Empire

4.8 (165)
INVESTING
UPDATED WEEKLY

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.

15H AGO

Big Tech Earnings, DeFi United and Pump Fun’s Token Burn

This week, we’re back with another weekly roundup to discuss the current state of markets during earnings season. As equities push to new all time highs on stronger than expected results, we take a closer look at Robinhood’s numbers, the DeFi United recovery fund, Pump.fun’s token burn announcement 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 -- This episode is brought to you by Fidelity Crypto. Learn more at https://Fidelity.com/crypto Fidelity Crypto was built in-house with over a dozen years of crypto experience. So you can trade crypto and stocks in one place at Fidelity, backed by industry-leading security. Fidelity Crypto. We're here to help you feel good about investing in crypto. Crypto is offered by Fidelity Digital Assets, NA, is not insured by FDIC or SIPC and includes risk of complete loss. Securities offered by Fidelity Brokerage Services, LLC. Member NYSE, SIPC. -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (04:00) Takeaways From Earnings (20:10) Fidelity Crypto Ad (20:45) Stablecoin Chains (24:28) State of The Market (30:12) The DeFi United Recovery Fund (42:04) Fidelity Crypto Ad (42:45) Pump Fun’s Token Burn (55:58) 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 3m
4D AGO

A Quantum Fork is Coming to Bitcoin | Alex Pruden & Philip Martin

This week, Alex Pruden & Philip Martin join the show to discuss Bitcoin's rising quantum threat. We deep dive into what is the risk from quantum, what to do with Satoshi's coins, will we see a Bitcoin fork, how does DeFi mitigate hacks, how to protect your privacy and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Alex: https://x.com/apruden08 Follow Philip: https://x.com/SecurityGuyPhil Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- This episode is brought to you by Fidelity Crypto. Learn more at https://Fidelity.com/crypto Fidelity Crypto was built in-house with over a dozen years of crypto experience. So you can trade crypto and stocks in one place at Fidelity, backed by industry-leading security. Fidelity Crypto. We're here to help you feel good about investing in crypto. Crypto is offered by Fidelity Digital Assets, NA, is not insured by FDIC or SIPC and includes risk of complete loss. Securities offered by Fidelity Brokerage Services, LLC. Member NYSE, SIPC. -- 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 (01:02) The Quantum Computing Risk (08:50) Bitcoin’s Quantum Risk (12:20) Fidelity Crypto Ad (12:55) What To Do With Satoshi’s Coins? (35:12) Fidelity Crypto Ad (35:52) The Biggest Threat to Bitcoin (38:35) How Does DeFi Mitigate Hacks? (46:27) Are Stablecoins At Risk To Quantum? (50:15) ZKsync Ad (50:49) How To Secure Your Privacy (54:57) What's The Timeline For Quantum? -- 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 5m
APR 24

DeFi’s Latest $290M Hack, Kalshi vs Polymarket & Will the Clarity Act Pass?

This week, we’re back with another weekly roundup to discuss the latest DeFi exploit of KelpDAO which saw $290M in funds exploited. We deep dive into how to resolve the recent exploits in DeFi, the rivalry between Kalshi and Polymarket, will the Clarity Act pass 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 -- This episode is brought to you by Fidelity Crypto. Learn more at https://Fidelity.com/crypto Fidelity Crypto was built in-house with over a dozen years of crypto experience. So you can trade crypto and stocks in one place at Fidelity, backed by industry-leading security. Fidelity Crypto. We're here to help you feel good about investing in crypto. Crypto is offered by Fidelity Digital Assets, NA, is not insured by FDIC or SIPC and includes risk of complete loss. Securities offered by Fidelity Brokerage Services, LLC. Member NYSE, SIPC. -- 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 (02:25) The Fallout From KelpDAOs Exploit (18:08) Fidelity Crypto Ad (18:43) Crypto Is At An Inflection Point (39:10) Fidelity Crypto Ad (39:51) Kalshi & Polymarket Push To Launch Perps (01:00:58) ZKsync Ad (01:01:33) Will The Clarity Act Pass? (01:04:53) What Is USDai? (01:09:52) 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 13m
APR 22

The Blockworks Vision

This week, Jason and Mippo sat down to discuss the Blockworks rebrand! They examine the trust problem in crypto, onchain capital markets, disclosure frameworks, industry consolidation, and Blockworks’ evolution over the years. Enjoy! – Follow Blockworks: https://x.com/blockworks Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Mike: https://twitter.com/MikeIppolito_ Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3R1D1D9 Subscribe on Apple: https://apple.co/3pQTfmD Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3cpKZXH Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (02:10) The Current State of Crypto (07:08) Crypto’s Trust Problem (09:12) Blockworks’ Solution (12:02) The Data Behind Tokens (17:11) Blockworks’ Evolution (25:00) Issues With Tokens (35:25) The Blockworks Rebrand (39:45) Crypto Sentiment (43:51) Closing Comments 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.

45 min
APR 20

Solana vs Hyperliquid, Why Ethereum Is Overvalued & Crypto In 2026 | Logan Jastremski

This week, Logan Jastremski joins the show to discuss his current crypto thesis in 2026. We deep dive into who wins the competition for onchain trading volume between Solana and Hyperliquid, are L1s overvalued, Logan's highest conviction bets in 2026 and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Logan: https://x.com/LoganJastremski Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz 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 (01:02) Logan’s Crypto Thesis in 2026 (05:30) Are L1s Overvalued? (16:02) Solana vs Hyperliquid (29:40) ZKsync Ad (30:15) Why Was Hyperliquid So Successful? (43:35) Opportunities In 2026 (50:35) The Tesla Thesis (56:54) Can Twitter Scale To A Finance Platform (01:02:20) Which Would You Own: BTC vs NVDA (01:05:28) 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.

1h 9m
APR 17

Markets Bounce Back, The Hyperliquid Thesis and Kraken Raises $200M

This week, we’re back with another weekly roundup to discuss the current state of markets as the S&P hits a new all time high. We then deep dive into Tether's $150M recovery plan for Drift, Kraken's $200M raise, the impact on Microstrategy's $STRC, why have L2s underperformed and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz 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 (03:11) State of The Market (12:40) The Hyperliquid Thesis (25:18) ZKsync Ad (25:52) Tether’s $150M Drift Recovery Plan (28:17) The SEC’s New DeFi Guidance (32:05) Microstrategy's $STRC (34:50) Kraken Raises $200M From Deutsche Börse (40:53) Why Have L2s Underperformed (53:19) 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.

58 min
APR 13

How To Make DeFi Great Again | Adrian Cachinero Vasiljevic & Luca Prosperi

This week, Adrian Cachinero Vasiljevic & Luca Prosperi join the show to discuss what's next for DeFi in 2026. We deep dive into why are rates so low in DeFi today, how to mitigate risk, the growth of stablecoins, the fallout from Drift's exploit, the opportunity for prediction markets and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Adrian: https://x.com/adcv_ Follow Luca: https://x.com/LucaProsperi Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- Referenced in the show: https://kitchen.steakhouse.financial/ # 68 | The Physics of On-Chain Lending (I): https://dirtroads.substack.com/p/68-the-physics-of-on-chain-lending?triedRedirect=true -- 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 (03:42) Why Are Rates in DeFi So Low? (16:32) The Physics of Onchain Lending (24:33) ZKsync Ad (25:16) The Biggest Risk In DeFi Today (52:58) What’s Next For DeFi In 2026 & Beyond? (01:02:18) How To Mitigate Risk In DeFi (01:09:43) Fallout From Drift’s $280M Exploit (01:15:15) Prediction Markets (01:19:52) What's Exciting In Crypto Today? -- 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 27m
APR 10

Why DeFi Is Unattractive, Claude Mythos and Cryptos's Biggest Winners

This week, we’re back with another weekly roundup to discuss the biggest problem within DeFi today. We then deep dive into Anthropic's announcement of Mythos, the state of crypto fundraising, the biggest winners in crypto today, are we buying the dip and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz 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 (03:32) Why Is DeFi Unattractive? (26:45) ZKsync, Blockworks IR (28:16) Anthropic Announces Mythos (49:46) What’s Happening In Crypto Fundraising? (57:34) The Biggest Winners in Crypto Today (01:04:45) Are We Buying The Dip? (01:13:35) 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.

1h 16m

See All (640)

4.8

out of 5

165 Ratings

Accessible, clear fun

02/17/2023

Losangelessunset

As someone serving brands in Web3, Empire is my favorite spot to learn and stay in the know. Yanowitz brings it!
1000x

01/22/2025

0010010

I wish 1000x had its own feed. Those guys are genuinely smart and insightful. The other shows on this feed are very broey and kind of just mid-curve.
It gives me hope as an investor

01/08/2025

Rscat

Regularly listening to Avi and whatever the other guys name is, knowing that not only do they remain confident to continue publishing content but also put their money into markets lets me know that there are market participants less sophisticated than I. I especially enjoy how they see their own conjecture as some sort of fundamental thesis. The only thing I enjoy more is how often they are wrong; I guess if you always call for a bottom you’ve got to nail it sometimes but I guess I missed those episodes. Special stuff here.
10/10 Listen

02/16/2023

Nick2187

One of the best crypto pods out there! Highly recommend for anyone interested in the space.