Empire

Gm! Ben Forman and Josh Solesbury from ParaFi Capital join Yano for this episode to dive into all the details, developments, the good and the bad and the future for publicly traded crypto vehicles! -- 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 Josh: https://x.com/joshsolesbury 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 -- 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] -- Mantle is building the financial infrastructure for a tokenised future—bridging traditional finance and on-chain innovation through six integrated product pillars: Mantle Network, mETH Protocol, Function BTC, and the upcoming launches of MantleX, Mantle Banking, and the Mantle Index Four (MI4) Fund. Anchored by one of the largest community-governed treasuries in the industry, valued at over $4 billion, Mantle is delivering institutional-grade products designed for global capital markets.Follow Mantle on X: https://x.com/Mantle_Official -- 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 is now live. -- 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) Parafi Investor Letter (02:54) Digital Asset Treasuries Overview Today (10:10) Ads (Skale, Katana) (11:57) Why Q2 + Q3 For Public Crypto Treasuries? (17:09) Largest Convertible Issuer (23:51) Scale of Public Crypto Treasury Vehicles (25:23) Ads (Skale, Katana) (27:11) Green Flags To Launch A Treasury Company (40:00) Reputational Risks (43:25) Why don't Treasury vehicles Impact native token price action (51:26) Ads (Mantle, Zenrock, ,LEDN) (53:56) Crypto Treasury Vehicles For Top 50 (01:01:05) Low Capital Market Crypto Liquidity (01:03:15) Top Signals (01:10:09) The End Game — 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 Friday! On this roundup, Rob Hadick joins Santi and Yano again this week to discuss PUMP’S ICO, the future of creator driven revenue online, drama at Polymarket, where the best builders are today in the industry and how Agora is elevating stablecoins! -- 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 -- 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 -- Mantle is building the financial infrastructure for a tokenised future—bridging traditional finance and on-chain innovation through six integrated product pillars: Mantle Network, mETH Protocol, Function BTC, and the upcoming launches of MantleX, Mantle Banking, and the Mantle Index Four (MI4) Fund. Anchored by one of the largest community-governed treasuries in the industry, valued at over $4 billion, Mantle is delivering institutional-grade products designed for global capital markets. Follow Mantle on X: https://x.com/Mantle_Official [https://x.com/Mantle_Official] -- 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 is now live. -- 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 (03:07) Pump ICO (12:52) Ads (Geodnet, Bitwise) (14:29) Creator Strategy (23:55) Pump’s Revenue Clarity (26:31) Solana’s Future (29:40) Where Are The Best Builders? (35:45) Ads (Geodnet, Bitwise) (37:22) Acquisitions (48:24) Ads (Mantle, Zenrock, ,Citrea) (50:42) Zelensky Suit Polymarket Drama (01:00:27) Agora — 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 the upcoming $1.3 billion Pump ICO, ETH’s potential comeback, crypto treasury companies, the GMX exploit fallout, prediction markets reshaping information flows, free markets vs state direction, 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 [https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire]  -- Follow Ceteris: https://x.com/ceterispar1bus [https://x.com/ceterispar1bus]  Follow Jose: https://x.com/ZeMariaMacedo [https://x.com/ZeMariaMacedo]  Follow Yan: https://x.com/YanLiberman [https://x.com/YanLiberman]  Follow Duncan: https://x.com/FloodCapital [https://x.com/FloodCapital]  Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod [https://x.com/theempirepod]  Subscribe on YouTube: https://bit.ly/4jYEkBx [https://bit.ly/4jYEkBx]  Subscribe on Apple: https://bit.ly/3ECSmJ3 [https://bit.ly/3ECSmJ3]  Subscribe on Spotify: https://bit.ly/4hzy9lH [https://bit.ly/4hzy9lH]  -- Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ [https://blockworks.co/newsletter/]  -- Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (1:40) Market Overview (4:07) Bitcoin Whale Wallet (5:23) Treasury Companies (15:48) ETH Comeback? (21:30) Pump.Fun Sale (34:13) Impact on Solana? (40:47) Crypto Hacks (43:26) Pump Demand (46:58) Prediction Markets (58:53) Free Markets vs State Direction (1:16:16) EthCC -- 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.

Gm! This week Yano is joined by Steven and AJ from OffChain Labs to dive into all the behind-the-scenes happenings of one of the biggest deals in recent crypto history - the collaboration between Arbitrum and Robinhood to tokenize both public and private US stocks for European markets.  -- 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 Steven - https://x.com/sgoldfed Follow AJ - https://x.com/ajwarner90 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 -- 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] -- Mantle is evolving into the premier on-chain financial hub, supercharging the ecosystem that bridges blockchain with banking. The 2025 roadmap introduces three transformative products: - Enhanced Index Fund (launching Q1) offering optimized crypto exposure to BTC, ETH, SOL and USD with built-in yield optimization - targeting $1B AUM - Mantle Banking for seamless financial services - MantleX for AI-powered innovationBacked by a $4.5B treasury, Mantle is building the future of on-chain finance – accessible for everyone.Learn more: https://x.com/Mantle_Official/status/1882017058680086805 -- 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 is now live. -- 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 02:45 BTS Of Robinhood X Arbitrum Collab 07:25Launch & Migrate Strategy 19:01 Ads (Skale, Katana) 20:49 What Did Robinhood Want The Most Out Of Arbitrum 24:03 Business Model Breakdown 38:22 Ads (Skale, Katana) 40:09 The Largest Digital Nation 42: OpenAI Tokens 46:56 Next Up To Work With Arbitrum 51:57 Ads (Mantle, Zenrock, ,LEDN) 54:26 Mistakes Around L1s and L2s 01:13:16 Corporate Treasuries 01:16:53 Acquisitions 01:20:13 Stablecoins — 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 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.