Empire

This week, we discuss Claude and the ongoing AI acceleration, AI’s impact on VC and SaaS, and the latest draft of the CLARITY Bill. We also dig into BitGo’s upcoming IPO, Polygon’s latest acquisitions, the Farcaster Sale, Larry Fink’s WEF comments, and more. Enjoy!

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(02:55) Claude And The AI Acceleration

(11:53) Leveraging Expertise, Competing Models & Company Structure

(21:02) AI’s Impact On VC And SaaS

(31:590 Ads (Coinbase)

(32:44) Unpacking The CLARITY Bill

(41:00) BitGo’s IPO

(53:53) Polygon Acquisitions

(01:00:47) Farcaster Sale & Decentralized Social

(01:08:30) Larry Fink And Content Of The Week

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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, Rob and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

This week, the Hivemind team discusses Bitcoin’s recent price action, macro and equity market influences, perp DEX activity, and their outlooks on Solana, Hyperliquid, Lighter, and PumpFun. They also cover privacy coins, equity perps, and market cycles. Enjoy!Thanks for tuning in!

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TIMESTAMPS

(00:00) Introduction

(01:39) Market Outlook

(14:34) Saylor’s Buys & Onchain Trends

(27:10) Robinhood’s Equity Perps

(29:44) Thoughts on Lighter

(42:43) Monero vs Zcash

(54:55) Market Cycles

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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, the Hivemind team, and our guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.

In this episode, Chris Maurice, Co-founder & CEO of Yellow Card, joins us to explore how compliant crypto rails are reshaping everyday money movement across Africa. We dig into stablecoins as practical financial tools, the regulatory groundwork that makes them usable, and what it takes to build a pan-African fintech that can withstand FX volatility, fragmented payment systems, and shifting policy environments.

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Quadrillions brings together the voices defining the next era of finance. From institutional rails to stablecoins and privacy, the series dives into how traditional markets, crypto innovation, and regulatory frameworks are converging to bring the full force of capital markets onchain.

Join hosts Jason Yanowitz, Yuval Rooz, and Eric Saraniecki for deep dives with special guests Shaul Kfir, Don Wilson, Mike Belshe, Justin Peterson, Acting Chair Caroline Pham, Eli Ben-Sasson, and more.

Produced by Blockworks and Canton Network. For more information, check out https://quadrillionspod.com/

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Introduction

(2:02) Crypto Adoption Worldwide

(6:24) What's Blocking Dollar Demand?

(9:28) Canton's Focus on Emerging Markets

(12:39) Infrastructure Challenges

(15:46) The Role of Stablecoins

(19:23) L1 Activity and Self-Custody Trends

(25:04) FX Challenges

(37:15) Regulations in Africa

(41:37) Emerging Markets in Crypto

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Disclaimer: “Quadrillions” is a mini-series produced by Blockworks, and is sponsored by Canton Network. Nothing on this show is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. It’s for informational purposes only, and the views expressed by anyone on the show are solely their opinions, not financial advice or necessarily the views of Blockworks.

Our hosts, guests, and the Blockworks team may hold positions in companies, funds, or projects discussed, including those related to Canton Network.

This week, Lighter Founder & CEO Vladimir Novakovski discusses Lighter’s competitive edge over Hyperliquid, why he chose to be an L2 on Ethereum, and the role of their ZK innovations. We also touch on equity perps, Lighter’s partnership with Robinhood, and why Vlad chose to work in crypto. Enjoy!

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Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(03:05) Why Vlad Chose Crypto & a Perp DEX

(11:37) Competing as a Perp DEX

(18:00) Why Be an L2 on Ethereum?

(20:37) Unpacking Lighter’s Competitive Edge

(25:46) Lighter’s ZK Innovations

(32:33) Partnership with Robinhood

(38:06) Equity Perps and Advantage Over Hyperliquid

(44:11) Lighter Token & Valuation

(51:56) What Are People Missing?

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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.

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This week, we discuss the rise of AI tools like Claude Code, and their impact across the industry. We also cover Rain’s growth, supply and demand dynamics in crypto, capital raising, and crypto and AI trends in 2026. Enjoy!

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Timestamps(00:00) Introduction(02:15) Claude Code Changes the Game(13:00) Supply vs Demand and Where the Money Is(19:00) Rain’s Moat and Crypto Cards(32:00) Investment Criteria and Founder Qualities(38:00) Audience Question on Market Structure(01:04:08) Word of the day and Nikita Bier’s Beef with CT(01:08:30) Content of the Week

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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.