Gm! This week we're joined by Samara Cohen to discuss BlackRock's crypto strategy in 2025. We deep dive into the success of the Bitcoin ETP launches, investor demand for crypto, why Samara is bullish on tokenization, how to bridge traditional assets onchain & much more. Enjoy!

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Zenrock is a permissionless, decentralized custody network backed by 1RoundTable Partners, 10T, Maven11, and Spartan. Live on Jupiter, $ROCK is the native token for transactions within the Zenrock ecosystem and secures Zenrock’s decentralized custody network.

The first application launching on Zenrock is zenBTC – yield-bearing Bitcoin on Solana. zenBTC will be live in April 2025.

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Timestamps:

(0:00) Introduction

(07:48) What Are ETFs vs ETPs?

(12:00) A New Regime For Markets

(14:31) Ads (Aptos, Zenrock)

(15:51) Active vs Passive Investing

(18:44) BlackRock's Bitcoin ETP Launch

(24:53) Why Was The IBIT Launch So Successful?

(29:00) Ads (Aptos, Zenrock)

(30:20) Investor Demand For Bitcoin

(33:34) How Does Bitcoin Trade During A Market Sell Off?

(37:37) Who Is Actually Buying The Bitcoin ETP?

(39:04) Was The Ethereum ETP Launch Successful?

(41:19) Investor Demand For Crypto

(46:27) Ads (Falcon x, Token.com)

(47:54) Why BlackRock Is Bullish On Tokenization

(53:46) How To Bridge Assets Onchain

(01:00:34) BlackRock's 10 Year Vision For Crypto

(01:07:24) Does Speculation Drive Adoption?

(01:09:16) Final Thoughts

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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.