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. 1D AGO

    Why BitGo Went Public | Mike Belshe

    This week, we’re joined by CEO and Co-founder of BitGo, Mike Belshe, to discuss BitGo’s IPO, their motivations for going public, and the IPO process. We dive into allocation decisions, key product growth areas, and views on regulation, crypto market structure, and future industry evolution. Enjoy! – Follow Mike: https://x.com/mikebelshe Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod – Coinbase crypto-backed loans, powered by Morpho, enable you to take out loans at competitive rates using crypto as collateral. Rates are typically 4% to 8%. Borrow up to $5M using BTC as collateral and up to $1M using ETH as collateral. Manage crypto-backed loans directly in the Coinbase app with ease. Learn more here:  https://www.coinbase.com/onchain/borrow/get-started?utm_campaign=0126_defi-borrow_blockworks_empire&marketId=0x9103c3b4e834476c9a62ea009ba2c884ee42e94e6e314a26f04d312434191836&utm_source=empire  – Timestamps: (01:50) BitGos IPO & Early Supporters (07:22) Why go public (09:45) The IPO Process (30:39) Determining Allocations (37:49) Ads (Coinbase) (38:41) BitGos Role as an infrastructure company (46:15) BitGo's Fastest Growing Products (58:20) BitGo going forward (01:02:37) Web2 vs web3 (01:06:41) BitGo's Journey & Lessons Learned (01:14:39) Replacing the Incumbents —-- 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.

    1h 19m
  2. 4D AGO

    The Bull Case For DePIN, RWAs on Hyperliquid & The Onchain Endgame | Weekly Roundup

    This week, we break down the evolving DePIN thesis, from real revenue traction to infra financing, regulation, and why some networks are finally compounding at scale. We also discuss the boom in Hyperliquid RWAs, bringing money & companies onchain, 2026 IPOs, and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Salvador: https://x.com/DAnconia_Crypto  Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz  Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM  Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel  Follow Empire:https://x.com/theempirepod     -- Coinbase crypto-backed loans, powered by Morpho, enable you to take out loans at competitive rates using crypto as collateral. Rates are typically 4% to 8%. Borrow up to $5M using BTC as collateral and up to $1M using ETH as collateral. Manage crypto-backed loans directly in the Coinbase app with ease. Learn more here:  https://www.coinbase.com/onchain/borrow/get-started?utm_campaign=0126_defi-borrow_blockworks_empire&marketId=0x9103c3b4e834476c9a62ea009ba2c884ee42e94e6e314a26f04d312434191836&utm_source=empire   -- Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (00:44) Escape Velocity $61.74M Raise (05:500 The Case For DePIN (12:34) InfraFi And Bringing Money Onchain (22:07) Bear Case For DePIN And Top DePINs (30:57) Ads (Coinbase) (31:42) Metals And Hyperliquid RWAs (43:31) Crypto Integration Into FinTech (55:18) The State Of Compliance (58:49) 2026 IPOs (01:04:38) The Carvana Of Crypto (01:09:220 Content Of The Week (01:15:29) Claude Cowork -- 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.

    1h 18m
  3. JAN 26

    Why Kraken Is Betting Big on Onchain Vaults | John Zettler & Sun Raghupathi

    This week, we’re joined by John Zettler, Director of Product at Kraken and Sun Raghupathi, Co-founder of Veda, to discuss their collaboration to bring onchain vaults to Kraken! We explore the growth of onchain vaults, how vaults package DeFi lending and yield strategies, vault mechanics, risk management, business models, comparisons to past yield products, and implications for DeFi adoption and future TVL growth. Enjoy! Resources 2026 Predictions Episode: https://youtu.be/yagd3CT2VQk?si=G1cFXBpODiWZ-pQR – Follow John: https://x.com/JohnZettler Follow Sun: https://x.com/sunandr_ Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod – Timestamps: (02:45) What is a vault (09:26) The Evolution of Vaults (14:31) Vault Key Parties (21:49) Vault Business Models (29:14) Building Vaults with Coinbase and Morpho (33:29) Vaults Today vs BlockFi & Celsius (37:42) Bringing Vaults to Kraken (39:55) Determining Yield & Adding More Vaults (41:51) What made Yano Bullish on Vaults (45:52) Behind the Scenes (50:24) Vault Risks (56:37) Morpho's Model vs Veda's Model (57:59) Closing Comments on Vaults and DeFi TVL — 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.

    1h 3m
  4. JAN 23

    AI Breaking Software Economics, CLARITY Bill, & Debating BitGo’s IPO | Weekly Roundup

    This week, we discuss Claude and the ongoing AI acceleration, AI’s impact on VC and SaaS, and the latest draft of the CLARITY Bill. We also dig into BitGo’s upcoming IPO, Polygon’s latest acquisitions, the Farcaster Sale, Larry Fink’s WEF comments, 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    -- Coinbase crypto-backed loans, powered by Morpho, enable you to take out loans at competitive rates using crypto as collateral. Rates are typically 4% to 8%. Borrow up to $5M using BTC as collateral and up to $1M using ETH as collateral. Manage crypto-backed loans directly in the Coinbase app with ease. Learn more here:  https://www.coinbase.com/onchain/borrow/get-started?utm_campaign=0126_defi-borrow_blockworks_empire&marketId=0x9103c3b4e834476c9a62ea009ba2c884ee42e94e6e314a26f04d312434191836&utm_source=empire  -- Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:55) Claude And The AI Acceleration (11:53) Leveraging Expertise, Competing Models & Company Structure (21:02) AI’s Impact On VC And SaaS (31:590 Ads (Coinbase) (32:44) Unpacking The CLARITY Bill (41:00) BitGo’s IPO (53:53) Polygon Acquisitions (01:00:47) Farcaster Sale & Decentralized Social (01:08:30) Larry Fink And 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.

    1h 18m
  5. JAN 21

    Quadrillions: How to Win the World | Chris Maurice

    In this episode, Chris Maurice, Co-founder & CEO of Yellow Card, joins us to explore how compliant crypto rails are reshaping everyday money movement across Africa. We dig into stablecoins as practical financial tools, the regulatory groundwork that makes them usable, and what it takes to build a pan-African fintech that can withstand FX volatility, fragmented payment systems, and shifting policy environments. -- Quadrillions brings together the voices defining the next era of finance. From institutional rails to stablecoins and privacy, the series dives into how traditional markets, crypto innovation, and regulatory frameworks are converging to bring the full force of capital markets onchain. Join hosts Jason Yanowitz, Yuval Rooz, and Eric Saraniecki for deep dives with special guests Shaul Kfir, Don Wilson, Mike Belshe, Justin Peterson, Acting Chair Caroline Pham, Eli Ben-Sasson, and more. Produced by Blockworks and Canton Network. For more information, check out https://quadrillionspod.com/ -- Follow Canton: https://x.com/CantonNetwork Follow Yellow Card: https://x.com/YellowCard_App Follow Chris: https://x.com/chrismaurice Follow Eric: https://x.com/wesarn_real Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (2:02) Crypto Adoption Worldwide (6:24) What's Blocking Dollar Demand? (9:28) Canton's Focus on Emerging Markets (12:39) Infrastructure Challenges (15:46) The Role of Stablecoins (19:23) L1 Activity and Self-Custody Trends (25:04) FX Challenges (37:15) Regulations in Africa (41:37) Emerging Markets in Crypto -- Disclaimer: “Quadrillions” is a mini-series produced by Blockworks, and is sponsored by Canton Network. Nothing on this show is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. It’s for informational purposes only, and the views expressed by anyone on the show are solely their opinions, not financial advice or necessarily the views of Blockworks. Our hosts, guests, and the Blockworks team may hold positions in companies, funds, or projects discussed, including those related to Canton Network.

    48 min
4.8
out of 5
164 Ratings

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.

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