Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 days ago
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 Intro
00:28 Jackson Hole & SALT Symposium
04:16 Can Regulation Revive Crypto?
16:23 The Four-Year Cycle & Is It Time To Nibble?
18:23 Hyperliquid’s Institutional Moment
25:22 Who Loses From Regulatory Clarity?
32:48 Which Projects Go First?
39:10 Token Transparency Hits Bloomberg
42:13 Travis Kalanick & Peak Founder Mode
51:01 Content Of The Week
FOLLOW THE SHOW
› Empire – https://x.com/theempirepod
› Jason – https://x.com/jasonyanowitz
› Santi – https://x.com/santiagoroel
› Rob – https://x.com/HadickM
› Telegram – https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh
› Blockworks – https://x.com/Blockworks
EVENTS
› Join us at Digital Asset Summit 2026 Asia October 7th & Digital Asset 2026 London November 10-11th
blockworks.com/events
DISCLAIMER
Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only. Any views expressed are opinions, not financial advice. Hosts and guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
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 Intro
00:28 Jackson Hole & SALT Symposium
04:16 Can Regulation Revive Crypto?
16:23 The Four-Year Cycle & Is It Time To Nibble?
18:23 Hyperliquid’s Institutional Moment
25:22 Who Loses From Regulatory Clarity?
32:48 Which Projects Go First?
39:10 Token Transparency Hits Bloomberg
42:13 Travis Kalanick & Peak Founder Mode
51:01 Content Of The Week
FOLLOW THE SHOW
› Empire – https://x.com/theempirepod
› Jason – https://x.com/jasonyanowitz
› Santi – https://x.com/santiagoroel
› Rob – https://x.com/HadickM
› Telegram – https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh
› Blockworks – https://x.com/Blockworks
EVENTS
› Join us at Digital Asset Summit 2026 Asia October 7th & Digital Asset 2026 London November 10-11th
blockworks.com/events
DISCLAIMER
Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only. Any views expressed are opinions, not financial advice. Hosts and guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
![Was Coinbases Echo Acquisition a Good Deal? | Weekly Roundup
This week, we break down Coinbase’s $375 million acquisition of Echo and debate whether it was a good deal or not. We also dive into other top stories, including FalconX’s acquisition of 21Shares, Tempo’s $500 million raise, the latest developments in prediction markets, and more. Enjoy!
Follow Rob: https://x.com/HadickM
Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel
Follow Jason: https://x.com/JasonYanowitz
Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod
Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh
Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from David Canellis.
Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts
Referenced In The Show:
State of Crypto 2025: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/state-of-crypto-report-2025/
https://www.ribbitcap.com/knowledge
Crypto-native institutions and developers demand institutional-grade infrastructure with regulatory clarity and full asset control. Blockdaemons Earn Stack is a non-custodial platform combining high-performance staking rewards and seamless DeFi integration with no intermediate smart contract or vaults.
Programmatically access leading Ethereum & Solana staking rewards, plus DeFi opportunities across lending protocols, DEXs, and AMMs. Book a Demo!
peaq, the Machine Economy Computer, proudly sponsors the Empire podcast.
peaq is home to 60+ apps across 20+ industries and millions of devices, machines, and onchain robots.
It powers the world’s first tokenized robo-farm, launching soon in Hong Kong, and has launched the Machine Economy Free Zone in Dubai as a Web3 x Robotics x AI innovation hub.
For more about peaq, check out www.peaq.xyz
GEODNET is the world’s largest RTK network, delivering real-time, centimeter-level precision for drones, robots, farmers, and first responders. Recognized by the U.S. Congress, this blockchain-powered network supports mission-critical applications across a wide range of industries.
Discover how GEODNET is changing the world: [https://geodnet.com]
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
05:11 Coinbase Acquires Echo For $375m
24:09 FalconX Acquires 21Shares
27:25 Ads (Blockdaemon, Peaq)
28:35 Takeaways From The Fed Payments Conference
35:30 The Market Structure Bill
41:46 Ads (Blockdaemon, Peaq)
42:57 Tempo Raises $500m at a $5b Valuation
49:01 Are Banks In Trouble?
53:34 Ads (Geodnet)
54:22 Prediction Markets
01:02:51 It’s CZ’s World, We’re Just Living In It
01:06:22 Content of The Week
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. Was Coinbases Echo Acquisition a Good Deal? | Weekly Roundup](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/d8Zs_a6sBzQ/mqdefault.jpg)









