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Empire

Empire

Blockworks 646 Episodes Sep 18, 2026

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.

Episodes

CLARITY Failed, Many Stablecoins Debate, Circle Launches Arc & Meta's AI Edge | Weekly Roundup
CLARITY Failed, Many Stablecoins Debate, Circle Launches Arc & Meta's AI Edge | Weekly Roundup Sep 18, 2026 3807 CLARITY failed, but SEC and CFTC action could still accelerate onchain markets. This week, we cover what's next for crypto regulation, debate the many-stablecoin thesis, and dig into Circle launching Arc and the S&P’s push into crypto data and security. We also discuss broken venture markets, Meta’s AI advantage, and Polymarket’s executive hiring spree. Enjoy! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro 03
The Six Tokens To Own This Cycle | Yan Liberman
The Six Tokens To Own This Cycle | Yan Liberman Sep 14, 2026 3568 Which tokens are actually worth owning in today’s market? This week, Yan Liberman shares his six-token portfolio and the framework behind each position. We dig into productive vs speculative assets, catchup trades and overlooked opportunities, how AI is reshaping crypto venture, what Delphi looks for in founders, and what the ideal portfolio looks like today. Enjoy! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Int
Memecoins Are Stress-Testing The Future Of Tokenized Stocks | Weekly Roundup
Memecoins Are Stress-Testing The Future Of Tokenized Stocks | Weekly Roundup Sep 11, 2026 2637 What happens when memecoin speculation collides with onchain equities? This week, Jason and Santi unpack why Robinhood’s tokenized stocks may be crypto’s hottest new battleground. They explore the $BONER–$HIMS squeeze, murky shareholder rights, FOMO’s bull-market signal, and whether Robinhood, Solana, and stablecoin giants become this cycle’s biggest winners. Enjoy! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Int
Cloudflare CEO: The Man Deciding The Internet’s Next Business Model
Cloudflare CEO: The Man Deciding The Internet’s Next Business Model Sep 9, 2026 4286 What happens when AI agents become the internet’s dominant users? This week, Jason sits down with Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince to explore how AI agents could fundamentally reshape the internet’s business model. They discuss 1,000x agent traffic, why everything wrong with the world is Google's fault, AI flattening organizations, micropayments at unprecedented scale, and whether AI becomes th
Robinhood Is Proving Distribution Captures Crypto’s Value | Weekly Roundup
Robinhood Is Proving Distribution Captures Crypto’s Value | Weekly Roundup Sep 4, 2026 4184 Can Robinhood turns the crypto trenches into a serious business? This week, we unpack Robinhood Chain’s explosive growth and what it could mean for tokenized markets, Ethereum, and traditional finance. We also explore the new meme-stock mechanics, Ethena’s neobank push, Hyperliquid’s U.S. path, and why distribution still captures the most value. Enjoy! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro 00:46 Robi
Beezie & Collector Crypt CEOs on Why Onchain Collectibles Are Exploding
Beezie & Collector Crypt CEOs on Why Onchain Collectibles Are Exploding Aug 31, 2026 3616 Tokenized collectibles are one of the hottest markets right now, turning an antiquated resale market into a liquid, gamified form of commerce built around collectors. This week, Beezie and Collector Crypt CEOs, Andrea Miele and Tuomas (Tuom) Holmberg, explain why tokenized collectibles are finding product-market fit and how crypto is reshaping a market long dominated by traditional marketplaces
Story vs Valuation, Hyperliquid TAM, Pump’s Problem & Ethena’s Token Reset
Story vs Valuation, Hyperliquid TAM, Pump’s Problem & Ethena’s Token Reset Aug 28, 2026 3820 What matters more in today’s market: the numbers or the story investors believe? This week, we debate crypto’s rebound and why markets increasingly reward narrative, momentum, and massive future outcomes over traditional valuation. We also cover Hyperliquid vs Pump, Ethena’s token overhaul, AI valuation mania, and the convergence of trading and social. Enjoy! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro 01
New SEC Crypto Proposal Could Finally Fix Tokens
New SEC Crypto Proposal Could Finally Fix Tokens Aug 20, 2026 3328 Can new regulations finally fix the broken token market? This week, we debate whether the SEC’s new crypto framework meaningfully changes token design, capital formation, and investor protections. We dig into token cash flows, Hyperliquid’s institutional moment, if CLARITY is actually dead, regulatory first movers, and whether founders should ignore their VCs. Enjoy! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 In
Uniswap Is Building The Liquidity Network For Everything | Hayden Adams
Uniswap Is Building The Liquidity Network For Everything | Hayden Adams Aug 17, 2026 4561 What if Uniswap isn’t really an exchange at all, but a liquidity network for every asset? This week, Uniswap Founder Hayden Adams explains how Uniswap is evolving from a consumer DeFi app into global financial infrastructure. We explore programmable market making, tokenized assets, public market's IPO problem, Robinhood’s breakout traction, and why DeFi could reshape capital markets. Enjoy!
Crypto’s Speculation Problem, Regulation Without CLARITY & The Gambling Economy
Crypto’s Speculation Problem, Regulation Without CLARITY & The Gambling Economy Aug 14, 2026 3655 Crypto adoption is accelerating, but does that mean token prices follow? This week, we unpack growing institutional interest in crypto as brokerages and fintechs push onchain, even as CLARITY stalls and memecoin activity dominates. We explore SEC and CFTC catalysts, Fomo versus Pump.fun, the durability of meme-driven markets, token value accrual, and crypto’s financialization problem. Enjoy!
Morpho Is Coming For The $200 Trillion Credit Market | Paul Frambot
Morpho Is Coming For The $200 Trillion Credit Market | Paul Frambot Aug 10, 2026 4139 Is DeFi’s future invisible financial infrastructure? This week, Cofounder & CEO of Morpho, Paul Frambot, joins to explore Morpho’s ambition to bring global credit markets onchain for fintechs and institutions. We discuss Midnight and fixed-rate lending, network effects, token-equity alignment, scaling distribution, and why direction can matter more than speed. Enjoy! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 I
Venture Mandates, Cloudflare Wallets, Circle Earnings & Saddam Hussein Patek Philippe
Venture Mandates, Cloudflare Wallets, Circle Earnings & Saddam Hussein Patek Philippe Aug 7, 2026 4438 What separates lasting winners from everyone chasing the next trend? This week, we dig into why specialization may be the biggest edge in venture investing as crypto, AI, and traditional finance increasingly converge. We discuss venture mandates, stablecoin competition, Circle's earnings, Cloudflare's agent wallets, and why reputation compounds faster than capital. Enjoy! TIMESTAMPS: 00:

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