Empire

Casey Wagner, Blockworks senior reporter, covers SBF's criminal trial and shares details on jury selection, opening statements, and witness testimony. The podcast also explores media attention, the unexpected choice of victim, Sam's living situation, and the ongoing trial speculation.

In today's episode of Empire Jason and Santi interview Blockchain Capital General Partners Aleks and Spencer. Blockchain Capital recently closed two new funds, early stage and opportunity, totaling $580 million. Since its inception in 2013, Blockchain Capital has invested in more than 110 companies, protocols and crypto assets across the ecosystem. Today's discussion dives into their fund thesis and overall managing strategy, the time horizon for mass adoption, deploying capital in U.S. based projects, and existing discounts in later stage start-ups. - -Follow Aleks: https://twitter.com/_alekslarsenFollow Spencer: https://twitter.com/CremeDeLaCryptoFollow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitzFollow Santiago: https://twitter.com/santiagoroelFollow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepodSubscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2jSubscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprwGet top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - -Get 5% off your business insurance today with Vouch, the leading insurer of crypto startups. With over 4000 clients, Vouch offers exclusive coverages with crypto enhancements including Directors & Officers with digital asset regulatory defense and Cyber that includes smart contract vulnerabilities. Get started today at https://vouch.us/web3/blockworks- -Bumper is an innovative DeFi protocol that protects the value of the crypto you hold from the downside & simultaneously preserves gains when the price climbs. - A superior alternative to crypto options for traders - 30% cheaper and more efficient than traditional tools- Liquidity providers earn 3-18% real yield on USDC- Get a share in $250,000 of BUMP rewards for Early AdoptersVisit bumper.fi for more info!- -Timestamps:(00:00) $580M Fund Raise(08:00) Fund Performance and Power Dynamics(16:45) Time Horizon for Mass Adoption(22:04) Allocating Capital in U.S.(29:58) Exciting Innovation(38:30) Bumper Ad(39:34) Vouch ad(40:42) Balancing Portfolio Competition(44:50) Investment Stage Discount(47:18) What's Misunderstood about WorldCoin(51:01) Potential of AI & Crypto(54:09) Lessons Learned from Previous Cycles(58:56) Revisiting Old Ideas- -Resources:Blockchain Capitalhttps://www.blockchaincapital.com/blog/doubling-up-while-doubling-down-announcing-our-latest-funds- -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 podcast, the hosts discuss the general climate of funds in crypto, the Binance rumors and potential struggles the exchange may be facing, founders pivoting on investor money, token treasury management, investing in a bear market, evaluating token cash-flows, and advancements in zk tech. They also touch on topics like fund returns in crypto, the implications of finance's involvement, concerns about Binance's negligence and solvency, and understanding DeFi metrics and protocols.

Topics explored in this podcast include Coinbase's approval for non-US retail perpetuals trading, Pudgy Penguins invading Walmart, the market structure of crypto perps, the Gensler hearing, AI valuations, locked token deals, and the trend of companies staying private and potential secondary value sales.

The podcast discusses the potential opportunities in the crypto and oil markets, emphasizing the use of USDT for global oil transactions. They also talk about Polygon's lead in zk implementations and the interest from Asia-based investors. The hosts share their market outlook and express concerns about altcoins. Other topics include Token2049 observations, Optimism's balance sheet deal, and the potential market turn in cryptocurrencies.

Matt Cutler, CEO & co-founder of Blocknative, discusses the supply chain of blockchains, power balances of validators and users, MEV, account abstraction, and the usage of intents. They also explore Ethereum's transition to proof of stake, vulnerability of relays, insurance for crypto companies, payment for order flow, private transactions, and improving user experience in transaction signing.

The podcast covers topics such as market sentiment indicators, portfolio construction, and the latest news including Blockchain Capital's $580M raise. They also discuss bumper, a DeFi protocol for protecting and preserving crypto value, and Chronicle Protocol, a revolutionary oracle solution. Insights on B2B buying behavior in the crypto industry and the impact of memorable brands and crypto stickers are explored. The speakers also share their thoughts on the current bear market and investment strategies moving forward.

The hosts discuss their takeaways from the Permissionless 2 conference, including the resurgence of DeFi and real-world assets, regulatory discussions, and the crypto investment landscape. They also delve into quotes, politics, leaving America, future technological advancements, and their experiences at conferences.

Tyrone Lobban, Head of Onyx Digital Assets from JPMorgan Chase, discusses traditional financial institutions adopting onchain capabilities. Topics include Onyx digital assets goal, project guardian aiming to unlock institutional access to DeFi, and JPM's view on blockchain. They also explore USDC and stablecoin market, rights and wrongs in crypto, ETF approval, and JPMorgan's crypto buy-in.

The podcast discusses interesting topics such as MakerDAO selecting Solana codebase, Visa using Solana for payments, Nima Capital going dark, and the Spot Ether ETF news. Also, the hosts talk about hosting a conference, MakerDAO's governance issues, Binance's usage of Tendermint, and frustration with MetaMask.