For this week’s roundup, Andrew Keys, from The Ether Machine, joins Yano, Santi and Rob to dive into the unique value prop that The Ether Machine offers investors, his thoughts on the overall DAT landscape and how DATs, outside of BTC and ETH, are likely too far down the risk curve. They also discuss the rise and proliferation of private L1s like Stripe’s and Circle’s and explore who the winners and losers will be of these new projects. 

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GEODNET is the world’s largest RTK network, delivering real-time, centimeter-level precision for drones, robots, farmers, and first responders. Recognized by the U.S. Congress, this blockchain-powered network supports mission-critical applications across a wide range of industries. Discover how GEODNET is changing the world: [https://geodnet.com]

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Get up to speed on the biggest stories in crypto each week. In five minutes. Get the Bitwise Weekly CIO Memo delivered directly to your inbox at bitwiseinvestments.com/ciomemo/empire --"Mantle is pioneering ""Blockchain for Banking"" as a revolutionary new category that sits at the intersection of TradFi and web3. Key elements for Mantle as the ""Blockchain for Banking"": - Transactions posted to the blockchain - Compatibility with TradFi rails - Integrated DeFi featuresUR, built by Mantle, is the first real-world example: an on-chain money app offering Swiss IBANs and unified access to fiat (EUR, CHF, USD, RMB) and crypto — bringing crypto into everyday finance.Mantle Network, the access layer — transforms Mantle Network into a purpose-built vertical platform — the blockchain for banking — that enables financial services on-chain. Mantle leads the establishment of Blockchain for Banking as the next frontier.Follow Mantle on X (@Mantle_Official) for the latest updates on Mantle as the 'Blockchain for Banking'."

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Citrea is the first zero-knowledge rollup to enhance the capabilities of Bitcoin blockspace and enable Bitcoin applications (₿apps). Citrea is optimistically verified by Bitcoin, offering the most Bitcoin-secured and native way to extend BTC’s utility to DeFi. Learn more about Citrea: https://citrea.xyz/?utm_source=bellcurve&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=website_promo Follow Citrea on X/Twitter for the latest on its journey to mainnet: https://x.com/citrea_xyz

(0:00) Introduction

(2:06) Andrew Keys’ Background

(3:24) Why ETH Not BTC

(15:14) Why DATs

(24:44) Ads (Geodnet, Bitwise)

(26:21) Has The Vision Been Co-opted?

(35:57) DAT Rollups + M&As

(38:59) DATs Beyond BTC + ETH

(43:03) Ads (Geodnet, Bitwise)

(44:40) ETFs Are Flawed

(50:34) Other Worthwhile Ecosystems

(54:58) L1 Private Chain Launches

(1:06:25) Ads (Mantle, Citrea)

(1:08:04) Stripe’s L1 + Paradigm

(1:13:32) Weekly Content Recs

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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.