Empire

In this episode, Keone from Monad and Zon from Initia to discuss the spectrum between modular and integrated blockchain designs. They explore the tradeoffs in decentralization, performance and scalability between the two approaches. They explore AppChains, rollups, composability challenges in modular systems, EVM compatibility, and when to scale blockchains horizontally vs vertically. To close out...

In this episode, Santi and Jason sit down with Omar and Nick from SecondLane and Evgeny from Wintermute to dive deep into the underbelly of crypto token markets. They explore the lifecycle of a token from seed rounds to secondary markets to public trading, discussing the critical role of market makers, the impact of token unlocks, and the evolving sophistication of crypto funds. The group also exa...

Gm! Just as everyone was max bearish ETH... BOOM! ETF approval. In this episode we discuss the ETH comeback trade, our previous $ETHE position, picking winners vs losers in this cycle, finding the next great trade & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman Follow Jonah: https://twitter.com/jvb_xyz Follow 1000x: https://twitter.com/1000xPod Get top market insights and the latest in...

In this episode, Jason and Santi analyze the surprising political shifts in the US. From Trump's vocal support of Bitcoin to Biden's increasing crypto industry outreach, they break down the regulatory changes making the US friendly to crypto again. They also unpack the latest celebrity memecoin craze and get a sneak peek of Permissionless 2024. Thanks for tuning in! - - Start your day with crypto...

In this episode, we sit down with Jay, co-founder of Sei Labs, to discuss the future of parallelized EVMs and Sei's approach to building a supercharged EVM. Jay shares his insights on the tradeoffs between decentralization and efficiency, the importance of shipping products quickly versus pursuing research, and how Sei is tackling these challenges with their upcoming V2 launch. He also dives into...

In this episode, Jason is joined by Quinn Thompson dive deep into the game-changing news of a potential Ethereum ETF approval. They discuss the implications for macro and crypto markets, ETH/BTC dynamics, and major players like Coinbase. The conversation also explores the fascinating shift in US politics around crypto, driven by electoral considerations, and what a Trump vs. Biden race could mean...

In this episode, Kain Warwick, the founder of Infinex, shares his lessons learned from building in crypto. He delves into the founder's dilemma of balancing innovation with simplicity, discussing the pitfalls of overcomplicating projects and the importance of iterative development. Kain also shares his experiences with token launches, incentive design, and regulatory challenges. To close out, Kain...

In this episode, Anand and Niraj dive deep into the exciting intersection of AI and crypto. They explore why now is the time for these two technologies to converge, the problems decentralized AI aims to solve, and the potential for AI agents to drive unprecedented onchain transaction volume. The discussion covers key projects in the space like BitTensor and Io Net, how blockchain data could be lev...

In this episode, Santi and Jason discuss the SAB-121 vote with Blockworks' Senior Reporter Casey Wagner, unpacking its bipartisan political support and huge implications for crypto. They cover the DOJ's charges in the $25M MEV boost exploit, the resurgence of meme stock mania with GameStop, and the ongoing Pump. Fun exploit drama. Santi shares his framework for valuing L1 and L2 blockchains based...

This week we discuss is it time to be bullish or bearish? As markets continue to chop sideways, we discuss how now is the time to consolidate your portfolio into high conviction bets & what to expect in the coming weeks on the back of a bullish CPI print that gave resurgence to an otherwise sleepy market. Enjoy! -- Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman Follow Jonah: https://twitter.com/jvb_xyz...

In today's episode Jason is joined by Arthur of DeFiance Capital and Sean of Fintech Collective. They kick off the episode by discussing the current state of token launches, highlighting the unsustainable model of low float and high fully diluted valuations that often leave retail investors at a disadvantage. They explore the challenges in accurately valuing crypto assets and the need for better a...

In this episode, Santi and Yano kick off the episode by discussing the market's choppy consolidation period and comparing it to previous cycles. They delve into the emergence of social finance apps like Fantasy and Pump Dot Fun, and explore the dynamics of high FDV, low float tokens and the role of VCs in the industry. Santi then breaks down his Coinbase and Solana trades. To close out they touch...

In this episode, we sit down with Bill Barhydt, CEO and founder of Abra, to discuss the company's journey through the crypto lending crash and their groundbreaking SEC approval as a registered investment advisor. Bill shares insights on the benefits of separately managed accounts (SMAs) in the crypto space and how they differ from the pooled funds model that led to the downfall of many crypto lend...

In this episode, Jason is joined by Dave Ripley, CEO of Kraken. They discuss the challenges and opportunities of operating a major crypto exchange over the past year. Dave dives into Kraken's focus on professional traders, their expansion into retail markets, and the importance of building a bridge between traditional finance and the crypto ecosystem. Dave also shares insights on navigating market...

In this episode, Santi is joined by Neil, head of ecosystem at Aptos, and Rushi, founder of Movement Labs, to discuss the Aptos ecosystem and the Move programming language. They dive into the unique features and benefits of Move, the importance of security in blockchain development, and the collaborative efforts to grow the Move ecosystem. Neil and Rushi also share insights on the impressive growt...

This week we discuss is it time to buy the dip? After calling the local top at $70k, is the setup more bullish now for a continued bull market post halving? We deep dive into the bull case for ETH, finding the next big trade, structuring a trade & finding alpha. Enjoy! -- Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman Follow Jonah: https://twitter.com/jvb_xyz Follow 1000x: https://twitter.com/1000xPod...

In this episode, Santi & Jason talk with Avi and Ro about the current state of the crypto market cycle in both private and liquid markets. They discuss Avi's "bearish" outlook driven by diminishing ETF inflows and stablecoin market caps, Ro's perspective on crywpto venture investing, and how this cycle compares to the last one. The conversation dives into the Solana IOUs auction, the upcoming Ethe...

In this episode of Empire, Jason and Santi are joined by special guest Kyle Samani to dive deep into valuing L1 and L2 crypto assets. The conversation covers the importance of MEV as the primary value accrual mechanism rather than transaction fees, the challenges in standardizing valuations across different blockchain architectures, and the evolving fee market designs. They also discuss the true c...

In this deep dive episode, Brandon Curtis (Rio), Myles O'Neil (Reverie), and Ryan West (Blockworks Research) unpack the emerging world of restaking on Ethereum. The conversation starts with a detailed look at the restaking supply chain, from ETH deposits in LRTs to securing AVSs. The group discusses the key differences between LRTs and LSTs, yield strategies, and fragmented user preferences. They...

In this episode, Jason sits down with Jake Brukhman and Seth Ginns, co-founders and managing partners at CoinFund. They dive deep into CoinFund's origin story, investment philosophy, and how the firm navigates the complex landscape of liquid and venture investing in the crypto space. Jake and Seth share their insights on the current crypto market cycle, drawing comparisons to previous cycles and d...

This week we discuss the current state of crypto after the weekend flash crash. As Bitcoin struggles to break $70,000 with conviction, will the 2024 halving be a strong catalyst for more bullish price action going forward? We also walk through some of crypto's most promising use cases: Ondo, Hyperliquid & Ethena. Enjoy! -- Follow Avi: https://twitter.com/AviFelman Follow Jonah: https://twitter.com...

In this episode, Steven Goldfeder, co-founder of Offchain Labs, dives deep into the world of Layer 3 blockchains and their potential to revolutionize Ethereum scaling. The discussion covers the benefits of building on Arbitrum's customizable L3 stack, including reduced onboarding costs and improved data availability. Steven also explores the importance of fraud proofs in ensuring the security of L...

In this roundup, Santi and Jason dive into the implications of Uniswap receiving a Wells notice from the SEC and the departure drama at MarginFi. The conversation then shifts to the upcoming Bitcoin halving, and the potential price implications. They also discuss the launch of Karak, a new universal restaking protocol, and compare its approach to Eigen Layer. Finally, they break down the significa...

In this episode, Matt and Amine, co-founders of Arch, discuss how the Taproot upgrade and Ordinals have enabled programmability and DeFi on the Bitcoin base layer. They explain Arch's novel approach to bringing smart contract functionality to Bitcoin without compromising on security by using a UTXO model, a ZKVM for parallel transaction execution, and a Proof-of-Stake verifier network. Stay tuned...

Subscribe to the Empire Newsletter! https://empire-31ed59.beehiiv.com/subscribe In this week's roundup Jason and Santi dive into the latest developments in the crypto space, including the Wormhole and Ethena airdrop, the resurgence of meme coins, and the debate around L3s. They discuss the risks and centralization issues with current L2s, the overlooked opportunities in crypto public markets, and...