AI venture, how to build a breakout app, the future path for Ethereum, why Avichal is still bullish on SOL & ETH, why tokens trade at a discount and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Avichal: https://x.com/avichal Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (13:58) How To Build A Breakout App (21:46) Where Electric Sees the Most Opportunity (33:35) Why Do Tokens Trade At A Discount? (39:42) Why Avichal Is Still Bullish On SOL & ETH (42:46) Who Wins The Crypto Exchange Wars? (48:10) The Ethereum Roadmap (54:16) How To Make DeFi Safe Again (57:50) Final Thoughts -- 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, Rob and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

  • May 29 · 1 hr 2 min

    Why’s Everyone So Bearish, Robinhood's AI Agent and SoFi's Stablecoin Launch

    This week, we’re back with another weekly roundup to discuss why everyone in crypto feels so bearish. We then dive deep into whether stablecoins significantly improve payment rails, Robinhood’s AI agent announcement, Rob’s takeaways from a trip to D.C., MicroStrategy and RoboStrategy NAV premiums, and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:50) Why’s The Timeline So Bearish? (22:12) Robinhood Launches AI Agents (32:23) Morpho Midnight (44:27) Is DeFi Uninvestable? (49:15) Takeaways From D.C. (54:14) MicroStrategy & RoboStrategy NAV Premiums (58:22) Content of The Week -- 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, Rob, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

  • May 22 · 58 min

    Hyperliquid Just Had It's Breakout Moment

    This week, we’re back with another weekly roundup to discuss why Hyperliquid is having its breakout moment by capitalizing on the trillion dollar IPO wave. We then deep dive into whether we’re entering a new bull market, if Ethereum is overvalued, SpaceX’s IPO, and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (02:20) Hyperliquid’s Breakout Moment (23:38) SpaceX's IPO (29:15) Are We Entering A New Bull Market? (36:15) Why Ethereum Is Overvalued (53:28) Content of The Week -- 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, Rob and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

  • May 19 · 1 hr 14 min

    Figure Co-Founder: How Figure Became A $10B Business | Mike Cagney

    This week, Mike Cagney joins the show to discuss Figure and how it became the leading non-bank HELOC lender in the U.S. We deep dive into how Figure leverages blockchain rails to scale the next evolution of capital markets before Mike shares his thoughts on tokenization, being a public vs private company, how to fix tokens and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Mike: https://x.com/mcagney Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (03:20) How Do Blockchains Disrupt Capital Markets? (09:28) Why Did Mike Build Figure? (27:00) Will Figure Launch a Wallet? (38:05) SoFi’s Superbowl Ads (45:42) Tokenizing Equities (55:08) The Provenance Blockchain (01:01:46) Being a Public vs Private Company (01:07:18) How To Fix Tokens (01:12:27) What’s Next For Crypto In 5 Years? -- 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, Rob and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

  • May 14 · 1 hr 16 min

    AI Feels Like Crypto In 2017, Circle Raises $222M and Anthropic Cracks Down On SPVs

    This week, we’re back with another weekly roundup to discuss the current AI mania and how it feels similar to crypto in 2017. We then deep dive into Circle's $222M raise, expectations for the Clarity Act, Anthropic's crackdown on SPVs and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (05:44) AI Today Feels Like Crypto In 2017 (27:12) Circle Raises $222M (46:15) The Clarity Act (59:03) Anthropic Cracks Down On SPV’s (01:10:30) Content of The Week -- 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, Rob and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Showing 21–37 of 37 episodes