Empire

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.

  1. 2 HR AGO

    It's Still a Bull Market, But Not The One You Wanted

    This week, we’re back with another weekly roundup live at DAS to discuss our takeaways from the conference. We deep dive into the institutional bull market, the state of angel and venture investing in crypto, Western Union's stablecoin pivot and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- ZKsync is the Bank Stack of Ethereum. It is a network of chains secured by cryptography, not validators. Its cutting-edge ZK innovation enables the privacy, performance and connectivity that businesses need to thrive in the digital assets economy. To find out more visit: https://www.zksync.io/ -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:48) Takeaways From DAS (07:16) Is Crypto in a Bull or Bear Market? (13:55) Angel Investing and Crypto Venture Capital (24:48) ZKsync Ad (24:24) Blockworks Investor Relations (26:13) Western Union’s Stablecoin Flywheel (33:17) The Bear Case For Stablecoins (38:30) Final Takeaways From DAS (43:25) Sports Betting On Prediction Markets (48:15) Audience Questions (52:10) 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.

    54 min
  2. 20 MAR

    State of The Market, How to Value Hyperliquid & Tempo Launches Mainnet

    This week, we’re back with another weekly roundup to discuss the current state of markets as conflict in Iran continues. We then deep dive into Hyperliquid's announcement with S&P, how to value Hyperliquid, Tempo's mainnet launch, Kraken's reported IPO delay & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in New York City this March! Follow the link below to grab your ticket, and use code EMPIRE200 to get $200 off your ticket! https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-nyc-2026 -- ZKsync is the Bank Stack of Ethereum. It is a network of chains secured by cryptography, not validators. Its cutting-edge ZK innovation enables the privacy, performance and connectivity that businesses need to thrive in the digital assets economy. To find out more visit: https://www.zksync.io/ -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (02:08) State of The Market (09:38) ZKsync Ad (10:20) DAS Plug (10:46) S&P Licenses S&P 500 Perps on Hyperliquid (24:45) Tempo & Agentic Payments (47:02) Kraken’s IPO Delay (50:45) 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.

    55 min
  3. 13 MAR

    How To Fix Crypto's Token Problem | Weekly Roundup

    This week, we’re back with another weekly roundup on the equity vs. token debate in crypto. We dive deep into Across Protocol’s proposal to convert its token into equity before covering Kraken’s Fedwire approval, Ripple’s $50B valuation, and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in New York City this March! Follow the link below to grab your ticket, and use code EMPIRE200 to get $200 off your ticket! https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-nyc-2026 -- ZKsync is the Bank Stack of Ethereum. It is a network of chains secured by cryptography, not validators. Its cutting-edge ZK innovation enables the privacy, performance and connectivity that businesses need to thrive in the digital assets economy. To find out more visit: https://www.zksync.io/ -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (08:36) Across To Convert Their Token to Equity (23:47) Crypto’s Token vs Equity Problem (36:52) ZKsync Ad (37:34) DAS Plug (38:00) Mastercard’s Crypto Partner Program (47:05) Ripple’s $50B Valuation (54:35) Kraken’s Gets Approved to Fedwire (01:00:57) 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.

    1hr 8min
  4. 11 MAR

    How Hyperliquid Unlocks 24/7 Markets | Jake Chervinsky & MC Lader

    This week, Jake Chervinsky & MC Lader join the show to discuss the growth of Hyperliquid in 2026 and beyond. We deep dive into Hyperliquid's 24/7 markets thesis, how Native Markets won the USDH proposal, founding the Hyperliquid Policy Center, regulation in 2026 and more. Enjoy! -- Follow MC: https://x.com/Mclader Follow Jake: https://x.com/jchervinsky Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in New York City this March! Follow the link below to grab your ticket, and use code EMPIRE200 to get $200 off your ticket! https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-nyc-2026 -- ZKsync is the Bank Stack of Ethereum. It is a network of chains secured by cryptography, not validators. Its cutting-edge ZK innovation enables the privacy, performance and connectivity that businesses need to thrive in the digital assets economy. To find out more visit: https://www.zksync.io/ -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (02:45) The Hyperliquid 24/7 Markets Thesis (06:02) Founding The Hyperliquid Policy Center (15:45) The State of DeFi Regulation (18:59) ZKsync Ad (19:34) The Hyperliquid USDH Proposal (29:59) Stablecoin Regulation In The US (38:05) The Hyperliquid 24/7 Markets Thesis (44:40) The Future of Stablecoins (57:53) Crypto Regulation In 2026 & Beyond -- 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.

    1hr 5min

About

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.

More From Blockworks

You Might Also Like