In this episode of Empire, Emin Gün Sirer and John Wu explain why Avalanche is the most scalable, decentralized L1. We start with why developers choose Avalanche, then quickly transition into the L2 debate. Emin explains why Subnets are superior and how the L2 vision and L2 reality are miles apart. We also talk about Avalanche's consensus engine, business development, the multichain future and more! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:01) Avalanche’s Core Thesis (04:17) Why Build on Avalanc...
Jan 16, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Season 1Ep. 162
In today’s episode of Empire, we discuss the upcoming Shanghai upgrade and Lido's liquid staking monopoly. What will happen to stake rates once withdrawals are enabled? Will LSD providers steal market share from Lido? We also discuss Genesis' terrible GBTC trade, why we're feeling optimistic, FTX recovering $5B, Japan's most popular blockchain and how people still underestimate the power of BD in crypto (e.g. the Avalanche AWS partnership)! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:21) Crypto Con...
Jan 13, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 161
In this episode of Empire, Colleen Sullivan and Peter Johnson join us to discuss their predictions for 2023. We cover the future of NFTs, gaming, trading infrastructure, stablecoins, regulation, AppChains and more! This episode is packed with insights from two top VCs in crypto - you won't want to miss it. - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:04) Why Choose Optimism (04:22) Stablecoin Volumes Will Surpass Visa Volumes (11:59) Brands, NFTs and Polygon's Lead (25:31) Gaming Studios Will Integr...
Jan 09, 2023•1 hr 37 min•Season 1Ep. 160
In today’s episode of Empire, Santi and Jason go full Michael Scott by hosting the Annual Empire Awards. We discuss our favorite projects of 2022, our wildest predictions, the most overhyped section of crypto, the best unsexy ideas and so much more! We then get personal by discussing our worst investment in 2022, our best/worst new habits, our favorite app and our personal goals for 2023. Don't miss this one - it's one of my favorites yet. - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (04:08) Biggest Men...
Jan 06, 2023•1 hr 40 min•Season 1Ep. 159
In today’s episode of Empire, we bring on Mike and Mark from On The Margin to discuss our 2023 crypto thesis. We debate predictions on the Wallet Wars, ETH vs Bitcoin, the rise of insurance, app-specific vertical integration, the adoption of CBDCs, Coinbase vs DEXs, MEV as a business model and more! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (02:14) Crypto’s 2022 Wrapped (11:52) The Bottom is in for Crypto, not for Equities (19:35) Kings of Spot & NFT Trading Will Lose Market Share (22:44) Stablec...
Dec 26, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 158
In today’s episode of Empire, we explore the state of the crypto market. We discuss where we are in the market cycle, the investment landscape, why 2023 could be a blood bath for crypto startups and why there's reason to be optimistic. You don’t want to miss this section. We then talk through Visa’s new payments deployment on Starknet, the power of account abstraction, Yuga Labs’ big hire, DCG’s outlook, the evolving media landscape and more! - - Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Fo...
Dec 23, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Season 1Ep. 157
In this episode of Empire, Simon Jones joins us to discuss DeFi's interest rate opportunity. A year ago, DeFi's meme was, "Why earn .01% in your bank account when you can earn 20%+ in DeFi". Fast forward to today, and TradFi offers higher yields than DeFi. Did we get rugged, or what's the new opportunity? Tune in as we explore the correlation between TradFi and DeFi rates, DeFi's low cost-of-capital opportunity, the efficiency of market-driven protocols, importing TradFi yields on-chain and more...
Dec 19, 2022•46 min•Season 1Ep. 156
In this episode of Empire, Jason is joined by Avi Felman and Jonah Van Bourg to discuss their new podcast 1000x and the state of crypto markets. Avi and Jonah explain their trading mindset, how to evaluate the buyers/sellers in the market, crypto's investment cycle, how catastrophe creates opportunity and more! A new 1000x episode will drop on Empire's RSS feed and the 1000x YouTube channel every two weeks. Links below! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:07) 1000x Podcast Launch (04:33) Ma...
Dec 16, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 155
Blockworks just released a new podcast called 1000x! We're dropping the first episode here as we think you might want to add this podcast to the lineup. 1000x is a crypto markets podcast hosted by professional traders Avi Felman and Jonah Van Bourg that dives deep into the macro and micro factors that represent the lifeblood of digital money and web3. In this episode, Avi and Jonah discuss how to think like a crypto trader. They explore how today's market compares to the 2018 bear, where to look...
Dec 15, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 154
In this episode of Empire, Rob Behnke and Steve Walbroehl join us to discuss the state of Web3 security. When code equals money, security is everything. Rob and Steve explain the concept of blockchain cybersecurity, transactional-level audits, bridge hacks, crypto-native insurance and more. With over $2B in crypto hacks this year, this episode is worth everyone's time! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:30) Halborn, Cybersecurity For Web3 (12:17) The State Of Web3 Security (17:45) Are Smar...
Dec 12, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 153
In this episode of Empire, we start with a 25-minute interview with Adam Brotman, the creator of Starbucks Rewards, to discuss why he believes every company will adopt an NFT strategy. We discuss his partnership with Starbucks, NFTs as the ultimate loyalty product and what OG crypto fans get wrong about NFTs. After this interview, we do something a bit different. Instead of our usual roundup, we dropped one of our favorite episodes from a new Blockworks show called 0xResearch. It's an episode wi...
Dec 09, 2022•1 hr 29 min•Season 1Ep. 154
In this episode of Empire, Anatoly Yakovenko and Ben Sparango join us to discuss Solana's future in the aftermath of FTX. SBF and FTX were core investors and contributors to the Solana ecosystem. How did Solana get so intertwined with FTX? How bad was Solana damaged as a result? How will Solana recover? These are just a few of the questions we explore. We then dive into Solana's roadmap and discuss Solana's new local fee market, network outages, decentralization worries, monolithic chains vs rol...
Dec 05, 2022•1 hr 34 min•Season 1Ep. 152
In this episode of Empire, Jason and Santi discuss SBF's interview with The New York Times and his attempt to avoid all liability. We then discuss BlockFi's bankruptcy, Uniswap's new NFT marketplace, Apple banning NFT transfers on Coinbase, Bitcoin's colossal problem and more! This is the one weekly podcast you won't want to miss. - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (05:00) SBF Played Us (17:00) BlockFi Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy (27:00) Permissionless Tickets Are On Sale! (28:40) Uniswap ...
Dec 02, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 151
In this episode of Empire, Thomas Braziel joins us to discuss the highly lucrative yet misunderstood world of distressed crypto investing. We start with the basics of how distressed asset investing works; then, we explore the Mt. Gox bankruptcy, how to value bankruptcy claims, what's next for FTX, the tokenization of bankruptcy claims and more! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:57) What Is Distressed Asset Investing? (04:49) Mt. Gox Case Explained (19:26) Circle Ad (21:08) Finding Investm...
Nov 28, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 150
In this episode of Empire's Weekly Roundup, we bring on Nic Carter to discuss if Genesis and DCG can fix their liquidity issues and avoid bankruptcy. We explore how Genesis overextended its books with asset-liability duration mismatches, how FTX's fallout exposed the DCG Empire and what to expect next. Nic then walks us through his framework on institutional adoption, Bitcoin's long-term outlook, proof-of-reserves and more! -- Timestamps (00:00) Introduction (00:58) Genesis Meltdown Exposes DCG ...
Nov 25, 2022•59 min•Season 1Ep. 149
In this episode of Empire, Arthur_0x, the founder of Defiance Capital, joins us to discuss the fallout from FTX's collapse. Arthur is a DeFi OG with a unique perspective on market dynamics and ecosystem-wide liquidations. His fund was directly impacted by the 3AC meltdown, giving Arthur a front-row seat to the complexities of liquidations and contagion. We discuss Alameda's outsized contagion risk, why this might be the most complex liquidation in history, the damage to the Solana ecosystem, pri...
Nov 21, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 148
Genesis, crypto's largest lender, just froze withdrawals and new loan orginations. Would a Genesis collapse have wider impacts than FTX's demise? Genesis sits at the direct center of crypto capital markets. They custody funds. They help institutions earn yield. They are the yield product for CeFi platforms. Genesis touches almost everything... We bring on foobar to discuss! Note: A spokesperson at Anchorage (mentioned in the ep), shared this great update: "Anchorage Digital does not lend or repu...
Nov 16, 2022•1 hr 9 min
In this episode of Empire, Kristin Smith and Jake Chervinsky join us to discuss how FTX's collapse will impact crypto regulation. SBF was the poster child of crypto in D.C. - how will his fallout damage crypto's reputation? Did regulators fail consumers, and how will they respond? What are the shortcomings of the DCCPA bill? How important are the political midterms, and what is happening in the securities vs commodities debate? Tune in to find out! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:54) SB...
Nov 15, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 146
In this episode of Empire, Avichal Garg Founder of Electric Capital and Haseeb Qureshi Managing Partner at Dragonfly Capital join the show to discuss the fallout of FTX. Avichal and Haseeb discuss the structure between FTX and Alameda Research, looking behind the curtain into how intertwined the two entities were. We then go on to discuss the potential contagion between large CeFi companies in crypto who could have exposure to FTX and Alemeda. To hear all this and more, you'll have to tune in! -...
Nov 12, 2022•48 min•Season 1Ep. 145
Binance is considering acquiring FTX. I never thought I'd type those words. What just happened? How did FTX go from a market-leading exchange to near insolvency? Is there contagion risk, and how will regulators respond? Tune in to find out! - - Follow Vance: https://twitter.com/pythianism Follow Michael: https://twitter.com/im_manderson Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel Follow Mike: https://twitter.com/MikeIppolito_ Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: http...
Nov 09, 2022•1 hr 28 min•Season 1Ep. 144
In this episode of Empire, Arianna Simpson and Ali Yahya join to discuss a16z's crypto thesis. We start with Ali's network flywheel framework, the future of interoperability and protocol value capture. Do protocols have moats? Is the L1 trade over? Will applications accrue an outsized share of crypto's value? We then discuss DAO governance, music NFTs, zero-knowledge proofs and crypto's open design space. This is one of those can't-miss episodes! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (01:14) Crypto's Ne...
Nov 07, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 143
In this episode of Empire's Weekly Roundup, we bring on Matthew Blumberg and Byron Gilliam to discuss how J.P. Morgan - the largest bank in the US - just made history. What happened? J.P. Morgan executed their first trade on a public blockchain (sup Polygon) using an Aave Arc clone. Tune in to find out what happened, why J.P. Morgan chose Polygon, how enterprise crypto adoption will likely play out and more! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:42) JP Morgan’s Aave Trade, What Happened? (10:...
Nov 04, 2022•43 min•Season 1Ep. 142
In this episode of Empire, Santi is joined by Steven Goldfeder and Raul Jordan to discuss the Prsymatic Labs acquisition and the future of Arbitrum. We cover Arbitrum's approach to state growth, AnyTrust chains, developer usability, ZK tech and more. And trust me, Steven's take on enterprises leveraging crypto is worth staying until the end! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (03:57) Arbitrum Acquires Prysmatic Labs (09:04) Monetizing Open Source & Building For Ethereum (17:29) State Growt...
Oct 31, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 141
In this episode of Empire's Weekly Roundup, we discuss Reddit embracing NFTs, Apple's new NFT policy, the future of stablecoins (FedCoin?), Elon's Twitter takeover and more. Tune in for the spiciest stories and takes of the week! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:41) Tech Stocks, VR & Elon Twitter Takeover (14:25) Apple’s NFT Announcement, Bullish? (23:17) Reddit Brings NFTs To $3M+ Users (29:33) What Makes Crypto Special (36:57) FTX Stablecoin Rumors & FedCoin Talk (48:14) Solana Virtua...
Oct 28, 2022•51 min•Season 1Ep. 142
In this episode of Empire, Santi is joined by Zack Skelly and Aurora Harshner to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the Web3 talent market. How should employees and companies think about token compensation? Is compensation transparency an opportunity or a liability? How can we bring more talent to crypto? And what should you think about when joining a Web3 company? Tune in for these answers and more! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (04:23) Crypto's Talent Pool (13:40) What Position...
Oct 24, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Season 1Ep. 139
In this episode of Empire's Weekly Roundup, we discuss the highly contentious launch of Aptos, a new L1 blockchain marketing 160K+ TPS. We debate the bull vs bear case for Aptos and ask, "Do we need another L1 blockchain?". We then discuss SBF's new article on crypto regulation, why data availability matters, Binance voting on behalf of users, AI in crypto and more! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (10:55) Aptos L1, Bull vs Bear (17:33) SBF & Crypto Regulation (29:44) Binance Voting on U...
Oct 21, 2022•56 min•Season 1Ep. 138
In this episode of Empire, Jason and Santi are joined by Meltem Demirors to discuss the creation and monetization of culture. We explore how culture is already monetized today, just indirectly, and that crypto-based market microstructure will be the catalyst for the fusion of a new culture-meets-capital paradigm. Where is the market shifting today, and what are the biggest opportunities ahead? Trust me, this is a must-listen if you are interested in NFTs, financial markets or the creation of cul...
Oct 17, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 137
In this episode of Empire's Weekly Roundup, Jason and Santi share their thoughts on the state of the market, the endless hacks in crypto and a few of the latest innovations. Santi gives his unique private-market insights, Jason gives a behind-the-scenes look at Blockworks, and the duo discuss the biggest story of the week: the Binance and Mango Markets Exploit. We then discuss the 3 big ZK-rollup announcements (scaling season?), Arbitrum's acquisition, and more! - - Timestamps: (00:00) Introduct...
Oct 14, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 136
In this episode of Empire, Jason is joined by Michelle Bailhe Fradin, Partner at Sequoia for a wide ranging discussion on venture capital in crypto. Michelle shares her thoughts on the fat protocol thesis, how infrastructure development is necessary for application growth, changing business models during a bear market and what the biggest opportunities for growth are in this environment. To hear all of this and more, you'll have to tune in! -- Follow Michelle: https://twitter.com/michellebailhe ...
Oct 10, 2022•59 min•Season 1Ep. 135
In this episode of Empire's Weekly Roundup, we discuss one area of the market many aren’t paying attention to, private order flow (POF). As well as POF, Sushiswap announced a new head chef, MakerDAO plans to invest $500M in US treasurys and many VCs are looking to gaming for the next big opportunity in crypto? To hear all this and more, you’ll have to tune in! -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (01:30) Sushiswap Brings In A New Head Chef (15:38) Uniswap & The App-Chain Thesis (28:15) Privat...
Oct 07, 2022•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 135
