In this episode of Empire, we start with a 25-minute interview with Adam Brotman, the creator of Starbucks Rewards, to discuss why he believes every company will adopt an NFT strategy. We discuss his partnership with Starbucks, NFTs as the ultimate loyalty product and what OG crypto fans get wrong about NFTs.

After this interview, we do something a bit different. Instead of our usual roundup, we dropped one of our favorite episodes from a new Blockworks show called 0xResearch. It's an episode with dYdX's founder Antonio Juliano that I highly recommend you check out. If that's not for you, check out the spicy roundup from our Bell Curve podcast [see links below].
- -
Timestamps:

(00:00) Introduction
(02:03) Creator of Starbucks Rewards talks NFTs
(25:55) 0xResearch dYdX podcast with Antonio
(26:05) FTX's Ripple Effects Across CeFi & DeFi
(38:11) Brand As A Moat
(42:49) How dYdX Can Outmatch CeFi
(49:35) Expected FTX Regulatory Fallout
(54:36) Risk Mgmt & dYdX’s Safety Module
(1:01:40) SubDAOs & Governance
(1:04:31) dYdX AppChain Update
(1:13:36) How dYdX Will Approach MEV
(1:16:53) On & Off Ramps To dYdX
(1:23:16) Returning Fees To Stakers & The Future Of dYdX
- -
Follow Adam: https://twitter.com/adambrotman
Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz
Follow Santi: https://twitter.com/santiagoroel
Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod

Subscribe on YouTube: https://tinyurl.com/4fdhhb2j
Subscribe on Apple: https://tinyurl.com/mv4frfv7
Subscribe on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/wbaypprw

Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/
--
Circle’s USDC has quickly become one of the most trusted and widely used stablecoins because of its composability, stability and reserve transparency. As a seamless, trusted digital currency, USDC is a zero-to-one opportunity for the global financial system. Check out their Transparency Hub at http://empirepodcast.link/circle that outlines everything from links to USDC weekly reserve reports, monthly attestations, and blog posts written by their executive team highlighting how and why USDC was built the way it is.
- -
Resources

Forum3
https://www.forum3.com/

Bellcurve Podcast (roundup)
Spotify: https://bit.ly/3Fdw7pB
Apple: https://bit.ly/3UJid4b
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3VH4jB6

0xResearch Podcast
Spotify: https://bit.ly/3hhL81z
Apple: https://bit.ly/3hcTsQ8
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3DNVFdp

Blockworks Research twitter
https://twitter.com/blockworksres
- -
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.