Empire

Making Tokenization a Reality: Bringing Assets Onchain

Speakers: Samara Cohen, Jason Yanowitz

This is a panel from DAS New York 2026. To explore more Blockworks events, visit blockworks.co/events

Inside Western Union's Stablecoin Fueled Future

Speakers: Jason Yanowitz, Devin McGranahan

This is a panel from DAS New York 2026. To explore more Blockworks events, visit blockworks.co/events

This week, we’re back with another roundup covering whether it’s time to buy the dip, crypto’s VC mass extinction event, the state of secondary markets, Drift’s $280M exploit, Bitcoin’s quantum threat 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

(05:34) Time To Buy The Dip?

(10:42) Crypto’s VC Mass Extinction Event

(23:55) Crypto's Token Reset

(39:25) ZKsync Ad

(40:07) Blockworks Investor Relations

(40:58) Drift Exploited For $280M

(59:28) Bitcoin's Quantum Threat

(01:10:18) 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, 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

--

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

--

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.