Crypto Meets Cards: Shaping the Future of Commerce Featuring Ivan Soto-Wright & Sherri Haymond | Permissionless IV Fireside Chat | Bonus Episode

Happy 4th of July to our stateside followers! On this episode, Rob Hadick joins Santi to review the biggest news of the week focusing in on stablecoins, Circle IPO butterfly effects, robinhood’s arbitrum tokenization announcement at Cannes at ECC, 12 month outlook and the biggest opportunities today in crypto. -- Rob's Stablecoin Article - https://x.com/HadickM/status/1934680037795705133 -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts -- Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- 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] -- 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 -- Ledger, the global leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors Expansion! As Ledger celebrates 10 years of securing 20% of global crypto, it remains the top choice for securing your assets. Buy a LEDGER™ device now, and build confidently, knowing your BTC, ETH, SOL, and more are safe.Buy now on https://shop.ledger.com/?r=1da180a5de00. -- 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 -- CHAPTERS: 00:00 Intro 02:08 Stablecoin Sentiment & Insights 22:40 Ads (Geodnet, Bitwise) 24:16 Evolution of LPs 27:02 Robinhood At ECC 42:14 Ads (Geodnet, Bitwise) 43:51 Mirror Tokens Explained 47:32 Talking About Crypto With TradFi 59:56 Ads (Ledger, Citrea) 01:01:27 2025 Exceeds Expectations 01:03:18 12 Month Outlook 01:08:59 BIG Opportunities In Crypto — 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.

This week, we're excited to share with our community a bonus episode from PERMISSIONLESS IV, which just took place this past week in Brooklyn, NY. This is a Fireside Chat with Yano and Ivan Soto-Wright, the CEO of MoonPay, and Sherri Haymond of MasterCard who dive in and discuss the fusion of DeFi and TradFi. -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts -- Follow Ivan - https://x.com/ivanhodl Follow Sherri - https://x.com/SherriHaymond Follow Jason - https://x.com/jasonyanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- Katana is a DeFi-first chain built for deep liquidity and high yield. No empty emissions, just real yield and sequencer fees routed back to DeFi users. Pre-deposit now: Earn high APRs with Turtle Club [https://app.turtle.club/campaigns/katana] or spin the wheel with Katana Krates [https://app.katana.network/krates] -- CHAPTERS 00:25 - Intro 01:00 - Mastercard's Web3 Journey 02:53 - Stablecoins + MoonPay 05:08 - MoonPay + MasterCard Partnership 07:28 - Katana Ad 08:28 - Beneficiaries Of The Future Of DeFi + TradFi 12:25 - Global Stablecoin Adoption 15:25 - Stablecoin Backed Cards 16:31 - Katana Ad 20:12 - Future Industry Thesis For Tokenization -- 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.

This week, we're excited to share with our community a bonus episode from PERMISSIONLESS IV, which just took place this past week in Brooklyn, NY. This is a Fireside Chat with Yano and Konstantin Richter of Blockdaemon and it brings all the alpha for builders and investors in the space! -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts -- Follow Konstantin - https://x.com/konstantin11 Follow Jason - https://x.com/jasonyanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- Katana is a DeFi-first chain built for deep liquidity and high yield. No empty emissions, just real yield and sequencer fees routed back to DeFi users. Pre-deposit now: Earn high APRs with Turtle Club [https://app.turtle.club/campaigns/katana] or spin the wheel with Katana Krates [https://app.katana.network/krates] -- CHAPTERS 00:25 - Intro01:00 - Operating In Crypto Throughout The Years02:50 - Navigating Narratives05:09 - Blockdaemon's Business Model08:49 - Balancing Where Industry Is Today VS Tomorrow12:49 - IPO Strategies For Blockdaemon17:35 - Institutional Outlook Over Next 12 Months 21:20 - US As Crypto World Leader -- 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.

This week, we're excited to share with our community a bonus episode which recaps PERMISSIONLESS IV, which just took place this past week in Brooklyn, NY. While Santi and Jason are not in this episode, the episode does feature some of the biggest names in the Blockworks podcast family and we hope you enjoy all the alpha! -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts -- Follow Boccaccio: https://x.com/salveboccaccio Follow Danny: https://x.com/defi_kay_ Follow Rizzo: https://x.com/pete_rizzo_ Follow Felix: https://x.com/fejau_inc Follow Jack: https://x.com/whosknave Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- SKALE is the next evolution in Layer 1 blockchains with a gas-free invisible user experience, instant finality, high speed, and robust security. SKALE is built different as it allows for limitless scalability and has already saved its 50 Million users over $11 Billion in gas fees. SKALE is high-performance and cost-effective, making it ideal for compute-intensive applications like AI, gaming, and consumer-facing dApps. Learn more at https://skale.space and stay up to date with the gas-free invisible blockchain on X at @skalenetwork -- Katana is a DeFi-first chain built for deep liquidity and high yield. No empty emissions, just real yield and sequencer fees routed back to DeFi users. Pre-deposit now: Earn high APRs with Turtle Club [https://app.turtle.club/campaigns/katana] or spin the wheel with Katana Krates [https://app.katana.network/krates] -- Ledger, the global leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors Expansion! As Ledger celebrates 10 years of securing 20% of global crypto, it remains the top choice for securing your assets. Buy a LEDGER™ device now, and build confidently, knowing your BTC, ETH, SOL, and more are safe. Buy now on https://shop.ledger.com/?r=1da180a5de00. -- Ledn is the leading platform for Bitcoin-backed loans, offering a secure and transparent way to unlock liquidity without selling your Bitcoin. Ledn has issued over $9 billion in loans since 2018 and has never lost a single satoshi of client assets, earning a reputation as the name you can trust in the crypto space. Visit https://www.ledn.io to learn more. -- Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:21 Permissionless IV Takeaways 07:21 Big Industry Narrartives & Themes 12:24 Ads (Katana) 13:28 Stablecoins’ Future 19:05 Macro Outlook 22:08 Ads (Katana) 23:12 Big Tech Overloads 31:03 Predictions We Made That Were Wrong — 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.

Join Michale, Mike, Yano and Santi on stage and LIVE from PERMISSIONLESS IV as they break down crypto's breakout moment for this week's roundup! -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts -- Follow Michael - https://x.com/im_manderson Follow Mike - https://x.com/MikeIppolito_ Follow Santi - https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- 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] -- 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 -- Ledger, the global leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors Expansion! As Ledger celebrates 10 years of securing 20% of global crypto, it remains the top choice for securing your assets. Buy a LEDGER™ device now, and build confidently, knowing your BTC, ETH, SOL, and more are safe.Buy now on https://shop.ledger.com/?r=1da180a5de00. -- 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 Chapters: (00:00) Intro (01:25) The Growth of Prediction Markets (04:11) Polymarket vs Kalshi's Business Models (09:32) Ads (Geodnet, Bitwise) (11:08) Is Crypto Forming Its Own Mag 7? (19:16) Ads (Geodnet, Bitwise) (20:53) Global Capital Pools and the State of Venture (30:21) Bitcoin Dominance Is Up Only (36:21) Ads (Ledger, Citrea) (37:52) Verifiable Apps and the Effectiveness of the DAO (40:56) How to Play the Stablecoin Boom — 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.

This week, the Hivemind team explains why crypto feels stagnant despite rising prices, the ongoing failure of real-world asset (RWA) narratives, and how on-chain credit markets are quietly gaining traction. They also dive into the explosion of new token launches, the misguided obsession with “real yield,” what the success of Ethena and Pendle says about crypto's evolution, and more. Enjoy! -- 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 Ceteris: https://x.com/ceterispar1bus  Follow Jose: https://x.com/ZeMariaMacedo  Follow Yan: https://x.com/YanLiberman  Follow Duncan: https://x.com/FloodCapital  Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod  Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4jYEkBx  Subscribe on Apple: https://bit.ly/3ECSmJ3  Subscribe on Spotify: https://bit.ly/4hzy9lH  -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/  -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:26) WW3 Averted (6:33) Institutional Inflows and Treasury Plays (8:44) Bitcoin and Altcoin Performance (15:59) Crypto Innovations, Bitcoin DeFi & Yield Farming (25:28) Crypto Sentiment vs Fundamentals (33:45) Proof of Governance Over Staking Inflation (44:32) HyperLiquid (57:24) Reflections on Crypto Innovations -- 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, the Hivemind team, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

This week, Marc Boiron (CEO, Polygon Labs) and Sandeep Nailwal (CEO, Polygon Foundation) joined Yano to dive into all the happenings at Polygon, their comeback plan, how the industry has shifted since last cycle, the best business models currently for chains and how Katana and the Agglayer will push not only the project, but crypto forward. -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts -- Follow Marc - https://x.com/0xMarcB Follow Sandeep - https://x.com/sandeepnailwal Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- SKALE is the next evolution in Layer 1 blockchains with a gas-free invisible user experience, instant finality, high speed, and robust security. SKALE is built different as it allows for limitless scalability and has already saved its 50 Million users over $11 Billion in gas fees. SKALE is high-performance and cost-effective, making it ideal for compute-intensive applications like AI, gaming, and consumer-facing dApps. Learn more at https://skale.space and stay up to date with the gas-free invisible blockchain on X at @skalenetwork -- Crypto never sleeps. So we built an Al analyst that never blinks.Meet Focal by FalconX: a GenAI insights engine built for institutional crypto.Already used by 80+ funds managing $10B+ in AUM.- Screen, chart, and analyze 1300+ tokens- Summarize market-moving news instantly- Integrates data from CoinGecko, Kaito, Token Terminal, Tokenomist, The TieGet started today: https://askfocal.com -- Ledn is the leading platform for Bitcoin-backed loans, offering a secure and transparent way to unlock liquidity without selling your Bitcoin. Ledn has issued over $9 billion in loans since 2018 and has never lost a single satoshi of client assets, earning a reputation as the name you can trust in the crypto space.Visit https://www.ledn.io to learn more. -- Chapters: 00:00 Intro 01:58 The Industry Today, As A Builder 06:45 Easier/More Difficult Than Last Cycle 15:36 Ads (Skale) 16:28 Sandeep + Polygon Foundation 21:52 2 Business Models For Chains 36:54 Ads (Skale) 37:47 Katana Explored 46:03 Why Katana 55:26 Ads (Falcon x,LEDN) 01:09:53 Polygon’s Future Vision — 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.

Happy Saturday! On this bonus episode sponsored by our partners at Supra, Josh Tobkin joins Yano to share all about the new and exciting advances that Supra are making when it comes to combining AI, oracles and blockchain to create TAOs (Threshold AI Oracles) and AutoFi - the new frontier of decentralized finance! -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts -- Follow Joshua - https://x.com/JoshuaTobkin Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- Chapters: (00:00) Intro (02:08) What's Supra? (08:04) Modular Approach Limitations (10:34) Supra’s L1 Approach (18:44) Solana, Base, Hype (21:43) AutoFi (35:49) Super Treasury (43:49) Evolution Of Revenue Models (47:47) MEV (55:41) The Crypto Cool Kids — 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.

On this week’s Roundup, Yano and Santi explore Blockworks’ recently released Token Transparency framework, discuss the passing of the GENIUS act through the senate, and continue to marvel and engage with the fire plays right now - Hyperliquid and CRCL.  -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts -- Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- 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] -- 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 -- Ledger, the global leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors Expansion! As Ledger celebrates 10 years of securing 20% of global crypto, it remains the top choice for securing your assets. Buy a LEDGER™ device now, and build confidently, knowing your BTC, ETH, SOL, and more are safe. Buy now on https://shop.ledger.com/?r=1da180a5de00. -- 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 -- Chapters: (00:00) Intro (01:24) Token Transparency Launch (22:30) Ads (Geodnet, Bitwise) (24:06) Permissionless (27:26) Stablecoin Summer (30:27) Market Update (39:45) Ads (Geodnet, Bitwise) (41:22) Hyperliquid (54:10) Ads (Ledger, Citrea) (55:41) Tron + USD1 (01:01:21) Cycle Top? (01:12:20) Eigen Cloud — 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.

On this episode, Yano is joined by Dan Smith of Blockworks Research, Felipe Montealegre of Theia Research and Louis T of L1D to publicly launch a brand new, industry leading Token Transparency Framework that will move the entire industry forward! -- Learn more here - https://blockworks.co/token-transparency -- Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts -- Follow Felipe - https://x.com/TheiaResearch Follow Louis - https://x.com/0xLouisT Follow Dan: https://x.com/smyyguy Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- Chapters: (00:00) Token Transparency (02:25) The Token Market & Lemons (11:40) Equity vs Token Risk (14:18) Structural Token Issues (17:12) How Did We Get Here? (22:57) Token Horror Stories (31:50) Token Launches (56:50) Best Case Scenario (01:02:38) Impact On Token Prices — 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.