Gm! This week we're back with another roundup. We discuss Santi's big announcement as he prepares to launch an L1. We deep dive into the strategic decision to launch your own chain, value capture as an L1, crypto's biggest opportunity, why the future will be on chain & more. Enjoy!

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Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross and David Canellis.

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GEODNET’s native token, GEOD, can be easily mined with a GEODNET Satellite Miner, presenting a unique opportunity to generate passive income. By setting up a GEODNET base station, you can join this groundbreaking Web3 ecosystem that is powering the future of AI and robotics.

Join the revolution today and learn more at https://geodnet.com.

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Unichain is a fast, decentralized L2 that’s built to be the home for DeFi and liquidity across chains.

To stay updated on news including the upcoming launch of Unichain, visit www.Unichain.org or follow @Unichain on X.

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Ledger, the world leader in digital asset security, proudly sponsors Empire podcast. Celebrating 10 years of protecting over 20% of the world’s crypto, Ledger ensures the security of your assets. For the best self-custody solution in the space, buy a LEDGER device and secure your crypto today.

Buy now at www.Ledger.com

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Mantle is evolving into the premier on-chain financial hub, supercharging the ecosystem that bridges blockchain with banking. The 2025 roadmap introduces three transformative products:

- Enhanced Index Fund (launching Q1) offering optimized crypto exposure to BTC, ETH, SOL and USD with built-in yield optimization - targeting $1B AUM

- Mantle Banking for seamless financial services

- MantleX for AI-powered innovation

Backed by a $4.5B treasury, Mantle is building the future of on-chain finance – accessible for everyone.

Learn more: https://x.com/Mantle_Official/status/1882017058680086805

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AO Mainnet is LIVE! Experience the future of decentralized computing: infinite parallel processing, secure TEE-powered computations, and LLMs in smart contracts. Built on Arweave, AO's modular design shatters scalability limits. 100% of tokens are distributed to Arweave holders and bridge depositors, with a fixed supply and halving. Explore AO today: https://ao.arweave.dev

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction

(03:12) Building A Chain (Berkshire On Chain)

(10:22) Sponsors (Geodnet & Uniswap)

(11:18) Capturing Value As An L1

(14:17) Building On Avalanche

(21:36) Crypto’s Go To Market Problem

(23:52) What’s Next For Inversion?

(38:11) Sponsors (Geodnet & Uniswap)

(39:49) Why Mobile Is Crypto’s Biggest Opportunity

(45:40) The Inversion Chain

(49:17) Token Distribution

(52:26) Sponsors (Ledger, Mantle, Arweave)

(54:52) Time To Be Optimistic?

(01:02:34) Why The Future Will Be On Chain

(01:10:56) Crypto’s Equity Problem

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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.