Empire - podcast cover

Empire

Blockworksblockworks.co
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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Episodes

Hivemind: Finding Crypto's Top, AI Selloff, and Navigating SOL's Unlock

In today's Hivemind episode Jose, Ceteris, Yan, and Duncan dive deep into three major narratives shaping crypto. They start with China's DeepSeek breakthrough, explore its ripple effects on AI token valuations and broader market sentiment. They then shift to an analysis of Solana's upcoming unlocks, breaking down timing, market impact, and why it might be over-indexed. Finally, they examine whether this cycle has peaked through the lens of Howard Marks' bubble indicators, discuss the rise of fun...

Jan 30, 202559 min

Why There Wont Be An Alt Season This Cycle | 1000x

This week, we discuss the fallout after the announcement of DeepSeek. We deep dive into the difference between fundamental vs technical sell offs, are altcoins cooked this cycle, Ethereum in 2025, the collapse of memes & more. Enjoy! -- Go follow the new 1000x feed to keep up to date with all new episodes! Spotify: https://blckwrks.co/3WADHnL Apple: https://blckwrks.co/4aEt5u0 -- Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman Follow Jonah: https://twitter.com/jvb_xyz Follow 1000x: https://twitter...

Jan 28, 202556 min

The Hidden Costs of USDC | Nathan McCauley & Charles Cascarilla

In today's episode Charles Cascarilla from Paxos and Nathan McCauley from Anchorage reveal why today's stablecoin giants keep billions in yield that could be flowing to users. They unpack USDG's approach through the Global Dollar Network, exploring why major companies might choose collaboration over competition. The conversation spans Tether's surprising resilience, USDC's challenging relationship with crypto builders, and bold predictions for stablecoin regulation and adoption in 2025. Thanks f...

Jan 27, 20251 hr 5 min

Trump Keeps Delivering on Crypto Promises | Roundup

This week's roundup covers Ross Ulbricht's pardon, Trump's executive order on digital assets, and the mounting pressure on the Ethereum Foundation. The conversation shifts to institutional adoption challenges, DeFi's user growth problems, and finishes with insights on crypto replacing traditional finance rails. To close out Jason and Santi analyze the surge in memecoin launches following Trump's memecoin token launch, debating whether it signals market euphoria. Thanks for tuning in! - - Help us...

Jan 24, 20251 hr 6 min

$TRUMP Takeaways | Livestream

In this episode of Empire we dissect the surprise launch of Trump's memecoin, which rocketed to a $70 billion market cap in just 24 hours. We also discuss the implications for crypto adoption, US regulatory landscape, and the future of American based DeFi. We also analyze Solana's performance during the surge, examine the subsequent Melania token launch, and debate the broader impact on crypto's market cycle. To close out we discuss the potential shifts in institutional perception and what this ...

Jan 22, 20251 hr 6 min

Picking Winners Post Trump Trade | 1000x

This week, we discuss the fallout over the weekend as Trump launched his meme coin. We deep dive into what this means for markets into 2025, what will benefit the most, how to pick winners coming out of this & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman Follow Jonah: https://twitter.com/jvb_xyz Follow 1000x: https://twitter.com/1000xPod Join the 1000x Telegram: https://t.me/+fz-2f0cwC6o0MWNh -- Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors Empire podcast....

Jan 21, 202543 min

The Real Strategy of Optimism's Superchain | Ben Jones & Ryan Wyatt

In today's episode Optimism co-founder Ben Jones and growth lead Ryan Wyatt discuss the Superchain vision. They explore how the OP Stack and Superchain are transforming Ethereum scaling through unprecedented collaboration between major players like Base, Coinbase, and Kraken. The conversation covers the strategic importance of interoperability, the role of open source development, and Optimism's innovative approach to building sustainable tokenomics and governance. Featuring candid insights abou...

Jan 20, 20251 hr 17 min

Crypto Needs Its iPhone Moment | James Zhang

In today's episode James Zhang joins the show to discuss the breakout year Jambo had after selling around 750,000 phones. We discuss why crypto needs to focus on go to market strategies, the killer use case for stablecoins, why mobile is so important & what to expect in 2025. Enjoy! - - Help us shape the future of Empire. Fill out our audience survey and give us your thoughts: https://empire-31ed59.beehiiv.com/forms/01a0ba12-61d0-4a12-a6c6-8bbcdb3b0060 Start your day with crypto news, analys...

Jan 18, 20251 hr 21 min

What's Wrong with Crypto Data (And How To Fix It) | Roundup

In today's episode Dan Smith, Head of Data at Blockworks, joins Empire to break down why traditional crypto metrics are flawed. The episode begins with analysis of recent crypto payment acquisitions and Trump's proposed US Token Reserve, before diving deep into blockchain metrics and why REV matters more than active addresses or TVL. Dan explains Solana's outperformance of Ethereum through the lens of network revenue, examines Base's dominance in the L2 landscape, and closes with insights on Mul...

Jan 17, 20251 hr 1 min

Hivemind: AI Frameworks, Bitcoin L2s, and Death of OG Memes

"The Delphi Digital Crew is back to dive into the current state of the crypto markets, exploring Bitcoin's recent price action and the potential impact of Trump's return to office. They then examine the evolving AI framework narrative in crypto, discussing why this sector could become a major bubble in 2025. The conversation shifts to an analysis of Bitcoin Layer 2 solutions and their potential, particularly with OPCAT on the horizon. Finally, the team discusess the changing dynamics of market s...

Jan 16, 20251 hr 4 min

Has This Cycle Peaked? | 1000x

This week, we discuss the current state of the market as macro uncertainty leaves everyone worried about what's next for crypto. We deep dive into SUI & the L1 trade, Hyperliquid, what will perform in the next leg of the bull market, crypto's KOL problem & where to find opportunity during a correction. Enjoy! -- Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman Follow Jonah: https://twitter.com/jvb_xyz Follow 1000x: https://twitter.com/1000xPod Join the 1000x Telegram: https://t.me/+fz-2f0cwC6o0...

Jan 14, 202549 min

Binance's CEO on the New Binance Vision | Richard Teng

In today's episode Binance CEO Richard Teng joins Jason and Santi to dive behind the scenes of the world's largest crypto exchange. Richard reveals the untold story of how CZ recruited him, shares what it was like taking over during the $4.3B regulatory settlement, and explains how Binance maintains its aggressive edge while becoming the most regulated crypto exchange globally. They then explore their stringent listing process, geographic expansion strategy, views on DeFi vs CeFi, and what US po...

Jan 13, 202551 min

The US is NOT selling $6.5B Bitcoin | Aidan Larkin, Asset Reality

In this week's roundup Jason and Santi tackle the week's biggest story - claims about the US government selling $6.5B in Bitcoin. Joined by Asset Reality CEO Aidan Larkin, they unpack how government crypto seizures actually work. The discussion expands into why crypto has transformed asset recovery compared to traditional finance, with insights into KYC/AML and real-world asset seizure cases. Thanks for tuning in! Chat with us in our new telegram: https://t.co/uvyS3SSdUn - - Start your day with ...

Jan 10, 20251 hr 10 min

Our 2025 Predictions

In today's episode Jason and Santi evaluate their 2024 predictions, from successful calls on Solana's growth to misses on NFTs and explosion of restaking products. They then move on to their predictions for 2025, forecasting major L1 chain differentiation, explosive stablecoin adoption driven by banks and tech companies, Bitcoin reaching $150K with potential strategic reserves, and traditional companies being acquired by crypto firms. They also predict AI's growing influence on crypto markets, w...

Jan 06, 20251 hr 21 min

Trading Crypto's AI Moment In 2025 | 1000x

Happy new year! This week, we discuss the current state of the market as we head into 2025. We deep dive into crypto's AI trade, the alt L1 narrative, trading trending markets vs technical analysis, what to expect in 2025 & much more. Enjoy! -- Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman Follow Jonah: https://twitter.com/jvb_xyz Follow 1000x: https://twitter.com/1000xPod Join the 1000x Telegram: https://t.me/+fz-2f0cwC6o0MWNh -- Definitive is a multichain trading platform used by top funds, DA...

Jan 06, 202536 min

Hivemind: Crypto's 2024 Winners & Losers, Bitcoin's 2025 Price Target, and AI Agent Mania

In today's episode Jose, Ceteris, Yan, and Jason break down the year's biggest winners (Bitcoin, AI) and losers (Ethereum, L2s), covering the best founders, best investors, and top-performing sectors. The conversation then covers their 2025 predictions, making their Bitcoin price targets, crypto market cap expectations, and why AI might be the most explosive narrative. Wrapped up with wild predictions about agent swarms, crypto payments, and the future of decentralized blockchains. Thanks for tu...

Jan 04, 20251 hr 35 min

Inside AI's GPU Economy & Infrastructure Boom | Sam Hogan, Kuzco

In today's episode Kuzco founder Sam Hogan explores AI's major infrastructure shift, explaining why inference computing is set to dominate 99% of AI compute within five years. He details how Kuzco is building a global marketplace for idle GPU power, leveraging crypto for payments and verification. The conversation evolves from technical infrastructure to the emergence of AI agents, their potential impacts, and concludes with insights on preserving human value and authentic connections in an incr...

Jan 03, 20251 hr 6 min

ETH's Modular Bet Will Work | Alex Botte & Alexander Pack

In today's episode Alex Botte and Alexander Pack from Hack VC break down Ethereum's controversial shift from monolithic to modular. Starting with ETH's foundational decision to embrace L2s, they analyze the four key impacts on price, token value distribution, market share, and future adaptability. The discussion explores parallels with AWS, debates "ETH as money," and examines Solana's coming challenges with modularity. They close with predictions on which L1s and L2s will dominate in 2025, offe...

Dec 30, 20241 hr 13 min

Is The Bottom In For Alts? | 1000x

Gm! This week, we discuss the market dump, the Fed, a Bitcoin Strategic Reserve, how to approach dip buying, Hyperliquid, AI agents, and much more! Enjoy -- Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman Follow Jonah: https://twitter.com/jvb_xyz Follow 1000x: https://twitter.com/1000xPod Join the 1000x Telegram: https://t.me/+fz-2f0cwC6o0MWNh -- Definitive is a multichain trading platform used by top funds, DAOs and pro traders. Get the best trade execution for every token on every chain, with your o...

Dec 23, 20241 hr 3 min

Investing in Crypto's Next App Wave with 6th Man Ventures | Mike Dudas & Carl Vogel

In today's episode Mike Dudas and Carl Vogel of 6th Man Ventures join Jason to unpack their fund's strategy heading into 2025. They dive deep into their investment thesis across various sectors including DePin, AI, and consumer applications. The discussion explores the evolving landscape of token economies, the future of crypto venture capital, and their controversial takes on industry giants like Coinbase. They close out by highlighting the growing intersection of social media with financial ap...

Dec 23, 20241 hr 11 min

Luca Netz on the Pudgy Penguin Airdrop | Roundup

In this week's roundup we are joined buy Pudgy Penguins founder Luca Netz to unpack the recent Pengu token launch. He shares the journey from surviving the bear market with just $500k in the bank to becoming a global brand in Walmart, and explains why Pudgy Penguins is positioned to become crypto's first consumer conglomerate. The conversation delves into the challenges of fundraising for IP projects, strategic decisions around launching on Solana versus Abstract L2, and how the project aims to ...

Dec 20, 20241 hr 6 min

Hivemind: Bitcoin's 2025 Momentum, AI Agent Platform Wars, and Liquid vs Private Markets

The Hivemind team dives into crypto's hottest narratives heading into 2025. They kick off with their expectations of Bitcoin heading into January and debate the odds of Trump's strategic reserve move. The team then unpacks the emerging AI agent ecosystem, debating whether platform tokens like Virtuals will outperform individual agents, before concluding an analysis of the merits of early-stage investing through platforms like Echo and Legion versus staying liquid in the current market cycle. Tha...

Dec 19, 20241 hr 13 min

Welcome To The Banana Zone | 1000x

Gm! This week, after a week off, we discuss Bitcoin breaking $100k! We deep dive into crypto’s 2025 cycle top, the Michael Saylor BTC bid, the rise of AI agents, the rotation to alt’s & what to expect in 2025. Enjoy! -- Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman Follow Jonah: https://twitter.com/jvb_xyz Follow 1000x: https://twitter.com/1000xPod Join the 1000x Telegram: https://t.me/+fz-2f0cwC6o0MWNh -- Definitive is a multichain trading platform used by top funds, DAOs and pro traders. Get t...

Dec 17, 20241 hr 7 min

Building a Crypto Portfolio for 2025 | Dan Matuszewski & Roshun Patel

In today's episode Dan from CMS and Ro from Hack join us to explore what's truly different about this crypto cycle and what patterns are destined to repeat. We examined the notable absence of credit markets compared to previous cycles and investigated why leverage hasn't built up in the system this time around. We unpacked the evolving L1 landscape, debated token distribution models, and analyzed the return of "hot money" flowing through various sectors from memecoins to NFTs. We closed out by d...

Dec 17, 20241 hr 18 min

Movement Labs' Token Launch & Ecosystem Strategy | Rushi Manche

In today's episode Rushi from Movement Labs joins us right after their token launch to discuss what actually happens behind the scenes when launching a token in today's market. They cover the realities of working with exchanges, market makers, and dealing with the immense pressure founders face. We explore Movement's vision for bringing Web2 companies into crypto, why the next four years are critical for the industry, and how to grow from 30 million to 100 million real crypto users. Thanks for t...

Dec 13, 20241 hr 8 min

Inside the Hidden Power Struggles of Bitcoin Upgrades | Steve Lee & Ren

In today's episode Steve Lee and Ren break down their latest research paper on Bitcoin's consensus mechanism and power dynamics. They analyze the six key stakeholder groups that influence Bitcoin's future and discuss why covenants could trigger the next major chain split. The conversation then explores the unique powers of self-custody Bitcoin holders, the growing influence of ETFs, and why application developers might push for contentious changes in 2025. Thanks for tuning in! https://github.co...

Dec 10, 20241 hr 22 min

Hivemind: BTC's $100K Run, Ethena's Yield Meta, and Our Bull Market Bets

The Hivemind team unpacks Bitcoin hitting $100k, from strategic reserves to market psychology. They explore the importance of conviction over FOMO and the challenges of narrative rotation. Jose and Yan breakdown Ethena's yield mechanisms and their impact on the broader DeFi landscape taking center stage. The episode wraps with a discussion about the realness of AI innovation in crypto. Thanks for tuning in! Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross and David Canellis...

Dec 07, 20241 hr 17 min

Timing Cycle Tops, AI Narrative Trade, and Bitcoin's Nation-State Adoption | Qiao Wang

In today's episode Qiao joins us to check in on the current stage of the crypto market cycle. Qiao shares why the lack of celebration signals a fundamental shift in market psychology as evidence by the rampant growth of AI and memes. The conversation then explores how BRICS nations may be secretly accumulating Bitcoin ahead of US policy changes, and why March 2024 could mark a local top. Qiao breaks down why AI agents in crypto are primarily a narrative trade for now, and explains how Hyperliqui...

Dec 06, 202456 min

How To Trade This Cycle | 1000x

Gm! This week, we discuss how to trade the current market regime as the alt roulette wheel spins. While Bitcoin consolidates just below $100k, we deep dive into the return of dino coins, trading in the trenches, how to play crypto's trickle down wealth effect, the impact of Microstrategy & much more. Enjoy! -- Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman Follow Jonah: https://twitter.com/jvb_xyz Follow 1000x: https://twitter.com/1000xPod Join the 1000x Telegram: https://t.me/+fz-2f0cwC6o0MWNh -...

Dec 04, 202455 min

Did Memecoins Ruin This Cycle? | Haseeb & Avichal

In today's episode Haseeb and Avichal return to Empire for a deep dive into the current state of the crypto market cycle. They debate whether we're heading toward a massive bubble or a more mature market phase. They also discuss the growing competition from Solana in the L1 sector. Then Haseeb and Avichal also dissect the impact of memecoins on crypto adoption, debate the real value of network effects, and analyze how Trump's potential election could reshape crypto's regulatory landscape. The ep...

Dec 03, 20241 hr 29 min
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