Empire

In today's episode we unpack why Kraken is building a Layer 2, Ink. Andrew and Hilmar, dive into why companies are rushing to launch their own chains. We unpack the technical decisions behind launching an L2, and debate who actually needs their own chain, and explore predictions that hundreds of new L2s will launch in the coming months. The conversation really explores if crypto and financial products might depend on custom chain infrastructure. Thanks for tuning in!

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Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross and David Canellis.

Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts

Follow Andrew: https://x.com/ak47ink

Follow Hilmar: https://x.com/hilmarxo

Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz

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Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/

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Explore the SKALE Ecosystem at skale.space/ecosystem and stay up to date with the gas-free blockchain on X at @skalenetwork

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The self-custody wallet that's built for swapping. Created for a multi-chain world by the most trusted team in DeFi.

Available on Chrome, iOS, and Android.

https://blckwrks.co/UniswapWallet

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Supra Containers are secured by Supra’s L1 nodes and get access to Supra’s 500k TPS throughput, sub-second consensus latency, and all their built-in services like oracle price feeds and onchain randomness without any overhead. Supra is also MultiVM compatible so you can easily deploy your EVM, Move, and SVM smart contracts here.

Get all the freedom, control, and tools you need to build super dApps and bring the world onchain. To learn more, visit www.supra.com/blockworks

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$cmETH, a Mantle native liquid restaking token, will launch together with Season 2: Methamorphosis, allowing users to easily participate in restaking, and earn $COOK rewards in addition to other yields.

$COOK, the governance token of mETH Protocol, will allow holders to play a pivotal role in directing the strategic future of mETH Protocol.

Learn more: https://x.com/mETHProtocol

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Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors Empire podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the security of your assets. For the best self-custody solution in the space, buy a LEDGER™ device and secure your crypto today.

Buy now at Ledger.com

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Timestamps:

00:00 intro

04:04 Why an L2?

16:37 Launching an L2

20:50 Why Optimism?

31:00 Value of Service Providers

39:05 Skale Ad

39:45 Supra Ad

40:41 Mantle Ad

41:32 Uniswao Ad

42:04 Ledger Ad

42:47 Building the App Layer

49:34 Who Needs an L2?

59:35 Bitcoin Renaissance?

01:05:07 5 Year Onchain Outlook

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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, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

In this episode, the Hivemind team dives deep into the phenomenon of AI memecoins, unpacking the meteoric rise of GOAT and its implications. They then explore Solana's dominance in the current cycle and what it means for the ecosystem. The conversation shifts to macro concerns as they discuss Paul Tudor Jones and Druckenmiller's warnings about the US fiscal situation. Finally, they analyze Stripe's major $1.1B acquisition of Bridge and its implications for stablecoin adoption. Thanks for tuning in!

- -

Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross and David Canellis.

Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts

Follow Ceteris: https://twitter.com/ceterispar1bus

Follow Jose: https://x.com/ZeMariaMacedo

Follow Yan: https://x.com/YanLiberman

Follow Duncan: https://x.com/FloodCapital

Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod

Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j

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Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Introduction

(1:17) GOAT AI Meta

(8:18) AI vs Memecoin

(24:45) Who is Winning this Cycle?

(29:52) US Fiscal Situation

(39:58) Kraken L2 & Optimism Superchains

(41:40) Strip Spends $1.1b on Bridge

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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, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

In this episode, we dive deep into why memecoins have become undeniable for both retail and institutional investors. We explore key trading insights from Soros and Druckenmiller that apply to today's crypto market, then examine Kraken's L2 launch and what it means for exchanges. The conversation concludes with Stripe's $1.1B Bridge acquisition and why stablecoins are becoming the "superconductors" of financial services. Thanks for listening!

- -

Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross and David Canellis.

Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts

Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz

Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel

Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod

Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j

Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7

Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw

Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/

- -

Explore the SKALE Ecosystem at skale.space/ecosystem and stay up to date with the gas-free blockchain on X at @skalenetwork

- -

Supra Containers are secured by Supra’s L1 nodes and get access to Supra’s 500k TPS throughput, sub-second consensus latency, and all their built-in services like oracle price feeds and onchain randomness without any overhead. Supra is also MultiVM compatible so you can easily deploy your EVM, Move, and SVM smart contracts here.

Get all the freedom, control, and tools you need to build super dApps and bring the world onchain. To learn more, visit www.supra.com/blockworks

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Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

02:17 NFT Acquisition

10:12 GOAT: New Meta?

28:50 Buy Now, Analyze Later

36:00 Skale Ad

36:39 Supra Ad

37:37 Kraken L2 Launch

43:55 Is Ethereum Hated?

50:32 Token Launches & FDVs

54:48 Stripe Acquires Bridge

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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, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

In this episode, Antonio, founder of dYdX, opens up about his deeply personal journey of stepping down as CEO and ultimately returning to the company. He shares raw insights about founder identity, the emotional toll of building a successful company, and the profound realizations that came from completely disconnecting from his creation. The conversation explores the unique challenges founders face with connection, leadership, and authenticity, while offering a candid look at how Antonio plans to run dYdX differently after his return. Found out what it's actually like being a founder in crypto. Thanks for tuning in!

- -

Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross and David Canellis.

Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts

Follow Antonio: https://x.com/antoniomjuliano

Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz

Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel

Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod

Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j

Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7ww

Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw

Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/

- -

Explore the SKALE Ecosystem at skale.space/ecosystem and stay up to date with the gas-free blockchain on X at @skalenetwork

- -

The self-custody wallet that's built for swapping. Created for a multi-chain world by the most trusted team in DeFi.

Available on Chrome, iOS, and Android.

https://blckwrks.co/UniswapWallet

- -

Supra Containers are secured by Supra’s L1 nodes and get access to Supra’s 500k TPS throughput, sub-second consensus latency, and all their built-in services like oracle price feeds and onchain randomness without any overhead. Supra is also MultiVM compatible so you can easily deploy your EVM, Move, and SVM smart contracts here.

Get all the freedom, control, and tools you need to build super dApps and bring the world onchain. To learn more, visit www.supra.com/blockworks

- -

$cmETH, a Mantle native liquid restaking token, will launch together with Season 2: Methamorphosis, allowing users to easily participate in restaking, and earn $COOK rewards in addition to other yields.

$COOK, the governance token of mETH Protocol, will allow holders to play a pivotal role in directing the strategic future of mETH Protocol.

Learn more: https://x.com/mETHProtocol

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(02:13) Stepping Down from CEO

(17:09) Returning to Building

(32:57) Skale Ad

(33:36) Supra Ad

(34:32) Uniswap ad

(35:04) Mantle Ad

(35:57) Founders Lessons Learned

(39:30) Advice for Founders

(47:30) Founders Setting Goals

(59:38) Social Strains of Foundership

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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, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

In this episode, we dive deep into the state of crypto heading into the election with special guest, The Giver. We explore Bitcoin's recent surge and its true correlation with the upcoming election. The Giver shares his contrarian view on Bitcoin's rally and explains why he's shorting altcoins. We also delve into meme coins, discussing their role in portfolio composition and their potential for uncorrelated returns.

Enjoy!

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Follow The Giver: https://x.com/lazyvillager1

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

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Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/

--

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

2:54 Bitcoin's Flows & Shift

9:32 The Giver's Crypto Journey

17:57 Long Term Thinking in Short Term Markets

23:27 Edge in Crypto from Private Equity

31:32 Net Short Perspective

44:35 Bitcoin's ATH Move

56:40 GOAT Memecoin

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Disclaimer: Nothing said on 1000x 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. Avi, Jonah and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed

In this episode, Yano and Santi dive deep into the evolving landscape of crypto conferences, unpacking the success and struggles of Permissionless 2024. They discuss the launch of Blockworks' new advisory business, offering insights into the growing need for specialized crypto consulting. The conversation then shifts to Santi's ambitious plans for a crypto-focused private equity fund, aiming to transform traditional businesses. Thanks for tuning in!

- -

Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross and David Canellis.

Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts

Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz

Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel

Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod

Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j

Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7

Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw

Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/

- -

Explore the SKALE Ecosystem at skale.space/ecosystem and stay up to date with the gas-free blockchain on X at @skalenetwork

- -

The self-custody wallet that's built for swapping. Created for a multi-chain world by the most trusted team in DeFi.

Available on Chrome, iOS, and Android.

https://blckwrks.co/UniswapWallet

- -

Supra Containers are secured by Supra’s L1 nodes and get access to Supra’s 500k TPS throughput, sub-second consensus latency, and all their built-in services like oracle price feeds and onchain randomness without any overhead. Supra is also MultiVM compatible so you can easily deploy your EVM, Move, and SVM smart contracts here.

Get all the freedom, control, and tools you need to build super dApps and bring the world onchain. To learn more, visit www.supra.com/blockworks

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Timestamps:

00:00 Intro

01:52 Permissionless & Crypto Conferences

24:12 The Value of Crypto Advisory

35:48 Skale Ad

36:28 Supra Ad

37:24 Uniswap Ad

37:57 Business Adoption of Crypto

48:44 Taking Risks in Life

01:03:09 Memecoins & AI

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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, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

In this episode, Jason is live from Permissionless with Michael Anderson from Framework Ventures and Avichal Garg from Electric Capital. They delve into the implications of Uniswap's Unichain, exploring its potential impact on ETH, OP, and the broader DeFi ecosystem. The conversation shifts to the evolving landscape of crypto applications and infrastructure, touching on investment strategies in both public and private markets. Finally, they discuss the upcoming U.S. election's influence on crypto regulation and the surprising role of stablecoins in national security.

- -

Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross and David Canellis.

Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts

Follow Avichal: https://twitter.com/avichal

Follow Michael: https://x.com/im_manderson

Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz

Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel

Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod

Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j

Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7ww

Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw

Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/

- -

Anoma is the universal intent machine, introducing a new era of applications where you define the outcomes you want. Anoma’s intent-centric architecture provides a universal operating system for building intent-centric apps compatible with any blockchain. Anoma vastly improves blockchain UX, enables novel applications, and promotes a more human-centric future for decentralized technology.

Follow Anoma at x.com/anoma and signup for the newsletter at anoma.net

- -

Supra Containers are secured by Supra’s L1 nodes and get access to Supra’s 500k TPS throughput, sub-second consensus latency, and all their built-in services like oracle price feeds and onchain randomness without any overhead. Supra is also MultiVM compatible so you can easily deploy your EVM, Move, and SVM smart contracts here.

Get all the freedom, control, and tools you need to build super dApps and bring the world onchain. To learn more, visit www.supra.com/blockworks

- -

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, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

In this episode, the Hivemind team dives deep into Uniswap's UniChain announcement, exploring its potential impact on DeFi infrastructure and L2 dynamics. They debate the merits and risks of meme coins versus utility tokens, discussing their role in user onboarding and capital allocation. The conversation shifts to the growing importance of Crypto AI, with insights into upcoming Delphi Digital research. Finally, they analyze the successful launch of Off The Grid, a AAA crypto game. Thanks for tuning in!

- -

Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross and David Canellis.

Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts

Follow Logan: https://x.com/LoganJastremski

Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz

Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel

Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod

Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j

Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7ww

Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw

Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/

- -

Anoma is the universal intent machine, introducing a new era of applications where you define the outcomes you want. Anoma’s intent-centric architecture provides a universal operating system for building intent-centric apps compatible with any blockchain. Anoma vastly improves blockchain UX, enables novel applications, and promotes a more human-centric future for decentralized technology.

Follow Anoma at x.com/anoma and signup for the newsletter at anoma.net

- -

Supra Containers are secured by Supra’s L1 nodes and get access to Supra’s 500k TPS throughput, sub-second consensus latency, and all their built-in services like oracle price feeds and onchain randomness without any overhead. Supra is also MultiVM compatible so you can easily deploy your EVM, Move, and SVM smart contracts here.

Get all the freedom, control, and tools you need to build super dApps and bring the world onchain. To learn more, visit www.supra.com/blockworks

- -

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(01:22) High Throughput Conviction

(13:39) SVM to Ethereum & L2s

(24:52) Limitations & Trade-offs of Systems

(35:44) Unique Applications in Crypto

(41:13) Anoma ad

(42:14) Supra Ad

(43:12) What's Wrong with ETH?

(57:20) Fixing Ethereum

(01:03:11) Alt Chains

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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, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

Gm, this week we're live from Permissionless! We discuss the election impact on crypto markets, Bitcoin vs alt's vs memes, how to make it this cycle & why it's now time to lock in. Enjoy!

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Follow Mike: https://x.com/MikeIppolito_

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

--

Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/

--

Timestamps:

(0:00) Introduction

(1:27) Time To Be Bullish?

(5:54) Election Impact On Crypto

(8:59) Bitcoin vs Alt's vs Memes

(21:19) A.I

(26:48) The 2021 Crypto Credit Cycle

(31:32) Time To Lock In

(36:45) How To Make It This Cycle?

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Disclaimer: Nothing said on 1000x 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. Avi, Jonah and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed

In this episode, Logan Jastremski, founder of Frictionless Capital, discusses the future of high-throughput blockchains and their current place in the crypto L1 landscape. He delves into the advantages of integrated blockchain solutions like Solana over Ethereum's, and explains why bandwidth and compute power are crucial for the endgame of blockchain scalability. Logan shares insights on the challenges facing Ethereum, the promise of emerging chains like Sui and Aptos, and the importance of focusing on building better products to drive mass adoption in crypto. Stay tuned for all of this spice and much more!

- -

Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross and David Canellis.

Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts

Follow Logan: https://x.com/LoganJastremski

Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz

Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel

Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod

Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j

Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7ww

Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw

Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/

- -

Anoma is the universal intent machine, introducing a new era of applications where you define the outcomes you want. Anoma’s intent-centric architecture provides a universal operating system for building intent-centric apps compatible with any blockchain. Anoma vastly improves blockchain UX, enables novel applications, and promotes a more human-centric future for decentralized technology.

Follow Anoma at x.com/anoma and signup for the newsletter at anoma.net

- -

Supra Containers are secured by Supra’s L1 nodes and get access to Supra’s 500k TPS throughput, sub-second consensus latency, and all their built-in services like oracle price feeds and onchain randomness without any overhead. Supra is also MultiVM compatible so you can easily deploy your EVM, Move, and SVM smart contracts here.

Get all the freedom, control, and tools you need to build super dApps and bring the world onchain. To learn more, visit www.supra.com/blockworks

- -

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(01:22) High Throughput Conviction

(13:39) SVM to Ethereum & L2s

(24:52) Limitations & Trade-offs of Systems

(35:44) Unique Applications in Crypto

(41:13) Anoma ad

(42:14) Supra Ad

(43:12) What's Wrong with ETH?

(57:20) Fixing Ethereum

(01:03:11) Alt Chains

--

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, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.