Empire

In today's episode of Empire Santi and Jason discuss the bombshell news of Binance pleading guilty and paying over $4 billion in fines related to money laundering violations. They analyze the implications for Coinbase, DeFi, and institutional adoption. They then shift gears to the controversial launch of L2 platform Blast and its native yield offerings. This takes the duo into a deep discussion of...

Follow 1000x On Spotify: https://spoti.fi/45htDli Follow 1000x On Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3Kz0Bpw Follow 1000x On YouTube: https://bit.ly/3DNc5C6 -- Happy thanksgiving! On today's episode of 1000x, Ansem joins the show for a discussion on trading crypto cycles. We deep dive into Ansem's introduction to crypto, the Solana thesis & where we are in the cycle right now. To hear all this & mor...

In today's episode of Empire, Kane Warwick returns to unpack Synthetix V3, the design thinking behind Infinex, and the challenges of decentralized governance. We explore funding rates, arbitrage opportunities, and what it will take to bring the DeFi trading experience to parity with centralized exchanges. Kane also provides his philosophical views on building in public, the societal benefits of op...

In today's episode of Empire Santi and Jason discuss the current crypto market conditions, reflecting on whether the recent rally signals the start of a new bull market or just a temporary surge. The duo reveals the indicators they pay attention to like Bitcoin stability, altcoin movement, and stablecoin inflows to assess the health of the market. Sharing personal experiences, Santi shares his por...

In this episode of Empire, Joe McCann, founder of Asymmetric, shares why he believes Solana offers unique technical architecture that enables new types of web3 applications not possible on Ethereum. He explains why he thinks Solana's scalability offers a better developer experience compared to building on Ethereum L2s. McCann dives into macro trends, analyzing market flows to evaluate if the recen...

In this week's roundup, the Michael power duo from the Bell Curve podcast team dive into the recent market rally and explore its implications in crypto including debt proceedings and VC appetite. They explore the Ethereum ETF approval potentially becoming a reality and the controversy surrounding Wintermute’s CEO Evgeny Gaevoy and the Near Foundation. To close out they discuss the future developme...

Follow 1000x On Spotify: https://spoti.fi/45htDli Follow 1000x On Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3Kz0Bpw Follow 1000x On YouTube: https://bit.ly/3DNc5C6 -- In today's episode of 1000x Jonah and Avi discuss the return of the crypto bull market as positive sentiment about a Bitcoin ETF spurs a massive rally in Solana. We also debrief on the episode with Anatoly, walk through how to find the best o...

In this episode of Empire, Li Jin from Variant Fund and Ben Leventhal from Blackbird and co-founder of Resy, cover the intersection of the consumer market and crypto. They delve into the history of consumer startups, the limitations of traditional businesses in the dining industry, and the potential of crypto to transform ownership. Ben discusses Blackbird and how it addresses issues in the restau...

In today's episode of Empire, we take an in-depth look at the controversies surrounding DCG (Digital Currency Group) with our special guest, Ram Ahluwalia. Ram sheds light on the complex DCG saga involving Barry Silbert, 3 Arrows Capital, and the 'Widow Maker' trade that entangled several entities, including Gemini and Grayscale. The team discusses the case and the roles played by various figures...

In this episode of Empire Debates Santi, Tommy, and Ryan kick off with the anticipated approval of a Bitcoin ETF and its potential to usher institutional money into crypto. They then pivot to Ethereum's ascension as an asset and Solana's ability to attract developers and discuss if Solana will be the ultimate ETH killer. The conversation further explores the ramifications of institutional players...

In today's episode of Empire Jason is joined by Jan van Eck, CEO of VanEck, a firm overseeing $76.4 billion in assets, and Martin Leinweber, a digital asset strategist at Market Vector Indexes. They dive into conversation ranging from the macroeconomic climate to the prospects of a Bitcoin ETF approval. They dissect how MarketVector aims to capture crypto native value through Ethereum staking rewa...

In the latest episode of the Empire Policy Series, Santi hosts Rebecca Rettig and Jake Chervinsky to delve into recent allegations of Hamas leveraging cryptocurrency for terrorism funding, FinCEN's upcoming rules concerning crypto mixers, and the IRS's evolving crypto tax regulations. The trio also dissect the the forthcoming 3-6 months of crypto regulation and discuss recent bipartisan legislativ...

In today's episode of Empire Santi is joined by Jason Kam, Founder of Folius Ventures,and Ben Forman, Mananging Partner of ParaFi Capital, to find out if the bear market really is over. They dive into the recent crypto price action and whether an Ethereum ETF could be a catalyst for DeFi. They then look to the future and discuss how gaming and prediction markets could drive adoption, the opportuni...

Follow 1000x On Spotify: https://spoti.fi/45htDli Follow 1000x On Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3Kz0Bpw Follow 1000x On YouTube: https://bit.ly/3DNc5C6 -- In today's episode of 1000x Jonah and Avi welcome Anatoly Yakovenko to the show for a discussion on Solana's end game. After a tweet from Jonah questioning the future of Solana, we thought why not invite Anatoly himself to the show to explain...

In today's episode of Empire Jason and Santi are joined by Bitwise CEO Hunter Horsley and CIO Matt Hougan to dive into the world of ETFs. They discuss the early skepticism and misconceptions around ETFs, why a Bitcoin ETF approval could be transformative for crypto adoption and maturity, the layers of security and regulation with ETFs, and the potential timeline and sequence for crypto ETF product...

In today's episode of Empire the Jason and Santi are back, diving into In this week's Empire Roundup, Jason and Santi welcome Blockworks' Senior Reporter, Casey Wagner, for an in-depth look into the unfolding Sam Bankman-Fried trial in the Southern District of New York. Casey shares firsthand observations, including compelling witness accounts from Caroline Ellison and Nishad Singh that implicate...

In today's Empire Debates episode Santi, Tommy, and Ryan discuss overlooked aspects in this bear market including the importance of nuance in analyzing projects, the potential for decentralized storage despite current low demand, and how poor regulation and lack of clarity opened the door for bad actors like FTX. They then cover why jurisdictional competition will shape the future of crypto and ca...

In today's episode of Empire Jason and Santi are back, diving into the latest revelations from the FTX trial, including Caroline Ellison's testimony about Sam Bankman-Fried's priorities and losses. They also cover a landmark trade between BlackRock and Barclays using JPMorgan's blockchain Onyx, showcasing blockchain power in collateral transfers. They move on to discuss crypto layoffs, the failure...

Follow 1000x On Spotify: https://spoti.fi/45htDli Follow 1000x On Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3Kz0Bpw Follow 1000x On YouTube: https://bit.ly/3DNc5C6 -- In today's episode of 1000x Jonah and Avi discuss market forces introducing increasing risk in the crypto markets. With a recent bond market sell-off, geopolitical tensions & rising oil prices, could these forces spill over into risk asset's,...

In today's episode of Empire Jason and Santi are joined by Crypto investor Nic Carter and Martin Carrina, founder of Mountain Protocol, to discuss the past and future of stablecoins. They compare stablecoins to the rise of Eurodollars, arguing they meet a real demand for dollar exposure and could ultimately strengthen US interests, yet also face hostility akin to offshore banking. The guests debat...

In today's episode of Empire all eyes are on Sam Bankman-Fried. Santi is joined by Blockworks Senior Reporter Casey Wagner who is covering SBF's criminal trial live from the Southern District of New York court. She provides details on the jury selection process, opening statements from the prosecution and defense, and testimony so far from witnesses like Bankman-Fried's former best friend and room...

In today's episode of Empire Jason and Santi interview Blockchain Capital General Partners Aleks and Spencer. Blockchain Capital recently closed two new funds, early stage and opportunity, totaling $580 million. Since its inception in 2013, Blockchain Capital has invested in more than 110 companies, protocols and crypto assets across the ecosystem. Today's discussion dives into their fund thesis a...

In today's Empire Debates episode Santi, Tommy, and Ryan dive into several spicy takes. To start things off they discuss the general climate of funds in crypto and how founders are utilizing VC money to pivot project visions. They move on to break down the Binance rumors and discuss the potential struggles the exchange giant may be facing. - - Follow Tommy: https://twitter.com/Shaughnessy119 Follo...

In today's episode of Empire Jason and Santi cover the biggest news this week including Coinbase's massive approval for a non-US retail perpetuals trading and Pudgy Penguins invading 2000 Walmarts. They also dive into the market structure of crypto perps and whether Coinbase can claw marketshare. The duo also unpack the Gensler hearing and why AI valuations may be in a local top. They close out th...

In today's episode of 1000x Jonah and Avi are back from a brief hiatus and ready to dive into the biggest movements in the crypto markets. The duo begin by diving into the potential opportunities that lay within crypto and oil and uniquely discuss oil & USDT use-cases for global oil transactions. Turning to crypto, the guys dive into Polygon's significant lead in zk implementations and how Asia ba...