Empire

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 portfolio strategy, stressing probabilistic thinking and controlling emotions like FOMO. To close out they discuss relative value investing, the private market, trading vs investing, and how to manage risk as prices increase. Thanks for tuning in!

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Northstake simplifies the way institutional investors own a stake in Web3 by offering regulatory-compliant staking products. By ensuring institutional investors can participate in the burgeoning crypto market while adhering to the necessary legal and regulatory requirements, Northstake is bridging the gap between traditional finance and crypto.

https://www.northstake.dk/tokenized-eth-staking

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Chronicle Protocol is a novel Oracle solution that has exclusively secured over $10B in assets for MakerDAO and its ecosystem since 2017. With a history of innovation, including the invention of the first Oracle on Ethereum, Chronicle Protocol continues to redefine Oracles. A blockchain-agnostic protocol, Chronicle overcomes the current limitations of transferring data on-chain by developing the first truly scalable, cost-efficient, decentralized, and verifiable Oracles, rewriting the rulebook on data transparency and accessibility.  

Learn more about Chronicle Protocol: https://chroniclelabs.org/

Join the Chronicle Labs team: https://chroniclelabs.org/careers#open_roles

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Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use EMPIRE20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! 

Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home

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

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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Timestamps:

(00:00) DOXing, Marathons, and Influenza

(06:13) Timing the Crypto Market

(12:27) Buying Solana on a Break Out

(16:45) Trading vs Holding

(22:34) Santi Portfolio Construction

(30:31) Catalysts vs Fundamentals

(36:37) Allocation of Portfolios

(42:56) DAS 2024

(44:12) Northstake Ad

(45:10) Chronicle Ad

(46:26) Identifying Price Targets

(52:56) Evaluating Application Layer

(01:00:43) Managing Investing Anxiety

(01:07:24) Is the Bull Market Here?

(01:12:57) Companies Not Considering the Future

(01:15:54) The Coinbase Thesis

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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 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 recent market move has legs. To close out he evaluates risks to his Solana thesis. We hope you enjoy!

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Follow Joe: https://twitter.com/joemccann

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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Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks. Use the link below to learn more, and use EMPIRE20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there! 

Learn more + get your ticket here: https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home

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Planning to grant token awards for your team? Toku makes implementing global token compensation and incentive awards simple.

With Toku, you get unmatched legal and tax support to grant and administer your global team’s tokens. Toku navigates it across the lifecycle — from easy to use token grant award templates through tracking vesting to managing tax withholdings.

Make it simple today, at

https://www.toku.com/empire

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Intellectual Convexity

(10:16) Identifying Institutions & Jurisdictions of Interest

(15:53) Bull Environment is Here?

(20:46) The Solana Thesis

(30:39) Bonk VS Solana Thesis

(33:07) DAS 2024

(34:22) TOKU ad

(35:35) Managing Risks & Taking Profit

(46:46) Solana Investment

(51:03) Factoring in Macro

(56:41) Event vs Fundamental Driven Trades

(01:03:51) Why L2s Won't Work

(01:15:49) What Could Derail Solana?

(01:22:06) Exciting Solana Applications

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Resources

Asymmetric 

https://asymmetric.financial/

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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 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 developments to look out for in the crypto, including the potential rise of alternative L1s and newer narratives. Thanks for watching!

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

Follow Michael A: https://twitter.com/im_manderson

Subscribe to Bell Curve on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3R1D1D9

Subscribe to Bell Curve on Apple: https://apple.co/3pQTfmD

Subscribe to Bell Curve on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3cpKZXH

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

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Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in London this March! DAS is the #1 institutional conference in crypto, hosted by Blockworks.

Use the link below to learn more, and use BELL20 to get 20% off your ticket! Sign up now because the price goes up every month. See you there!

https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-2024-london/home

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Introduction

(2:01) Are We Back?

(8:28) Token Prices Impacting Bankruptcy Proceedings

(10:31) An FTX Restart?

(20:11) Cycle Change Indicators?

(24:42) Institutionalizing Crypto

(35:23) DAS London Ad

(36:32) Bitcoin Hashrate Lag

(42:30) Near Foundation & Aurora Accusations

(48:44) End Game of Blockchain Stacks

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Resources

Wintermute CEO Accuses Near 

https://blockworks.co/news/wintermute-ceo-accused-near-foundation-of-failing-to-redeem-stablecoins

BlackRock ETF Proposal 

https://blockworks.co/news/blackrock-ishares-ether-etf

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Disclaimer: Nothing said on Bell Curve 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. Mike, Jason, Michael, Vance and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.tt and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

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

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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 opportunities as a trader & how to navigate technical trades vs a fundamental investment thesis. To hear all this & more, you'll have to tune in!

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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 crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/

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Referenced In The Show:

Solana's End Game with Anatoly Yakovenko: apple.co/3QuF7NZ

Fake bitcoin ETF report triggers price jump to $30k, $100M wave of liquidations: https://blockworks.co/news/bitcoin-etf-report-price-jump

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Introduction

(1:06) The Solana Debrief

(8:32) Applications In Crypto

(12:51) Bitcoin's Move To $35,000, Catalyst For A Crypto Rally

(20:04) The Setup For A Bitcoin Bull Market

(25:57) Technical vs Fundamental Trading

(32:16) Opportunities In Crypto

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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 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 restaurant industry by establishing better connection and understanding between restaurants and customers. To close out Li touches on her vision for consumer crypto leading into 2024. Thanks for tuning in! 

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Follow Li: https://twitter.com/ljin18

Follow Ben: https://twitter.com/benleventhal

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

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

- -

Planning to grant token awards for your team? Toku makes implementing global token compensation and incentive awards simple.

With Toku, you get unmatched legal and tax support to grant and administer your global team’s tokens. Toku navigates it across the lifecycle — from easy to use token grant award templates through tracking vesting to managing tax withholdings.

Make it simple today, at

https://www.toku.com/empire

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Timestamps:

(00:00) End of Times for Consumer Apps

(05:58) Consumer Crypto's Advantage

(17:22) Identity Rails for Restaurants

(21:23) Balancing Blockchain & Consumer Rights

(27:45) Complexity of Building On Web3

(30:00) Toku ad

(31:16) Variant Fund Approach to Consumer Crypto

(36:23) Why Use Crypto?

(41:54) FLY Token & Progressive Ownership

(46:44) Mitigating Attack Vectors

(50:21) Consumer Crypto in 2024

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Resources

Blackbird Docs

https://www.blackbird.xyz/flypaper

Li Jin Barrier to Mainstream Adoption

https://variant.fund/articles/barrier-to-mainstream-crypto-adoption-is-product-market-fit/

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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 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 and corporations, challenging decisions made along the way, and contemplating what could have been done differently. To close out they speculate on the fate of Grayscale and the broader implications for the crypto and venture markets. 

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Follow Ram: https://twitter.com/ramahluwalia

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/ 

- -

Chronicle Protocol is a novel Oracle solution that has exclusively secured over $10B in assets for MakerDAO and its ecosystem since 2017. With a history of innovation, including the invention of the first Oracle on Ethereum, Chronicle Protocol continues to redefine Oracles. A blockchain-agnostic protocol, Chronicle overcomes the current limitations of transferring data on-chain by developing the first truly scalable, cost-efficient, decentralized, and verifiable Oracles, rewriting the rulebook on data transparency and accessibility.  

Learn more about Chronicle Protocol: https://chroniclelabs.org/

Join the Chronicle Labs team: https://chroniclelabs.org/careers#open

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Timestamps:

(00:00) DCG, Genesis, Gemini Case Overview

(04:17) The Widow Maker Trade

(12:45) Was this all avoidable?

(18:02) $1.1B Promissory Note

(23:21) Worse than Enron

(28:06) Systemic Risk & Recouping Creditors

(35:09) Chronicle Ad

(36:27) Is Gemini Responsible?

(43:46) Contagions and Second Order Effects

(50:23) Barry's Empire

(57:19) Does a New Genesis Happen?

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Resources

Ram DCG Threads

https://twitter.com/ramahluwalia/status/1594153586157670403

https://twitter.com/ramahluwalia/status/1716218498341597430

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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 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 entering the crypto space and examines the unique distribution strategy underpinning Telegram and Tron. Thanks for tuning in!

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, Tommy, and Zach may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

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Follow Tommy: https://twitter.com/Shaughnessy119

Follow Ryan: https://twitter.com/kukulabanze

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

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

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/

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Introduction

(1:07) BlackRock ETF Approved?

(10:12) ETF Impact on Portfolio Decisions

(21:10) How Financial Systems Influence Decisions

(29:31) The Solana Thesis

(45:42) Aversion to Building on Ethereum

(52:50) Telegram and Tron Wallets

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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, Tommy, and Zach may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

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 rewards and other on-chain metrics, the demand for these products from institutions, and how MarketVector creates investible crypto products for institutions to get exposure. 

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Follow Jan van Eck: https://twitter.com/JanvanEck3

Follow Martin Leinweber: https://twitter.com/mleinweber2

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/ 

- -

Planning to grant token awards for your team? Toku makes implementing global token compensation and incentive awards simple.

With Toku, you get unmatched legal and tax support to grant and administer your global team’s tokens. Toku navigates it across the lifecycle — from easy to use token grant award templates through tracking vesting to managing tax withholdings.

Make it simple today, at

https://www.toku.com/empire

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Macro Sentiment Check

(07:51) Budget Deficit Concern: Overblown?

(14:15) The van Eck Origin Story

(18:31) The 60-40 Portfolio

(22:23) Bitcoin ETF Likelihood in 2023 vs 2024

(28:11) Toku Ad

(29:25) MarketVector Changing Data and Indices

(40:46) Demand for Onchain Yield

(45:19) Corporate Strategy Focus on Crypto

(48:48) Identifying Tokens with Economic Traction

(53:15) Central Banks Buying BTC

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Resources

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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 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 legislative triumphs in the stablecoin domain. To close out both Rebecca and Jake highlight the need for industry-wide collaboration to ensure regulations both foster innovation and effectively mitigate inherent risks.

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Introduction

(1:31) Is Crypto Financing Terrorism?

(11:37) Policy Maker Responses to Crypto Terrorism

(18:34) Chainalysis Ad

(19:38) Mixer Rule by Financial Crimes Enforcement Network

(31:49) Defining the Mixer Use Case

(45:22) Tax Provision for Crypto

(51:59) Regulatory Outlook

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Follow Rebecca: https://twitter.com/RebeccaRettig1

Follow Jake: https://twitter.com/jchervinsky

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

Follow Santi: 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/

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This episode is brought to you by Chainalysis.

Chainalysis is the blockchain data platform. We provide data, software, services, and research to government agencies, web3 companies, financial institutions, and insurance and cybersecurity companies. Our data powers investigation, compliance, and business intelligence software that has been used to solve some of the world’s most high-profile criminal cases.

For more information, visit www.Chainalysis.com/empire.

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Resources

Submit a comment on regulation

https://www.protectdefi.org/

DeFi Education Fund

https://www.defieducationfund.org/

The Blockchain Association

https://theblockchainassociation.org/

https://twitter.com/BlockchainAssn

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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 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 opportunities in tokenizing real world assets, and why this environment rhymes with late 2019 when fundamentals were emerging but prices were low. Ben and Jason also discuss their outlook on the macro landscape, remaining opportunities in liquid and illiquid markets, and why they believe we may be in the early innings of a new bull market driven by growing institutional interest and real use cases.

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Follow Jason Kam: https://twitter.com/MapleLeafCap

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/ 

- -

Chronicle Protocol is a novel Oracle solution that has exclusively secured over $10B in assets for MakerDAO and its ecosystem since 2017. With a history of innovation, including the invention of the first Oracle on Ethereum, Chronicle Protocol continues to redefine Oracles. A blockchain-agnostic protocol, Chronicle overcomes the current limitations of transferring data on-chain by developing the first truly scalable, cost-efficient, decentralized, and verifiable Oracles, rewriting the rulebook on data transparency and accessibility.  

Learn more about Chronicle Protocol: https://chroniclelabs.org/

Join the Chronicle Labs team: https://chroniclelabs.org/careers#ope...

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MetaMask Portfolio is your one-stop shop for all things web3. Instead of connecting to multiple exchanges, dapps, and tools, you just need to connect to one simple dapp to track and manage all your assets across different networks and accounts. MetaMask Portfolio provides a secure and convenient way to perform common tasks such as Buy, Sell, Swap, Bridge, and Stake. 

Try MetaMask Portfolio at https://blckwrks.co/MetaMaskEmpire

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Sentiment Check-in with Private Investors

(08:48) Portfolio Positioning

(18:08) Investing Outside of the Majors

(24:00) Investing in Crypto Layers

(30:44) Deciding Thesis Invalidation

(35:40) DeFi Catalysts

(45:13) Chronicle Ad

(46:30) Metamask Ad

(47:15) Unique Use Cases Outside of RWAs

(54:12) Timing Investments & Managing Risk

(59:41) Value in Gaming and Blockchain

(01:12:39) How Financialization Complicates Social Behaviors

(01:18:48) Why is Scaling Usage Hard?

(01:35:26) Are We in a New Cycle?

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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.