Building Digital Clones for Research

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!

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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.

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"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"

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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

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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.