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Empire

Empire

Written by: Blockworks
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 Empire features interviews with top crypto founders to get the real stories that aren’t shared elsewhere. Empire is your look behind the curtain of the crypto industry. We release two episodes per week: guest interviews on Monday and a weekly roundup on Friday.384141 Blockworks 2021-2023 Economics Personal Finance Politics & Government
Episodes
  • Claude Opus 4.5’s Breakout Moment & Investing in 2026 with Qiao Wang

    Claude Opus 4.5’s Breakout Moment & Investing in 2026 with Qiao Wang
    Jan 12 2026
    This week, Qiao Wang joins the show to discuss how AI is transforming what it means to be an investor in 2026. We deep dive into Claude Opus 4.5 and its breakout moment, why Qiao got into the Google trade, constructing a portfolio for 2026, where to allocate time in the age of AI and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Qiao: https://x.com/QwQiao Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- This Empire episode is brought to you by VanEck. Learn more about the VanEck Onchain Economy ETF (NODE): http://vaneck.com/EmpireNODE An investment in the Fund involves a substantial risk and is not suitable for all investors. It is possible to lose your entire principal investment. The Fund may invest nearly all of its net assets in either Digital Transformation Companies and/or Digital Asset Instruments. The Fund does not invest in digital assets or commodities directly. Digital asset instruments may be subject to risks associated with investing in digital asset exchange-traded products (“ETPs”), which include the historical extreme volatility of the digital asset and cryptocurrency market, as well as less regulation and thus fewer investor protections, as these ETPs are not investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“1940 Act”) or commodity pools for the purposes of the Commodity Exchange Act (“CEA”). Investing involves substantial risk and high volatility, including possible loss of principal. Visit vaneck.com to read and consider the prospectus, containing the investment objective, risks, and fees of the fund, carefully before investing. © Van Eck Securities Corporation, Distributor, a wholly owned subsidiary of Van Eck Associates Corporation. -- "Mantle Global Hackathon 2025 is live! Running from Oct 22 to Dec 31, Mantle invites builders to design the future of Real-World Assets (RWAs) on its modular L2 stack. Key Highlights: - $150,000 Prize Pool + Grants & Incubation opportunities - Access to Bybit's 7M+ verified users - Judges from Bybit Ventures, Spartan, Animoca Brands - 6 Tracks: RWA/RealFi, DeFi, AI, ZK, Infra, GameFi Join the Hackathon: https://www.hackquest.io/vi/hackathons/Mantle-Global-Hackathon-2025" -- Timestamps (00:00) Intro (02:33) Claude’s Opus 4.5 Breakout Moment (08:40) How Does AI Impact Startups? (13:10) Do Moats Still Exist? (20:00) Getting Into The Google Trade (23:38) Where To Allocate Time In 2026 (26:23) Ads (VanEck, Mantle) (28:25) Using AI Models For Investing (41:30) How Does AI Change Brand & Distribution? (44:49) Qiao’s Portfolio In 2026 (55:14) Health & Longevity -- 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.
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    58 mins
  • Lighter’s Token Launch, Erebor Raises $350M & Walmart's Crypto Strategy

    Lighter’s Token Launch, Erebor Raises $350M & Walmart's Crypto Strategy
    Jan 9 2026
    We're back with our first weekly roundup of 2026! This week we discuss Lighter token launch, Walmart's crypto strategy with OnePay, Erebor's $350m raise, what to expect in 2026 & more. Enjoy! -- Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod -- "Mantle Global Hackathon 2025 is live! Running from Oct 22 to Dec 31, Mantle invites builders to design the future of Real-World Assets (RWAs) on its modular L2 stack. Key Highlights: - $150,000 Prize Pool + Grants & Incubation opportunities - Access to Bybit's 7M+ verified users - Judges from Bybit Ventures, Spartan, Animoca Brands - 6 Tracks: RWA/RealFi, DeFi, AI, ZK, Infra, GameFi Join the Hackathon: https://www.hackquest.io/vi/hackathons/Mantle-Global-Hackathon-2025" -- 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] -- Uniswap’s Trading API offers plug-and-play access to deep onchain and off-chain liquidity, delivering enterprise-grade crypto trading without the complexity - from one of the most trusted teams in DeFi. Click to get started with seamless, scalable access to Uniswap’s powerful onchain trading infrastructure. https://hub.uniswap.org/?utm_source=blockworks&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=ww_web_bw_awa_trading-api_20251117_podcast_clicks -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (06:16) Lighter's Token Launch (13:36) Walmart's Crypto Strategy with OnePay (19:09) Erebor Raises $350m At a $4b Valuation (23:22) Ads (Mantle, Geodnet, Uniswap) (25:45) The Clarity Act (36:20) What To Expect In 2026 (43:32) Content of The Week -- 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.
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    49 mins
  • Hivemind: Will 2026 Be Bullish & Crypto's Token vs Equity Problem

    Hivemind: Will 2026 Be Bullish & Crypto's Token vs Equity Problem
    Jan 8 2026
    This week, the Hivemind team breaks down the current state of the markets and asks whether the start of 2026 will be bullish. We then dive into the ongoing token vs equity debate in crypto and explore the best way to structure ICOs. Enjoy! -- Follow Ceteris: ⁠https://x.com/ceterispar1bus⁠ Follow Jason: ⁠https://x.com/3xliquidated⁠ Follow Jose: https://x.com/ZeMariaMacedo Follow Yan: https://x.com/YanLiberman 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/⁠ -- (00:00) Introduction (01:53) Will Q1 Be Bullish For Crypto? (18:56) Crypto’s Token vs Equity Problem (26:43) The MetaDAO Model (39:48) What Defines Success For ICOs? (01:01:31) Solana’s Block Building Dilemma -- 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.
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    1 hr and 4 mins
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