Winners & Losers From PUMP’S ICO With Santi, Yano & Rob Hadick | Weekly Roundup

Jul 11, 2025

Joining Santi and Jason, Rob Hadick, a seasoned investor in the crypto industry, shares his insights on PUMP'S ICO and the future of creator-driven revenue. They discuss the intense competition in cryptocurrency, exploring how platforms like PUMP offer better incentives for creators. The trio dives into the drama at Polymarket and the intricacies of stablecoins, while also analyzing recent mergers and acquisitions reshaping the market landscape. With humor and expertise, they unravel the evolving dynamics of content creation and investment opportunities in this fast-paced industry.

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INSIGHT

Pump ICO Dynamics And Risks

Pump's ICO saw $740 million bought by VCs and institutions, with $260 million by retail via launchpads.
Most liquid funds expect short-term trading profits but face oversupply risks on valuation and supply.

INSIGHT

Pump's Creator Economy Ambition

Pump targets creators with a unique model different from Hyperliquid's whale-focused capital markets.
Success depends on whether creators adopt it and if it can compete with entrenched platforms.

ANECDOTE

Permies Token Experience

Podcast co-founders share their experience launching "permies" tokens that sold out and rose dramatically in price.
The community pressure for token price increases created challenges for their event access model.

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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!

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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]

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-- 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.

-- 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

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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.