Empire

This week, Dmitry Tokarev joins the show to discuss how he built one of crypto's largest institutional custody platforms. We deep dive into the Copper origin story, what's broken with crypto custody today, Dmitry's new venture (Bron) and more. Enjoy!

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Follow Dmitry: https://x.com/tokarev_d

Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz

Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod

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ZKsync is the Bank Stack of Ethereum. It is a network of chains secured by cryptography, not validators. Its cutting-edge ZK innovation enables the privacy, performance and connectivity that businesses need to thrive in the digital assets economy

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(05:14) The Copper Origin Story

(14:55) How To Scale a Company

(19:07) ZKsync Ad

(19:50) Blockworks Investor Relations

(20:40) Building Bron: How To Fix Crypto Custody

(34:18) Why Bron Is Launching a Token

(43:10) Lessons Learned From Fundraising

(48:35) What To Own in 2026?

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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, we’re back with another weekly roundup live at DAS to discuss our takeaways from the conference. We deep dive into the institutional bull market, the state of angel and venture investing in crypto, Western Union's stablecoin pivot and more. Enjoy!

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Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz

Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM

Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel

Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod

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ZKsync is the Bank Stack of Ethereum. It is a network of chains secured by cryptography, not validators. Its cutting-edge ZK innovation enables the privacy, performance and connectivity that businesses need to thrive in the digital assets economy.

To find out more visit: https://www.zksync.io/

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:48) Takeaways From DAS

(07:16) Is Crypto in a Bull or Bear Market?

(13:55) Angel Investing and Crypto Venture Capital

(24:48) ZKsync Ad

(24:24) Blockworks Investor Relations

(26:13) Western Union’s Stablecoin Flywheel

(33:17) The Bear Case For Stablecoins

(38:30) Final Takeaways From DAS

(43:25) Sports Betting On Prediction Markets

(48:15) Audience Questions

(52:10) 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 breaks down the current market reaction as conflcit in Iran continues. We then deep dive into Delphi's recent trip to China, the end game for Michael Saylor, where to invest in Chinese AI and more. Enjoy!

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Follow Ceteris: ⁠https://x.com/ceterispar1bus⁠

Follow Jason: ⁠https://x.com/3xliquidated⁠

Follow Yan: https://x.com/YanLiberman

Follow Jose: https://x.com/ZeMariaMacedo

Follow Rawson: https://x.com/PonderingDurian

Follow Empire: ⁠https://x.com/theempirepod⁠

Subscribe on YouTube: ⁠https://bit.ly/4jYEkBx⁠

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Subscribe on Spotify: ⁠https://bit.ly/4hzy9lH⁠

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Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: ⁠https://blockworks.co/newsletter/⁠

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:16) State of The Market

(17:30) What’s Saylor’s End Game?

(24:55) AI Growth in China

(49:37) Takeaways From Visiting China

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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 special episode, we introduce Blockworks’ new investor relations platform for onchain businesses.

As institutional capital continues to enter crypto markets, expectations around transparency, standardization, and professionalism are rising. But instead of replicating legacy systems, Blockworks IR takes a different approach, leveraging real-time, onchain data to create a more transparent, data-driven, and low-friction investor relations model.

The platform combines curated analytics, branded investor portals, and white-glove advisory support into a single solution, helping teams tell a clearer, more credible story while giving investors a more efficient way to evaluate opportunities.

Launched at the Digital Asset Summit in New York, Blockworks IR aims to fill a critical gap in the industry. Listen to learn more about the vision behind the product and what it means for the future of investor relations in crypto.

This week, we’re back with another weekly roundup to discuss the current state of markets as conflict in Iran continues. We then deep dive into Hyperliquid's announcement with S&P, how to value Hyperliquid, Tempo's mainnet launch, Kraken's reported IPO delay & more. Enjoy!

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Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM

Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel

Follow Empire: https://x.com/theempirepod

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Join us at DAS (Digital Asset Summit) in New York City this March! Follow the link below to grab your ticket, and use code EMPIRE200 to get $200 off your ticket!



https://blockworks.co/event/digital-asset-summit-nyc-2026

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ZKsync is the Bank Stack of Ethereum. It is a network of chains secured by cryptography, not validators. Its cutting-edge ZK innovation enables the privacy, performance and connectivity that businesses need to thrive in the digital assets economy.

To find out more visit: https://www.zksync.io/

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(02:08) State of The Market

(09:38) ZKsync Ad

(10:20) DAS Plug

(10:46) S&P Licenses S&P 500 Perps on Hyperliquid

(24:45) Tempo & Agentic Payments

(47:02) Kraken’s IPO Delay

(50:45) 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.