Solana & Shopify, Tornado Cash vs DOJ, Coinbase & Circle | Roundup

Gm! This week we're back with another weekly roundup. We discuss Coinbase's $3B acquisition of Deribit, Stripe's stablecoin launch, Ethereum's big pivot, will Meta launch a stablecoin & more. Enjoy! -- 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 Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. Use code EMPIRE10 for 10% off: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- 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 -- Marinade Labs develops staking technologies that strengthen Solana. In 2021, our protocol was the first to bring liquid staking to the network; today, our sophisticated, high-performance staking delegation platform brings billions in liquidity and security to the SOL market. We have solutions for both DeFi and TradFi, including liquid and native staking, as well as direct enterprise integrations. Our best-in-market features include user downside protection (through protected staking rewards) and optimized delegation (via our automated auction marketplace). Cryptoasset investors worldwide, from individual traders to global institutions, use Marinade to earn rewards on their SOL treasuries and holdings. We are headquartered in New York, with offices in the European Union, including Prague. To learn more about Marinade, visit marinade.finance. -- Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors Empire podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the security of your assets. For the best self-custody solution in the space, buy a LEDGER™ device and secure your crypto today. Buy now at www.Ledger.com -- WalletConnect is the onchain connectivity network . If you’ve connected to a Web3 app, you’ve seen WalletConnect. It’s everywhere—an icon of trust in crypto, as recognizable as Visa at checkout. The numbers speak for themselves: Over 220 million connections and 35 million users worldwide use WalletConnect to power their Web3 experience. @WalletConnect on X and Telegram or visit https://WalletConnect.Network -- 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 -- Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (02:58) Bitcoin Breaks $100k (05:25) Ethereum’s Pectra Upgrade (10:14) Ethereum's Big Pivot (12:41) Ads (Skale, Marinade) (14:13) Is Robinhood Launching A Chain? (15:31) Coinbase Acquires Deribit For $2.9 Billion (21:54) Stripe Sessions: The Stablecoin Playbook (32:02) Ads (Skale, Marinade) (33:35) Tokenization (real) (37:51) Is The IPO Window Open? (44:20) Ads (Ledger, WalletConnect, Bitwise) (46:38) The GENIUS Act (49:35) Will Meta Launch A Stablecoin? (52:08) Coinbase Earnings (53:31) Is Microstrategy A Threat To Bitcoin? (58:47) Final Thoughts — 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.

Gm! This week we're back with another weekly roundup live at Token2049. We deep dive into our biggest takeaways form the conference, Ethereum's next chapter, L1 valuations vs app development, the new era of crypto founders & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://x.com/jasonyanowitz Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. Use code EMPIRE10 for 10% off: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- Marinade Labs develops staking technologies that strengthen Solana.In 2021, our protocol was the first to bring liquid staking to the network; today, our sophisticated, high-performance staking delegation platform brings billions in liquidity and security to the SOL market. We have solutions for both DeFi and TradFi, including liquid and native staking, as well as direct enterprise integrations. Our best-in-market features include user downside protection (through protected staking rewards) and optimized delegation (via our automated auction marketplace). Cryptoasset investors worldwide, from individual traders to global institutions, use Marinade to earn rewards on their SOL treasuries and holdings. We are headquartered in New York, with offices in the European Union, including Prague. To learn more about Marinade, visit marinade.finance. -- Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors Empire podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the security of your assets. For the best self-custody solution in the space, buy a LEDGER™ device and secure your crypto today.Buy now at www.Ledger.com -- WalletConnect is the onchain connectivity network . If you’ve connected to a Web3 app, you’ve seen WalletConnect. It’s everywhere—an icon of trust in crypto, as recognizable as Visa at checkout. The numbers speak for themselves: Over 220 million connections and 35 million users worldwide use WalletConnect to power their Web3 experience. @WalletConnect on X and Telegram or visit https://WalletConnect.Network -- Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (01:39) Takeaways From Token2049 (03:54) Ads (Marinade) (04:43) A New Era Of Crypto Founders (07:56) L1s vs Apps (09:24) Ads (Marinade) (10:13) Ethereum's Next Chapter (14:33) Launching A Chain (16:48) Ads (Ledger, WalletConnect) (18:18) CeFi vs DeFi Trade-Off's — 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.

Gm! This week we're joined by Jeff Dorman to discuss his recent tweet on the bear case for Coinbase. We deep dive into the Coinbase business model, the rise of DEXs (Hyperliquid), who is best positioned to win the exchange wars, the opportunity for DeFi & more. Enjoy! -- 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 Jeff: https://x.com/jdorman81 Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. Use code EMPIRE10 for 10% off: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- Petra Earn was designed to make DeFi more accessible for everyone—from seasoned pros to DeFi beginners. Manage your balance, claim rewards and deposit directly from the app. By supplying USDT to Aries lending pools, users have the potential to earn a higher yield compared to some traditional methods. Not financial advice. Participating in Defi carries risks. To learn more visit https://petra.app/earn -- Zenrock is a permissionless, decentralized custody network backed by 1RoundTable Partners, 10T, Maven11, and Spartan. Live on Jupiter, $ROCK is the native token for transactions within the Zenrock ecosystem and secures Zenrock’s decentralized custody network. The first application launching on Zenrock is zenBTC – yield-bearing Bitcoin on Solana. zenBTC will be live in April 2025. -- 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 Tie Get started today: https://askfocal.com -- Token.com is a social-first crypto platform transforming how people discover and trade through crypto content. The revolutionary in-feed trading turns complex crypto into intuitive investments, while content creators earn from every trade and projects amplify their stories through native tokens - creating a new era of social media-powered crypto discovery. Just scroll to watch and tap to invest. Download the app! -- Timestamps: (00:00) Intro (03:06) Do Fundamentals Matter In Crypto? (08:58) Ripple's Breakthrough Moment (11:38) Ads (Aptos, Zenrock) (12:58) The Coinbase Business Model (20:59) Are Coinbase Users Sticky? (25:29) The Rise Of DEXs (31:41) Ads (Aptos, Zenrock) (33:01) Is There A Bull Case For Coinbase? (37:55) Tokenization (43:37) Ads (Falcon x, Token.com) (45:05) The Opportunity For DeFi (50:32) Value Accrual (57:07) How To Bring Assets Onchain (01:10:09) Should Securities Laws Be Updated? -- 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 discusses the crypto market rebound, Bitcoin’s outperformance, and whether the rally has more fuel for higher. They also explore Solana’s memecoin trading activity and DeFi growth, the Ethereum Foundations pivot, Hyperliquid’s strategy, and Galaxy Digital’s future Nasdaq uplisting. 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 Join us at Permissionless IV June 24th - 26th. Use code EMPIRE10 for 10% OFF! https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv  Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:25) Market Outlook (4:16) Does Bitcoin Have More Fuel to Run? (14:15) The Ethereum Foundation Pivots (23:23) Solana's Meme Activity & DeFi Growth (31:31) Potential Impact of a Solana ETF (38:26) Will Memes Continue to Outperform? (44:25) Hyperliquid's Staking Rollout (48:17) Thoughts on Metaplex and Sui (53:19) Galaxy Digital's Nasdaq Uplisting -- Check out Blockworks Research today! Research, data, governance, tokenomics, and models – now, all in one place Blockworks Research: https://www.blockworksresearch.com/ Free Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter -- 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.

Gm! This week we're joined by Samara Cohen to discuss BlackRock's crypto strategy in 2025. We deep dive into the success of the Bitcoin ETP launches, investor demand for crypto, why Samara is bullish on tokenization, how to bridge traditional assets onchain & much more. Enjoy! -- 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 Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. Use code EMPIRE10 for 10% off: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- Petra Earn was designed to make DeFi more accessible for everyone—from seasoned pros to DeFi beginners. Manage your balance, claim rewards and deposit directly from the app. By supplying USDT to Aries lending pools, users have the potential to earn a higher yield compared to some traditional methods.Not financial advice. Participating in Defi carries risks. To learn more visit https://petra.app/earn -- Zenrock is a permissionless, decentralized custody network backed by 1RoundTable Partners, 10T, Maven11, and Spartan. Live on Jupiter, $ROCK is the native token for transactions within the Zenrock ecosystem and secures Zenrock’s decentralized custody network. The first application launching on Zenrock is zenBTC – yield-bearing Bitcoin on Solana. zenBTC will be live in April 2025. -- 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 Tie Get started today: https://askfocal.com -- Token.com is a social-first crypto platform transforming how people discover and trade through crypto content. The revolutionary in-feed trading turns complex crypto into intuitive investments, while content creators earn from every trade and projects amplify their stories through native tokens - creating a new era of social media-powered crypto discovery. Just scroll to watch and tap to invest. Download the app! -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (07:48) What Are ETFs vs ETPs? (12:00) A New Regime For Markets (14:31) Ads (Aptos, Zenrock) (15:51) Active vs Passive Investing (18:44) BlackRock's Bitcoin ETP Launch (24:53) Why Was The IBIT Launch So Successful? (29:00) Ads (Aptos, Zenrock) (30:20) Investor Demand For Bitcoin (33:34) How Does Bitcoin Trade During A Market Sell Off? (37:37) Who Is Actually Buying The Bitcoin ETP? (39:04) Was The Ethereum ETP Launch Successful? (41:19) Investor Demand For Crypto (46:27) Ads (Falcon x, Token.com) (47:54) Why BlackRock Is Bullish On Tokenization (53:46) How To Bridge Assets Onchain (01:00:34) BlackRock's 10 Year Vision For Crypto (01:07:24) Does Speculation Drive Adoption? (01:09:16) Final Thoughts -- 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, Santi joins the Bell Curve podcast to discuss current crypto market sentiment, crypto valuation frameworks, and the evolving challenges of utilizing onchain data. Enjoy! -- Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Mike: https://twitter.com/MikeIppolito_ -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. Use code EMPIRE10 for 10% off: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- Resources Chopping Block - Is Bitcoin a Safe Haven?: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6n8HWZQ36S5rOoBMi9r6RO?si=viOVZTlGT2uYtBUU8fS-ew Storm’s Data: https://x.com/notnotstorm/status/1915439259630317995 Vance’s Critique on Crypto Data: https://x.com/pythianism/status/1915435394663162231 -- 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 -- Marinade Labs develops staking technologies that strengthen Solana. In 2021, our protocol was the first to bring liquid staking to the network; today, our sophisticated, high-performance staking delegation platform brings billions in liquidity and security to the SOL market. We have solutions for both DeFi and TradFi, including liquid and native staking, as well as direct enterprise integrations. Our best-in-market features include user downside protection (through protected staking rewards) and optimized delegation (via our automated auction marketplace). Cryptoasset investors worldwide, from individual traders to global institutions, use Marinade to earn rewards on their SOL treasuries and holdings. We are headquartered in New York, with offices in the European Union, including Prague. To learn more about Marinade, visit marinade.finance. -- Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors Empire podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the security of your assets. For the best self-custody solution in the space, buy a LEDGER™ device and secure your crypto today. Buy now at www.Ledger.com -- WalletConnect is the onchain connectivity network . If you’ve connected to a Web3 app, you’ve seen WalletConnect. It’s everywhere—an icon of trust in crypto, as recognizable as Visa at checkout. The numbers speak for themselves: Over 220 million connections and 35 million users worldwide use WalletConnect to power their Web3 experience. @WalletConnect on X and Telegram or visit https://WalletConnect.Network -- AO Mainnet is LIVE! Experience the future of decentralized computing: infinite parallel processing, secure TEE-powered computations, and LLMs in smart contracts. Built on Arweave, AO's modular design shatters scalability limits. 100% of tokens are distributed to Arweave holders and bridge depositors, with a fixed supply and halving. Explore AO today: https://ao.arweave.dev -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (04:21) How Do You Value Crypto Assets? (15:30) Ads (Skale, Marinade)  (16:51) Issues With Crypto's Data Analytics (25:53) Ads (Skale, Marinade) (27:14) Stages of Growth For Companies (35:31) Zora's Token Launch & Business Model (49:53) Ads (Ledger, WalletConnect, Arweave) (52:10) Can Crypto Disrupt Traditional Media Platforms? -- 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.

Gm! This week we're joined by Edward Woodford to discuss the economics of stablecoins. We deep dive into Circle's S-1 filing, who will benefit the most from the stablecoin business model, how does Circle remain competitive, the end game for stablecoin issuers & more. Enjoy! -- 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 Edward: https://x.com/e_woodford Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. Use code EMPIRE10 for 10% off: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- Petra Earn was designed to make DeFi more accessible for everyone—from seasoned pros to DeFi beginners. Manage your balance, claim rewards and deposit directly from the app. By supplying USDT to Aries lending pools, users have the potential to earn a higher yield compared to some traditional methods. Not financial advice. Participating in Defi carries risks. To learn more visit https://petra.app/earn -- Zenrock is a permissionless, decentralized custody network backed by 1RoundTable Partners, 10T, Maven11, and Spartan. Live on Jupiter, $ROCK is the native token for transactions within the Zenrock ecosystem and secures Zenrock’s decentralized custody network. The first application launching on Zenrock is zenBTC – yield-bearing Bitcoin on Solana. zenBTC will be live in April 2025. -- 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 Tie Get started today: https://askfocal.com -- WalletConnect is the onchain connectivity network . If you’ve connected to a Web3 app, you’ve seen WalletConnect. It’s everywhere—an icon of trust in crypto, as recognizable as Visa at checkout. The numbers speak for themselves: Over 220 million connections and 35 million users worldwide use WalletConnect to power their Web3 experience. @WalletConnect on X and Telegram or visit https://WalletConnect.Network -- Token.com is a social-first crypto platform transforming how people discover and trade through crypto content. The revolutionary in-feed trading turns complex crypto into intuitive investments, while content creators earn from every trade and projects amplify their stories through native tokens - creating a new era of social media-powered crypto discovery. Just scroll to watch and tap to invest. Download the app! -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (01:17) The ZeroHash Origin Story (04:48) Circle's S-1 Filing (10:20) Ads (Aptos, Zenrock) (11:40) How Does Circle Remain Competitive? (14:57) The Stablecoin Business Model (20:23) Should Circle Launch Its Own Chain? (21:34) Ads (Aptos, Zenrock) (22:54) Will The Banks Win? (27:06) The End Game For Stablecoins (30:43) Meta's Stablecoin Strategy (34:12) Ads (Falcon x, WalletConnect, Token.com) (36:25) Tether (39:30) Tether vs Circle: Who Will Win? (41:57) Will Coinbase Acquire Circle? (44:33) The Thesis For Stables (48:46) Tokenization (51:42) Stablecoin Regulation (55:43) The Stablecoin Hype Cycle -- 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, Santi joins the Bell Curve podcast to discuss how to solve crypto's core issues. We deep dive into market conditions, stablecoins, how long-term allocators are accumulating Bitcoin & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Mike: https://twitter.com/MikeIppolito_ Follow Michael: https://twitter.com/im_manderson Follow Vance: https://twitter.com/pythianism -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. Use code EMPIRE10 for 10% off: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- Resources Solana Dashboard: https://app.blockworksresearch.com/analytics/solana?dashboard=sol-overview App Revenue by Chain: https://x.com/_ryanrconnor/status/1912944523459846580 Life on K2-18b? https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c39jj9vkr34o -- 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 -- Marinade Labs develops staking technologies that strengthen Solana. In 2021, our protocol was the first to bring liquid staking to the network; today, our sophisticated, high-performance staking delegation platform brings billions in liquidity and security to the SOL market. We have solutions for both DeFi and TradFi, including liquid and native staking, as well as direct enterprise integrations. Cryptoasset investors worldwide, from individual traders to global institutions, use Marinade to earn rewards on their SOL treasuries and holdings. To learn more about Marinade, visit marinade.finance. -- Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors Empire podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the security of your assets. For the best self-custody solution in the space, buy a LEDGER™ device and secure your crypto today. Buy now at www.Ledger.com -- WalletConnect is the onchain connectivity network . If you’ve connected to a Web3 app, you’ve seen WalletConnect. It’s everywhere—an icon of trust in crypto, as recognizable as Visa at checkout. The numbers speak for themselves: Over 220 million connections and 35 million users worldwide use WalletConnect to power their Web3 experience. @WalletConnect on X and Telegram or visit https://WalletConnect.Network -- AO Mainnet is LIVE! Experience the future of decentralized computing: infinite parallel processing, secure TEE-powered computations, and LLMs in smart contracts. Built on Arweave, AO's modular design shatters scalability limits. 100% of tokens are distributed to Arweave holders and bridge depositors, with a fixed supply and halving. Explore AO today: https://ao.arweave.dev -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (05:56) How Can Crypto Founders Weather the Storm? (15:54) Ads (Skale, Marinade) (17:26) Will A Potential Private Market Bubble Impact Tokenization? (21:32) Long Term Bitcoin Holders Are Accumulating (25:00) Getting Exposure to Stablecoin Growth (34:58) Ads (Skale, Marinade) (36:30) How Sticky is Stablecoin Issuance For L1s? (42:09) Why Are L1s Valued the Way They Are? (47:40) Ads (Ledger, WalletConnect, Arweave) (49:57) Crypto's Data and Transparency Problem (1:03:49) Life on K2-18b? -- 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 discuss Bitcoin decoupling from traditional markets, how tariffs and deficits play into the bid for US assets, and Worldcoin tackling the AI-identity issue. We also dig into the best launchpad for crypto onboarding, stablecoin adoption, Bitcoin & gold in DeFi, 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 Join us at Permissionless IV June 24th - 26th. Use code EMPIRE10 for 10% OFF! https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv  Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:40) Bitcoin Decoupling from Traditional Markets (6:07) Reserve Currency Debate (8:47) Bitcoin Decoupling Pt. 2 (11:53) Trade Deficits, Tariffs & Bid for US Assets (18:33) Global Bitcoin Adoption (19:53) Neutral and Synthetic Dollars (23:21) Radium vs Pump.Fun (30:22) Worldcoin & Identity on Social Networks (37:35) Stablecoin Adoption (41:01) Bitcoin and Gold in DeFi (44:49) OM, OKX & ETH Sentiment (50:04) Final Thoughts -- 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.

Gm! This week we're joined by Felix Jauvin & Quinn Thompson from the Forward Guidance podcast to discuss where markets go next from here. After the market sold off in reaction to the Trump tariffs, we deep dive into the bull vs bear case in 2025, Trump's end game, building the perfect portfolio, Coinbase vs Robinhood, is Bitcoin really a safe haven asset & more. Enjoy! -- Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts Follow Quinn: https://x.com/qthomp Follow Felix: https://x.com/fejau_inc Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- Follow the Forward Guidance Podcast: https://x.com/ForwardGuidance Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. Use code EMPIRE10 for 10% off: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- Petra Earn was designed to make DeFi more accessible for everyone—from seasoned pros to DeFi beginners. Manage your balance, claim rewards and deposit directly from the app. By supplying USDT to Aries lending pools, users have the potential to earn a higher yield compared to some traditional methods. Not financial advice. Participating in Defi carries risks. To learn more visit https://petra.app/earn -- Zenrock is a permissionless, decentralized custody network backed by 1RoundTable Partners, 10T, Maven11, and Spartan. Live on Jupiter, $ROCK is the native token for transactions within the Zenrock ecosystem and secures Zenrock’s decentralized custody network. The first application launching on Zenrock is zenBTC – yield-bearing Bitcoin on Solana. zenBTC will be live in April 2025. -- 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 Tie Get started today: https://askfocal.com -- WalletConnect is the onchain connectivity network . If you’ve connected to a Web3 app, you’ve seen WalletConnect. It’s everywhere—an icon of trust in crypto, as recognizable as Visa at checkout. The numbers speak for themselves: Over 220 million connections and 35 million users worldwide use WalletConnect to power their Web3 experience. @WalletConnect on X and Telegram or visit https://WalletConnect.Network -- Token.com is a social-first crypto platform transforming how people discover and trade through crypto content. The revolutionary in-feed trading turns complex crypto into intuitive investments, while content creators earn from every trade and projects amplify their stories through native tokens - creating a new era of social media-powered crypto discovery. Just scroll to watch and tap to invest. Download the app! -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:52) Turning Bearish In 2025 (11:38) Ads (Aptos, Zenrock) (12:58) How Trump Spooked Markets (16:44) The Trump & Bessent Playbook (20:12) The Bull vs Bear Case In 2025 (28:56) Ads (Aptos, Zenrock) (30:15) How To Position Under Trump 2.0 (33:54) Will The Fed Step In? (37:55) What We Learnt From SVB’s Collapse (40:52) Ads (Falcon X, WalletConnect, Token.com) (43:05) What’s Trump’s End Game (47:53) Is Bitcoin A Safe Haven? (50:45) Building A Crypto Portfolio (01:04:23) Long vs Short Vol (01:07:26) Coinbase & Crypto Equities -- 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.