Podcast: Alliance DAO on Raising $50M and This Year’s Biggest DeFi Trends | Qiao Wang & Imran Khan

Jason Yanowitz and Mike Ippolito are joined by Qiao Wang and Imran Khao to discuss DeFi, TradFi and more

by Brianna Beckford /
article-image
share

In the latest episode of “Empire,” Blockworks’ founders, Jason Yanowitz and Mike Ippolito, are joined by Qiao Wang and Imran Khan of Alliance DAO.

Not only are Qiao and Imran announcing the launch of Alliance DAO (in which Yanowitz is an investor) and a $50 million fundraise, they’re also diving into their thoughts on how the “Summer of DeFi” set up the current state of crypto. They also cover metaverse and gaming projects they’re interested in.

Plus, listen in to hear their thoughts on:

  • Web2 vs. Web3
  • The convergence of DeFi and TradFi
  • Tokenomics
  • and so much more

Check out what they had to say in the video below. 👇

About the show

“Empire” is a twice-a-week show. On Thursdays, Jason interviews crypto industry movers and shakers to talk about their struggles, bold moves and tough decisions. Friday’s weekly round-up episodes feature co-host, Santiago Roel Santos and cover the top news from the past week.

For any NPR or Guy Raz fans out there, you can think of “Empire” as a “How I Built This” for the bitcoin and crypto industry.

Subscribe to “Empire” today on Apple or Spotify. Watch episodes on YouTube.


Get the day’s top crypto news and insights delivered to your inbox every evening. Subscribe to Blockworks’ free newsletter now.


Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 24 - 26, 2026

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Research Report Templates (3).png

Research

South Korea is emerging as one of the most important global hubs for regulated digital assets, and Upbit sits at the center of this shift. Naver’s proposed acquisition could create the country’s dominant super app for payments, trading, and digital finance. This report breaks down the numbers, the regulatory tailwinds, the economics of the deal, and why the merger may unlock one of the most attractive asymmetries in Korea’s public markets.

article-image

GPUs are starting to go dark even as data-center spending doubles — is a bubble on the horizon?

article-image

Risk assets sold off as doubts loom over a December rate cut, with BTC tumbling briefly below $95K this morning

by Carlos /
article-image

Jeff Yass bets that prediction markets could stop wars, Paul Atkins’ announcement on “tokens,” and more

article-image

Lido unveils a new buyback plan while BTC treasury companies slip below mNAV — can either model can truly return value?

article-image

If financial nihilism has driven you into memecoins, zero-day options, and sports betting, consider financial optimism instead

article-image

A new Sui-based protocol promises to unlock Bitcoin’s idle liquidity and eliminate wrapped-token risk