In today's episode, Santi is joined by Rebecca Rettig and Miller Whitehouse to update us on the latest policy concerns impacting crypto. They cover the origins of the DeFi Education Fund and the realities of educating regulators on the novelty of DeFi. They then shift gears and discuss onchain illicit activity that exists, how to find a compromise between permissionless systems and state control, the role stablecoins like USDC play, and reactions to the SEC’s proposed dealer rule that threatens DeFi participation. Rebecca breaks down her recently published paper “Genuine DeFi as Critical Infrastructure” offering a conceptual framework for regulation that leverages DeFi’s transparency while allowing permissionless systems to thrive. Stay tuned for all of this and much more!
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Follow Rebecca: https://twitter.com/RebeccaRettig1
Follow Miller: https://twitter.com/millercwl
Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz
Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel
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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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Timestamps
(0:00) Origin of DeFi Education Fund
(6:10) DeFi Regulatory Framework Paper
(12:35) Educating Regulators
(17:45) Onchain Illicit Activity 
(28:59) Chainalysis Ad
(30:04) Compromise for States
(41:52) How Important is US Policy
(51:17) Role of Coinbase & Circle
(1:00:42) SEC Proposed Rule
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Resources
Paper
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4607332

DeFi Education Fund
https://www.defieducationfund.org/
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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.

Policy Series: How to Combat Illicit Finance Without Killing DeFi | Rebecca Rettig & Miller Whitehouse-Levine

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 Tuesday and a weekly roundup on Friday.

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News

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 on total economic value. They close our by highlighting insights from DBA's research day and share their favorite youtube comments. Enjoy!
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Follow Casey: https://x.com/caseywagnerr
Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz
Follow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel
Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod

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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

Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ 
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Sei Labs believes the EVM is here to stay.

By providing the fastest time to finality of any chain, thousands of transactions per second and full backwards compatibility with the EVM, Ethereum developers can try out a brand new design space for their applications.

Try out sei v2 devnet - visit the new sei.io to find out more.
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This episode is brought to you by Aura, the AI-powered digital security protection app that keeps your personal information, passwords, online activity, and tech safe from digital threats. It’s all-in-one protection from identity theft, financial fraud, malware, scams, and more. 

For a limited time, Aura is offering our listeners a 14-day FREE trial plus up to 55% off an Aura subscription. 

Visit aura.com/blockworks to sign up for your free trial.
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SKALE is a modular, AppChain network that offers zero gas fee transactions and instant finality. Tailored for ease of development and onboarding, SKALE's configurable EVM chains enable next-gen use cases in gaming, AI, DePin, and others. With over 20,000,000 users having saved over $6 Billion on gas fees, SKALE is the blockchain for mass adoption.

Bridge to SKALE at portal.skale.space and stay up to date with the gasless blockchain at @skalenetwork
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Kinto is the Safety-first L2 designed to accelerate the transition to an on-chain financial system.

If you believe in this on-chain financial system, join Kinto's launch program (Engen) and become a founding member at engen.kinto.xyz
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Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
02:12 SAB 21 Vote
12:51 Crypto Voting in the US
28:00 MEV Boost Exploiters Charged by DOJ
36:02 SEI Ad
37:01 Aura Ad
37:49 Kinto Ad
38:45 Skale Ad
40:02 PumpFun Exploit
45:08 Youtube Comment Hate
47:11 GameStop Return
52:06 DBA Research Day
55:54 How to Value L1s & L2s
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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.

Why SAB-121 is Massive for Crypto | Round Up

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!
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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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Perennial is an on-chain derivatives protocol built from first principles to be a DeFi primitive. The core protocol is minimalist, flexible, and efficient, allowing Perennial to mold to the needs of many different users & use cases.

Perennial has a super efficient core protocol that lets LPs use native maker leverage — allowing $1mn in TVL to back to $5-10mn in Open interest. 

Trade and LP at: https://perennial.finance/1000x
Social: https://twitter.com/perenniallabs
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Timestamps:
(0:00) Introduction
(2:10) Expect More Chop
(10:31) Bitcoin vs Gold ETFs
(18:25) Perennial Ad
(19:57) Meme Coins
(25:34) Time To Be Bullish Or Bearish?
(30:32) The ETH ETF
(40:12) The Return Of Roaring Kitty
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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.

Picking Winners: Time To Be Bullish? | 1000x

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 alignment of incentives between teams, investors, and the broader market. The episode concludes with Arthur and Sean sharing their high-conviction bets for this market cycle. 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

Follow Arthur: https://twitter.com/Arthur_0x
Follow Sean: https://twitter.com/seanlippel
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

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

Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ 
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Arbitrum is a game-changer for daily Ethereum's users and developers, offering top applications and lower fees. As the leading scaling solution with 600+ apps, explore Arbitrum’s Portal to find your perfect fit. Interact with the home of DeFi, a flourishing NFT and creator ecosystem, and a rapidly growing Web3 gaming hub – Arbitrum has it all. 

Get started at:
portal.arbitrum.io 
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This episode is brought to you by Aura, the AI-powered digital security protection app that keeps your personal information, passwords, online activity, and tech safe from digital threats. It’s all-in-one protection from identity theft, financial fraud, malware, scams, and more. 

For a limited time, Aura is offering our listeners a 14-day FREE trial plus up to 55% off an Aura subscription. 

Visit aura.com/blockworks to sign up for your free trial.
- -
SKALE is a modular, AppChain network that offers zero gas fee transactions and instant finality. Tailored for ease of development and onboarding, SKALE's configurable EVM chains enable next-gen use cases in gaming, AI, DePin, and others. With over 20,000,000 users having saved over $6 Billion on gas fees, SKALE is the blockchain for mass adoption.

Bridge to SKALE at portal.skale.space and stay up to date with the gasless blockchain at @skalenetwork
- -
Kinto is the Safety-first L2 designed to accelerate the transition to an on-chain financial system.

If you believe in this on-chain financial system, join Kinto's launch program (Engen) and become a founding member at engen.kinto.xyz
- -
Timestamps:
(0:00) Introduction
(01:52) Crypto VCs are Broken
(14:31) Best Token Launch Model
(22:11) Valuing Crypto Assets
(29:20) Arbitrum Ad
(30:08) Aura Ad
(30:56) Kinto Ad
(31:52) Skale Ad
(33:08) Evaluating LDO & ETHFI
(51:57) Active Investments
(57:51) Highest Conviction Bets
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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.

The Dark Side of Token Launches | Arthur Cheong & Sean Lippel

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 on WIF's strong performance despite the choppy period and its cycle potential. Thanks for tuning in!
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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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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

Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ 
- -
Sei Labs believes the EVM is here to stay.

By providing the fastest time to finality of any chain, thousands of transactions per second and full backwards compatibility with the EVM, Ethereum developers can try out a brand new design space for their applications.

Try out sei v2 devnet - visit the new sei.io to find out more.
- -
This episode is brought to you by Aura, the AI-powered digital security protection app that keeps your personal information, passwords, online activity, and tech safe from digital threats. It’s all-in-one protection from identity theft, financial fraud, malware, scams, and more. 

For a limited time, Aura is offering our listeners a 14-day FREE trial plus up to 55% off an Aura subscription. 

Visit aura.com/blockworks to sign up for your free trial.
- -
Mantle Network is an Ethereum Layer 2 that aims to bring super-scalability to Ethereum by taking a modular approach that offers low fees and high security. 

Mantle recently launched their airdrop program "Rewards Station" to holders of its native token, $MNT. The Rewards Station program distributes pre-sale token allocations or listed token to $MNT holders who stake their $MNT.
Check out the rewards station: https://www.mantle.xyz/rewards-station
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Marinade is the leading Solana staking service that spreads your stake across 100+ top validators, distributes MEV rewards, and provides automatic downside protection with new Protected Staking Rewards. Choose to liquid stake for mSOL for use in DeFi, or delegate your stake through Marinade Native, which gives you full custody of your SOL and no smart contract risk. Max performance for you, max performance for Solana.
https://blckwrks.co/Marinade
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Timestamps:
(00:00) Yano's Fashion Advice  
(06:07) Is this Cycle Different? 
(13:39) Focusing a Portfolio 
(17:42) Blockworks Podcast Thesis 
(23:30) Crypto's SocialFi Era
(39:24) Sei Ad
(40:22) Aura Ad
(41:11) Marinade Ad
(42:15) Skale Ad 
(43:32) Are Points Over?
(49:15) Coinbase Earnings  
(01:00:42) Memecoin 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.

Who is Responsible for Low Float, High FDV? | Roundup

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 lenders. He also dives into the future of banking, which he believes will be shaped by the tokenization of real-world assets, access to DeFi, and the use of SMAs to minimize risk. The conversation also touches on the current regulatory landscape in the U.S., the potential impact of the upcoming election on the crypto industry, and Abra's vision of empowering people to be their own bank. Enjoy!
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Follow Bill: https://twitter.com/billbarX
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

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

Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. 
Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  
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Get your tickets to permissionless before prices go up! 
Use code EMPIRE10 at checkout for 10% off your ticket.
https://blockworks.co/permissionless 
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Timestamps
(0:00) Introduction
(1:15) Why Crypto Banks Blew Up
(14:48) SMA Model Standard
(17:38) Smart Contract Risk
(20:07) DeFi Platform Selection & Yield
(23:59) Future of Crypto Lending
(29:23) Macro Outlook
(34:13) Impact of Election on Crypto
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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.t

Policy Series: How to Combat Illicit Finance Without Killing DeFi | Rebecca Rettig & Miller Whitehouse-Levine

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