Podcast: Understanding the Curve Wars | Weekly Roundup

Jason Yanowitz and Santiago Roel Santos talk about DeFi, layer-1, OpenSea, NFTs, Bored Apes and more

article-image

Source: Blockworks

share

In the latest episode of “Empire,” weekly roundup, Blockworks’ co-founder Jason Yanowitz and co-host Santiago Roel Santos tackle a range of hot topics from the week, including demystifying the Curve Wars — a race by DeFi protocols to accumulate CRV tokens in an effort to control governance rights and drive yield to their own protocols.

They also cover:

  • Layer-1 wars
  • Options vaults
  • The new Electric Capital Developer Report (2021)
  • OpenSea raises $300 million and freezes $2.2 million of Bored Apes
  • Ray Dalio allocates 2% of portfolio to bitcoin
  • 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 roundup 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

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 18 - 20, 2025

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.

Brooklyn, NY

TUES - THURS, JUNE 24 - 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

Old Billingsgate

Mon - Wed, October 13 - 15, 2025

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.jpg

Research

The L2 ecosystem has evolved into a complex landscape, with over $17B in market value and $50B in secured assets. While traditionally seen as high-beta plays on Ethereum, no L2 token achieved a beta higher than 1.0 relative to ETH in 2024. Furthermore, token dilution significantly impacted the sector, with a 1% increase in circulating supply corresponding to a 1.4% decrease in returns.

Key figures including Vitalik Buterin struggle to communicate the network’s core mission in an era of memecoin-minimized attention spans

article-image

World Liberty Financial has been busy buying crypto ahead of its launch

article-image

Trump’s token is setting the “tone” for crypto, Empire co-host Santiago Santos said

article-image

A pair of fundraises by Tapestry and Oh both came with expansive ideas about the future of AI and the role of humans in it

article-image

The Calamos Bitcoin Structured Alt Protection ETF — January is set to offer “systematic risk management” across its roughly one-year outcome period

article-image

Crypto industry elites (and a journalist or two) donned black tie at the Crypto Ball Friday night