Today we are joined by Ben Forman, one of the most prolific investors in crypto, to discuss the day DeFi almost died: Black Thursday. The industry was a few liquidations away from an extinction event. Tune in to hear the riveting story and how Black Thursday has shaped MakerDAO and crypto's development!

We also discuss why Ben believes RWAs and permissioned DeFi is the next narrative, Binance FUD, investing in private vs liquid markets, return dispersion, incoming regulation and more!

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:34) Binance FUD: Signal or Noise?

(07:36) Operation Choke Point 2.0

(11:19) Return Dispersion

(16:29) The Moment of Reckoning

(23:16) Base’s Market Impact

(26:16) Early Stage vs Liquid Market Investing

(38:35) MakerDAO’s Black Thursday Almost Killed DeFi

(45:50) “Valora Ad”

(46:50) The State of DeFi

(54:07) USDC, A Structural Reset and Regulation

(1:05:00) Tokenization of RWAs and Permissioned DeFi

(1:08:00) Key Learnings and Fire Round

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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.