Rephonic
Artwork for Empire
Bitcoin
Ethereum
Stablecoins
Defi
Cryptocurrency
Solana
Crypto
Coinbase
Hyperliquid
Tokenization
Prediction Markets
Circle
Stable Coins
Robinhood
Tether
Blockchain Technology
Microstrategy
Polymarket
Blockworks
Crypto Market

Empire features interviews with top crypto founders to get the real stories that aren’t shared elsewhere. Empire is your look behind the curtain of the crypto industry. We release two episodes per week: guest interviews on Monday and a weekly roundup on Friday.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes662Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
InvestingBusinessTechnology

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Artwork for Empire

Latest Episodes

What separates lasting winners from everyone chasing the next trend?

This week, we dig into why specialization may be the biggest edge in venture investing as crypto, AI, and traditional finance increasingly converge.

We discuss venture mandates, s... more

What happens when every market starts trading like crypto?

This week, Santi and Rob examine how leverage, automation, and retail speculation are exporting crypto-style volatility across traditional finance.

They also explore CLARITY’s fading odds, ... more

YouTube

What happens when Robinhood turns crypto from a trading feature into the backbone of its global financial platform?

This week, Robinhood's GM of Crypto, Johann Kerbrat, explains how Robinhood Chain connects DeFi, tokenized assets, and mainstream us... more

YouTube

Is CLARITY the breakthrough crypto needs or just the beginning?

This week, Jason and Multicoin’s Greg Xethalis unpack how the bill could reshape crypto’s regulatory future.

They explore CFTC oversight, token classification, DeFi protections, disclo... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Johan Kerbrat
Head of Crypto at Robinhood
Robinhood
Episode: Robinhood's Plan to Bring Global Finance Onchain | Johann Kerbrat
Greg Xethalis
General counsel of Multicoin
Multicoin
Episode: The Bill That Could Reshape Crypto In America with Greg Xethalis from Multicoin
Jesse Krautman
Makara founder, crypto investor
Makara
Episode: What’s Circle’s End Game, Robinhood Launches A Chain & Venice Raises $65M
Eric Voorhees
Founder of Venice
Venice
Episode: What’s Circle’s End Game, Robinhood Launches A Chain & Venice Raises $65M
Vishal Garg
CEO and founder of Better
Better.com
Episode: Can You Really Buy A House Without Selling Your Crypto? | Vishal Garg
Ben Jones
Optimism Co-Founder
Optimism
Episode: Optimism Co-Founders: What Happened to the L2s? Ben Jones & Karl Floersch
Karl Floersch
Optimism Co-Founder
Optimism
Episode: Optimism Co-Founders: What Happened to the L2s? Ben Jones & Karl Floersch
Jordi Alexander
Friend of the pod, from Selene
Selene
Episode: Anthropic's Fable Banned, Will Microstrategy Blow Up & Structuring A Portfolio in 2026
Ryan Watkins
Co-founder of Syncracy, advocate and investor in Hyperliquid
Syncracy
Episode: The Bull Case For Hyperliquid | Ryan Watkins

Hosts

Rob
Host involved in empire-branded crypto discussions; frequent moderator and commentator
Santiago Roel Santos
Co-host who contributes industry and market context; frequent interviewer

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 590 ratings
  • Thanks for the alpha, I'm a convert. Update: I really like the Content section recommendations. Please keep it.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    DbONZ
    6 months ago
  • 1000x

    I wish 1000x had its own feed. Those guys are genuinely smart and insightful. The other shows on this feed are very broey and kind of just mid-curve.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    0010010
    United States2 years ago
  • It gives me hope as an investor

    Regularly listening to Avi and whatever the other guys name is, knowing that not only do they remain confident to continue publishing content but also put their money into markets lets me know that there are market participants less sophisticated than I. I especially enjoy how they see their own conjecture as some sort of fundamental thesis. The only thing I enjoy more is how often they are wrong; I guess if you always call for a bottom you’ve got to nail it sometimes but I guess I missed those ... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Rscat
    United States2 years ago
  • First time listener. Thanks for the alpha, I'm a convert.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    DbONZ
    2 years ago
  • Understanding Web3 - Source Found 🚀

    Consolidated 5 stars and would be six after the recent explanation of restaking economics - well deserved for this podcast. An amazing series of guests around the Crypto / Web3 industry, interviewed by a host in the know. Recommended 👍

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    @K_Speckmann
    Italy2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise deep, alpha-rich discussions and strong guest rosters
Shows objective, rigorous approach with actionable insights for investors and builders
Audience notes balanced, high-depth coverage with occasional critique of market timing

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#38
Italy/Business/Investing
Apple Podcasts
#103
Italy/Business
Apple Podcasts
#169
Australia/Business/Investing
Apple Podcasts
#34
Indonesia/Business/Investing
Apple Podcasts
#49
Chile/Business/Investing
Apple Podcasts
#84
Russia/Business/Investing

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Robinhood's Plan to Bring Global Finance Onchain | Johann Kerbrat
Q: What is the actual benefit of doing all this stuff on chain?
On-chain access expands who can participate, allows permissionless development by external partners, and enables a broader ecosystem of interfaces and yield strategies while keeping pricing competitive through automated, contract-backed pricing.
Can You Really Buy A House Without Selling Your Crypto? | Vishal Garg
Q: What role does Sky play in lowering the cost of capital, and is the Sky facility live yet?
Sky provides short- and long-duration capital to back tokenized mortgages, lowering Better's cost of capital by a substantial margin; the Sky facility is not live yet but is a key goal in their strategy to reduce interest costs by up to about 100 basis points.
Can You Really Buy A House Without Selling Your Crypto? | Vishal Garg
Q: What separates crypto mortgage products from those previously available, and how does Better approach risk and margin calls?
Compared to other crypto loans that require full collateral and risk margin calls, Better's product only requires a portion of the down payment in crypto, with no margin calls and fixed-rate, long-term financing intended to stabilize costs for the borrower.
Can You Really Buy A House Without Selling Your Crypto? | Vishal Garg
Q: Walk me through how the Bitcoin-backed mortgage with Coinbase originated and why it's significant.
It started from a long-standing desire to let people use liquid crypto as a down payment instead of selling it; after attempts with Carta X and earlier pilots, the team moved to a triparty pledge via Coinbase custody, enabling tokenized assets like Bitcoin and USDC to serve as down payments with a seamless pre-approval and closing flow.
Crypto's Value Capture Problem & Why Robinhood Built Its Own Blockchain
Q: Is there a play on AI that you will look at going forward?
Yes, the speaker expects AI to be a core driver of efficiency and value, with an emphasis on using AI to transform workflows, accelerate due diligence, and reduce the required human headcount, while maintaining prudent investment discipline.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Empire

What is Empire about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A deep-dive crypto show focused on the intersection of traditional finance, blockchain infrastructure, and Web3 innovation. Across episodes, listeners are treated to candid conversations with top founders and executives about tokenization, DeFi risk, on-chain governance, and the evolving role of institutions in crypto, with emphasis on real-world infrastructure, regulatory dynamics, and practical pathways for scaling on-chain finance. Noteworthy are in-depth interviews with fintech founders, cross-project collaborations during crises, and practical explorations of tokenized assets, stablecoins, and on-chain capital markets that help illuminate both opportunities and risks for builders and investors alike.

Where can I find podcast stats for Empire?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Empire. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Empire and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Empire get?

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What are the audience demographics for Empire?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Empire, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Empire have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Empire has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Empire?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Empire:

1. 1000x
2. Unchained
3. On The Brink with Castle Island
4. Bankless
5. The Milk Road Show

How many episodes of Empire are there?

Empire launched 5 years ago and published 662 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Empire?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Empire?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Empire from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on Empire?

Recent guests on Empire include:

1. Johan Kerbrat
2. Greg Xethalis
3. Jesse Krautman
4. Eric Voorhees
5. Vishal Garg
6. Ben Jones
7. Karl Floersch
8. Jordi Alexander

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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