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Empire

Empire

Blockworks 646 Episodes Jul 23, 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

The Bill That Could Reshape Crypto In America with Greg Xethalis from Multicoin
The Bill That Could Reshape Crypto In America with Greg Xethalis from Multicoin Jul 23, 2026 2716 Is CLARITY the breakthrough crypto needs or just the beginning? This week, Jason and Multicoin’s Greg Xethalis unpack how the bill could reshape crypto’s regulatory future. They explore CFTC oversight, token classification, DeFi protections, disclosure requirements, and the fight threatening its passage. Enjoy! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro 01:20 How CLARITY Came To Be 07:08 Who Built The
Clarity Window Closing, Robinhood Eating Ethereum Value & Coinbase's Base Reset
Clarity Window Closing, Robinhood Eating Ethereum Value & Coinbase's Base Reset Jul 16, 2026 4472 Crypto's window for regulatory clarity is about to close while Robinhood raises questions about who actually captures the value created onchain. This week, we unpack Clarity’s narrowing path through Congress and what failure could mean for crypto markets and institutional adoption. We also debate Ethereum’s economics, Coinbase’s Base reset, the Ostium hack vs instant settlement, and Stripe’s
Fomo Co-Founders on Building the Social Network for Finance
Fomo Co-Founders on Building the Social Network for Finance Jul 14, 2026 4467 What happens when crypto finally builds a trading experience for everyone, not just crypto natives? This week, Jason sits down with fomo co-founders Paul and Se to discuss why consumer crypto has struggled, how fomo is approaching onchain trading differently, and why they believe social finance is the next major platform. They explore building for mainstream users, the future of tokenized as
Crypto's Value Capture Problem & Why Robinhood Built Its Own Blockchain
Crypto's Value Capture Problem & Why Robinhood Built Its Own Blockchain Jul 10, 2026 4393 AI and distribution moats are forcing investors to separate real business transformation from crypto’s unresolved value-capture problem. This week, Jason and Santi discuss what months of researching crypto adoption taught Inversion, why the firm's investment strategy is evolving, and what it reveals about where value is actually being created today. They also explore Robinhood's onchain stra
What’s Circle’s End Game, Robinhood Launches A Chain & Venice Raises $65M
What’s Circle’s End Game, Robinhood Launches A Chain & Venice Raises $65M Jul 3, 2026 4654 This week, we’re back with another weekly roundup to discuss the announcement of OUSD and what it means for the future of Circle. We then deep dive into Robinhood’s recent product launches, Venice’s $65M raise, crypto’s continued discussion around tokens vs. equity, and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM Follow Empire: https://x.com/thee
Can You Really Buy A House Without Selling Your Crypto? | Vishal Garg
Can You Really Buy A House Without Selling Your Crypto? | Vishal Garg Jun 29, 2026 2927 This week, Vishal Garg joins the show to discuss how crypto and AI are reshaping the mortgage market. We deep dive into Better’s business model, why the mortgage market is so inefficient today, how to leverage tokenization and AI, partnering with Coinbase and OpenAI, and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Vishal: https://x.com/vishal_better Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://
State of The Market, The Prediction Market Wars & Kraken Pursues Aave
State of The Market, The Prediction Market Wars & Kraken Pursues Aave Jun 27, 2026 3216 This week, we’re back with another weekly roundup to discuss the current state of markets as worries around Strategy drag crypto lower. We then deep dive into the competition in prediction markets, the state of crypto venture, Kraken’s pursuit of a stake in Aave, Fomo’s $75M raise, and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Rob
Optimism Co-Founders: What Happened to the L2s? Ben Jones & Karl Floersch
Optimism Co-Founders: What Happened to the L2s? Ben Jones & Karl Floersch Jun 22, 2026 4160 This week, Ben Jones and Karl Floersch join the show to discuss what happened to the L2s. We take a deep dive into Optimism's new strategy for 2026, the current state of Ethereum, why companies need to launch a chain, having a token, and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Karl: https://x.com/karl_dot_tech Follow Ben: https://x.com/ben_chain Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https:/
Anthropic's Fable Banned, Will Microstrategy Blow Up & Structuring A Portfolio in 2026
Anthropic's Fable Banned, Will Microstrategy Blow Up & Structuring A Portfolio in 2026 Jun 19, 2026 4254 This week, we’re back with another weekly roundup to discuss why the US government placed export controls on Anthropic's Fable model. We then deep dive into open vs close sourced models, will Microstratgey blow up, structuring a portfolio in 2026, Coinbase's new product announcement and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Jordi: https://x.com/gametheorizing Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow
The Bull Case For Hyperliquid | Ryan Watkins
The Bull Case For Hyperliquid | Ryan Watkins Jun 15, 2026 4122 This week, Ryan Watkins join the show to discuss the current state of crypto and where he sees the most opportunity in 2026. We deep dive into running a crypto fund in 2026, do four year cycles still exist, the Hyperliquid thesis, token unlocks and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Ryan: https://x.com/RyanWatkins_ Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod --
Blockworks Acquires Messari
Blockworks Acquires Messari Jun 12, 2026 1739 In this special episode, Blockworks announces its acquisition of Messari and unpacks what it means for crypto’s next phase. Michael and Jason explore why Messari’s breadth of data, APIs, and research complement Blockworks’ deep on-chain analytics, investor relations, and disclosure products. They also address crypto’s trust problem, the need for standardized data and disclosures, and how Blockwork
CFTC Chair Michael Selig On Perps, Prediction Markets & Crypto In The U.S
CFTC Chair Michael Selig On Perps, Prediction Markets & Crypto In The U.S Jun 8, 2026 3778 This week, CFTC Chair Michael Selig joins the show to discuss the CFTC's recent policy announcement on perps in the U.S. We deep dive into how to regulate crypto in the U.S, prediction markets, 24/7 markets, working with the SEC and more. Enjoy! -- Follow Michael: https://x.com/MichaelSelig Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod -- Robots will soon outnu

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