Empire

On today's episode of Empire, Jason Yanowitz and Santiago Roel Santos are joined by Travis Kling, founder of Ikigai Asset Management. Travis is a prolific investor who sits at the intersection of macro and crypto. We discuss the implications of the ETH 2.0 merge, why ETH is prime for institutional capital, what a macro bear market means for crypto, Ikigai's investment strategy, and more. This is a must-listen if you're interested in the ETH 2.0 Merge and ETH's investment prospects (warning, Travis is a mega bull). --Travis on Twitter:https://twitter.com/Travis_KlingIkigai Newsletter:https://www.kanaandkatana.com/--ParaSwap:If you want to make a swap at the best price across the DeFi market, check out paraswap.io. ParaSwap’s state-of-the-art algorithm beats the market price across all major DEXs and brings you the most optimized swaps with the best prices, and lowest slippage.---Empire is brought to you by Blockworks, a financial media brand delivering breaking news and premium insights about digital assets to millions of investors. For more content like this, subscribe to Blockworks' free daily newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/Follow me and Santiago on Twitter, @JasonYanowitz and @santiagoroel; let us know what you thought of the show!Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UTePv1CR3APdKOiosR3Iq?si=41bc452345b649f9Subscribe to the podcast on Apple: https://apple.co/3srZf7M--Timestamps(00:00) Introduction(00:58) Bitcoin's 2022 Outlook(07:30) ETH 2.0 Merge Catalyst (12:33) Why Is This Time Different?(15:20) Paraswap Ad(16:37) When Will Institutions Start Deploying Capital?(19:36) The Bear Case(21:31) The Merge's Perfect Timing(23:35) Will Institutions HODL?(28:48) Crypto's Progress and Runway(33:00) Moving Beyond Just BTC(39:52) The Most Important Rule In Crypto Investing(41:00) Layer 1 Wars(48:40) BTC As Pristine Collateral(54:30) Bitcoin Defi(56:00) Ikaigi's Investment Style(57:20) Investments and Mistakes

On today's episode of Empire, Jason Yanowitz and Santiago Roel Santos are joined by Bryan Pellegrino, co-founder of LayerZero. LayerZero is an interoperability protocol that wants to connect every contract on every chain. This is a can't miss episode on blockchain bridges and the future of interoperability. We discuss how LayerZero works, how Stargate enables seamless cross-chain swaps, the flaws of synthetic/wrapped assets, and why the future will be cross-chain.--Links:Bryan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PrimordialAALayerZero Website: https://layerzero.network/Stargate Website: https://stargate.finance/--BitMEX is back and better than ever. Sign up for BitmEX's new Spot Exchange for a chance to win a piece of $500,000 in BTC (new users).Learn more about them at https://www.bitmex.com/--Follow me and Santiago on Twitter, @JasonYanowitz and @santiagoroel; let us know what you thought of the show!Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UTePv1CR3APdKOiosR3Iq?si=41bc452345b649f9Subscribe to the podcast on Apple: https://apple.co/3srZf7M--Timestamps(00:00) Introduction(01:21) Why Bryan Started LayerZero(03:51) Why Now?(05:27) Why Does Interoperability Matter?(07:48) A Microscience vs Monolithic Structure(10:48) How LayerZero Works(18:43) The Apps Now Have Control(22:33) The Adversarial Nature of Crypto(28:08) Moving Fast and Breaking Things in Crypto(31:54) Fundraising(33:01) Bitmex Ad(34:16) Security Is Table Stakes(36:56) Where Are We In The Adoption Phase?(36:43) The Multichain Future(42:43) Where Is LayerZero's Activity Today?(44:01) Should Wrapped Assets Exist?(47:40) Yield Seeking Capital(50:42) The Project Bryan Is Most Excited About Outside of LayerZero(54:23) The Challenges of Being a Crypto Builder(58:14) What Will The Team Focus On Next?(1:00:19) Advice For Future Founders(1:02:52) How To Get Involved--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.

On today's episode of Empire, Jason Yanowitz and Santiago Roel Santos are joined by gaming expert Brooks Brown, co-founder of the PlayFi platform NOR. Brooks has an encyclopedic knowledge of gaming and has worked with studios such as Universal Pictures, Lucas Arts (Starwars), and James Cameron's Avatar.We discuss the intricacies of world-building, what P2E games get wrong, how financialization shapes game design, NFTs, and the significance of permadeath in Nor. This is a masterclass on the confluence of gaming, finance and Web3.--ParaSwap:If you want to make a swap at the best price across the DeFi market, check out paraswap.io. ParaSwap’s state-of-the-art algorithm beats the market price across all major DEXs and brings you the most optimized swaps with the best prices, and lowest slippage.--Follow me and Santiago on Twitter, @JasonYanowitz and @santiagoroel; let us know what you thought of the show!Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UTePv1CR3APdKOiosR3Iq?si=41bc452345b649f9Subscribe to the podcast on Apple: https://apple.co/3srZf7M--Timestamps(00:00) Introduction(01:36) What Makes A Good Game?(05:11) Open vs Closed Games(14:41) Improving Is The Human Condition(19:19) The Evolution of Gaming(25:18) How Money Shapes Our Games(29:17) The Two Magic Circles(33:13) Access Drives Adoption(35:58) Building Nor In Layers(39:56) Cohesive Gameplay and Composability(44:35) What Is The Metaverse?(48:50) Sponsor Segment(49:58) Are Games Meant For Escaping Reality?(53:53) NFTs and Building In The Digital Space(01:00:46) The Value of Permadeath(01:10:03) Blockchains Enable Unique Contribution(01:13:57) Most P2E Games Are Just Jobs(01:19:28) Adding Scarcity To Games(01:22:47) Defi vs Gaming(01:25:45) Closing Thoughts--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.

Kevin O'Leary, the dynamic entrepreneur and "Shark Tank" investor, dives deep into the evolving landscape of crypto. He predicts that crypto will soon be recognized as the 12th sector of the S&P 500. O'Leary discusses why NFTs could outshine crypto and highlights the massive potential of clean energy Bitcoin mining. He also touches on the importance of progressive regulation and the impact of taxation on innovation in America. His insights blend passion and expertise, providing a fascinating look into the future of digital assets.

On today's episode of Empire, Jason Yanowitz and Santiago Roel Santos are joined by Josh Wolfe, co-founder of Lux Capital. Josh is a true polymath who invests in hard sciences, robotics, nuclear waste and more. If you wanted a nuclear energy crash course, this is it. Josh discusses where solar and biofuels fell short, how nuclear energy markets function, why nuclear is the sustainable-energy source environmentalist have wanted, and how nuclear is the key to energy security.Nuclear energy is inevitable. Listen to Josh's unique insights to learn why.--BitMEX is back and better than ever. Sign up for BitmEX's new Spot Exchange for a chance to win a piece of $500,000 in BTC (new users).Learn more about them at https://www.bitmex.com/--Follow me and Santiago on Twitter, @JasonYanowitz and @santiagoroel; let us know what you thought of the show!Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UTePv1CR3APdKOiosR3Iq?si=41bc452345b649f9Subscribe to the podcast on Apple: https://apple.co/3srZf7M--Timestamps(00:00) Introduction(01:58) Solar Energy Hype(07:16) Bio Fuels Fell Short(09:40) Energy Density(10:58) The Nuclear Narrative(15:31) Understanding the Uranium Market(18:44) Modular Reactors(19:49) Intro to Nuclear Waste(22:33) Low-Level and High-Level Nuclear Waste(24:11) Russia's Impact on the Nuclear Narrative(28:45) Sponsor Segment(30:01) Adopting Nuclear(33:39) Investing in Nuclear(37:30) China and the Nuclear Advantage(40:51) Cheap Electricity and Jevon's Paradox(44:39) Lux's Investment in Nuclear(48:53) Black Swan Events(52:19) Looking Forward--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.

On today's episode of Empire, Jason Yanowitz is joined by media specialist Jarrod Dicker. Jarrod is a Partner at TCG (The Chernin Group), where he focuses on investments in Web3, blockchain, and tech that connects fans with creators.We discuss the evolution of media's business model, how media companies are talent companies, where NFTs fit in the creation stack, and much more. Don't miss these unique insights on the confluence of media and Web3.---Empire is brought to you by Blockworks, a financial media brand delivering breaking news and premium insights about digital assets to millions of investors. For more content like this, subscribe to Blockworks' free daily newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/Follow me and Santiago on Twitter, @JasonYanowitz and @santiagoroel; let us know what you thought of the show!Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UTePv1CR3APdKOiosR3Iq?si=41bc452345b649f9Subscribe to the podcast on Apple: https://apple.co/3srZf7M--Timestamps(00:00) Introduction(02:58) Media's Evolution(17:37) Media Companies are Talent Companies(26:54) Web3 Media(34:02) From Product to Process(41:07) Scarce Memberships(50:18) DAOs(57:27) Leveraging Web3--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.

On today's episode of Empire, Jason Yanowitz and Santiago Roel Santos are joined by Illia Polosukhin, co-founder of the Near. Near is one of the fastest-growing layer-one blockchains that uniquely focuses on the user and developer experience. Illia believes Near's innovative culture, simplicity and dynamic scalability will onboard the next 1B users to crypto.Don't miss this discussion on Near's roadmap, scalability solutions, the layer-one landscape, Ukraine and more. This podcast was recorded the day before NEAR announced their latest $350M raise led by Tiger Capital; just 3 months after raising $150M from Three Arrows Capital.--BitMEX is back and better than ever. Sign up for BitmEX's new Spot Exchange for a chance to win a piece of $500,000 in BTC (new users).Learn more about them at https://www.bitmex.com/ --Empire is brought to you by Blockworks, a financial media brand delivering breaking news and premium insights about digital assets to millions of investors. For more content like Empire, visit http://blockworks.co/podcasts Follow me and Santiago on Twitter, @JasonYanowitz and @santiagoroel; let us know what you thought of the show!Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UTePv1CR3APdKOiosR3Iq?si=41bc452345b649f9Subscribe to the podcast on Apple: https://apple.co/3srZf7M--(00:00) Introduction(01:00) Near's Inspiration(06:35) Ethereum's Scaling Challenge(09:48) Scalability Tradeoff(15:00) Centralization(16:51) Enabling Innovation(24:03) Blockchains As Cities(27:18) Bitmex Ad(28:34) Sharding(32:35) Coordination Problem(37:27) Rollup Complexity(40:13) Solana and Avalanche(43:41) Composability(46:33) Low Switching Costs(48:38) Multichain and Bridges(52:59) Open Source Competition(56:03) Ukraine

On today's episode of Empire, Jay Clayton, former-SEC Chairman, joins Santiago and Jason in a discussion about the merits of crypto and how regulation threatens its freedom. Giving a special perspective as a former head of the epitome of traditional finances, Jay Clayton talks about his journey in embracing crypto, how enforcement could affect it, and what he sees for its future in the markets.--ParaSwap:If you want to make a swap at the best price across the DeFi market, check out paraswap.io. ParaSwap’s state-of-the-art algorithm beats the market price across all major DEXs and brings you the most optimized swaps with the best prices, and lowest slippage.---Empire is brought to you by Blockworks, a financial media brand delivering breaking news and premium insights about digital assets to millions of investors. For more content like this, subscribe to Blockworks' free daily newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/Follow me and Santiago on Twitter, @JasonYanowitz and @santiagoroel; let us know what you thought of the show!Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UTePv1CR3APdKOiosR3Iq?si=41bc452345b649f9Subscribe to the podcast on Apple: https://apple.co/3srZf7M--Timestamps:(00:00) Introduction(01:52) Stabalizing Markets(05:25) Decentralized Market Operations(12:55) Embracing Crypto(14:32) The Tradeoffs(18:44) The Real Opportunity(27:14) Paraswap Ad(28:02) Bitcoin ETF(31:44) Enforcement(35:44) Biden's Executive Order(39:52) Stablecoins (43:32) Final Thoughts--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 today's episode of Empire's Weekly Roundup, Jason Yanowitz and Santiago Roel Santos tackle the Ronin Hack and wallet security, explaining the whens and hows, and postulating on how to better protect themselves and others in the wake of the largest crypto hack thus far. They also look at some breaking news concerning wallets and securities, music NFTs, safety nets and more. With so much happening in the space, there's a lot to cover-- so tune in!Link discussed:https://twitter.com/paddi_hansen/status/1509536318585454597--Avalanche:Thank you to Avalanche for sponsoring Empire. Avalanche is one of the best and fastest growing smart-contract platforms in the industry. Learn more about them at https://www.avax.network/ ---Empire's Weekly Roundup is brought to you by Blockworks, a financial media brand delivering breaking news and premium insights about digital assets to millions of investors. For more content like this, subscribe to Blockworks' free daily newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/Follow me and Santiago on Twitter, @JasonYanowitz and @santiagoroel; let us know what you thought of the show!Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UTePv1CR3APdKOiosR3Iq?si=41bc452345b649f9Subscribe to the podcast on Apple: https://apple.co/3srZf7MTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction(02:00) Curiosity and Culture(04:46) NFT Collectors and A Growing Space(10:16) What Do Investors Look For?(14:20) Ronin Hack Explained(20:34) Avalanche Ad(22:03) Where The Community Goes From Here(26:30) Bridging & Web 2.0 Inspired Buffers(31:05) Music NFTs vs. JPEG NFTs(39:09) SEC News and Securities (41:10) News -- Blockchain.com, MacroStrategy, FTX & More (50:45) Permies and Permissionless!--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.

On today's episode of Empire, Jason Yanowitz and Santiago Roel Santos are joined by Do Kwon, founder of Terraform Labs. Do explains Terra’s evolving roadmap, how UST will be the most dominant stablecoin in the interchain world, and why Terra is adopting BTC as a reserve asset. Do is an absolute force - don’t miss his alpha on Terra, Anchor, bridges and more.--Empire is brought to you by Blockworks, a financial media brand delivering breaking news and premium insights about digital assets to millions of investors. For more content like this, subscribe to Blockworks' free daily newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/Follow me and Santiago on Twitter, @JasonYanowitz and @santiagoroel; let us know what you thought of the show!Subscribe to the podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4UTePv1CR3APdKOiosR3Iq?si=41bc452345b649f9Subscribe to the podcast on Apple: https://apple.co/3srZf7M--Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:14 Stable Coins04:58 Terra's Beginning11:48 Terra's Path35:08 Use Cases39:07 The Crypto Community44:36 Seigniorage50:09 Tradeoffs54:59 Bitcoin Buys58:52 Anchor1:05:44 What's Next1:08:56 NFTs--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.