Quinn Thompson

Gm! This week we're joined by Felix Jauvin & Quinn Thompson from the Forward Guidance podcast to discuss where markets go next from here. After the market sold off in reaction to the Trump tariffs, we deep dive into the bull vs bear case in 2025, Trump's end game, building the perfect portfolio, Coinbase vs Robinhood, is Bitcoin really a safe haven asset & more. Enjoy! -- Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts Follow Quinn: https://x.com/qthomp Follow Felix: https://x.com/fejau_inc Follow Santi: https://x.com/santiagoroel Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Empire: https://twitter.com/theempirepod Join the Empire Telegram: https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh -- Follow the Forward Guidance Podcast: https://x.com/ForwardGuidance Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ -- Grab your tickets to Permissionless IV. Use code EMPIRE10 for 10% off: https://blockworks.co/event/permissionless-iv -- Petra Earn was designed to make DeFi more accessible for everyone—from seasoned pros to DeFi beginners. Manage your balance, claim rewards and deposit directly from the app. By supplying USDT to Aries lending pools, users have the potential to earn a higher yield compared to some traditional methods. Not financial advice. Participating in Defi carries risks. To learn more visit https://petra.app/earn -- 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. -- Crypto never sleeps. So we built an Al analyst that never blinks. Meet Focal by FalconX: a GenAI insights engine built for institutional crypto. Already used by 80+ funds managing $10B+ in AUM. 🔹 Screen, chart, and analyze 1300+ tokens 🔹 Summarize market-moving news instantly 🔹 Integrates data from CoinGecko, Kaito, Token Terminal, Tokenomist, The Tie Get started today: https://askfocal.com -- WalletConnect is the onchain connectivity network . If you’ve connected to a Web3 app, you’ve seen WalletConnect. It’s everywhere—an icon of trust in crypto, as recognizable as Visa at checkout. The numbers speak for themselves: Over 220 million connections and 35 million users worldwide use WalletConnect to power their Web3 experience. @WalletConnect on X and Telegram or visit https://WalletConnect.Network -- Token.com is a social-first crypto platform transforming how people discover and trade through crypto content. The revolutionary in-feed trading turns complex crypto into intuitive investments, while content creators earn from every trade and projects amplify their stories through native tokens - creating a new era of social media-powered crypto discovery. Just scroll to watch and tap to invest. Download the app! -- Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (00:52) Turning Bearish In 2025 (11:38) Ads (Aptos, Zenrock) (12:58) How Trump Spooked Markets (16:44) The Trump & Bessent Playbook (20:12) The Bull vs Bear Case In 2025 (28:56) Ads (Aptos, Zenrock) (30:15) How To Position Under Trump 2.0 (33:54) Will The Fed Step In? (37:55) What We Learnt From SVB’s Collapse (40:52) Ads (Falcon X, WalletConnect, Token.com) (43:05) What’s Trump’s End Game (47:53) Is Bitcoin A Safe Haven? (50:45) Building A Crypto Portfolio (01:04:23) Long vs Short Vol (01:07:26) Coinbase & Crypto Equities -- 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.

Felix Jauvin

Head of Content

Blockworks

Quinn Thompson

Founder

Lekker Capital

After President Donald Trump’s proud announcement of ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs, markets worldwide took a tumble.  Shortly after Trump’s Rose Garden announcement concluded, James Seyffart, Steven Ehrlich, Ram Ahluwalia, and guest Quinn Thompson discussed: How markets reacted Whether tariffs can bring middle-class jobs back to America Who will end up paying the most Future possibilities of war, recession and stagflation How it all affects crypto Sponsors: Bitwise Hosts: James Seyffart, Research Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence Ram Ahluwalia, CFA, CEO and Founder of Lumida Guests: Steven Ehrlich, High Scribe of the Unchained Kingdom Quinn Thompson, Master of Macro at Lekker Capital Links Trump Tariffs Shake Markets New York Times: A Stunned World Reckons With Economic Fallout From Trump’s Tariffs Wall Street Journal: U.S. Stock Futures, Dollar Tumble on Trump Tariff Plans New York Times: A Timeline of Trump’s On-Again, Off-Again Tariffs US Tariff History CATO Institute: The Problem of the Tariff in American Economic History, 1787–1934 Brookings: Did Trump’s tariffs benefit American workers and national security? Impact on Bitcoin and Crypto Unchained: Why Trump-Induced Stagflation Could Finally Make Bitcoin a Safe Haven Unchained: How a Radical Proposal in Trump’s World Could Hurt Stablecoins, but Boost Bitcoin The Concerned Consumer and CEO CBS: Consumer confidence slumps to 12-year low as Americans fret over their financial prospects NPR: Why CEOs are calm about tariffs in public — but 'very discouraged' in private 🤝 00:00 Introductions + Quinn’s background 📕 4:09 Trump’s take on U.S. tariff history 📉 6:11 The market’s tumultuous reaction 🏭 11:13 Will tariffs bring manufacturing back to America? ▶️◀️ 12:47 The contradictions in Trump’s policies and the threat of stagflation ⏳ 18:53 Why Trump doesn’t have as much time as he thinks 🥵 24:12 Will American consumers bear the burden? 💥 26:05 Taking a wrecking ball to market psychology ❓ 28:02 Whether Trump inherited a healthy or faltering economy 🫸 32:00 Why CEOs are hesitating and how to persuade them to invest in manufacturing ❌ 35:11 “This is not the way you go do it.” 🇹🇼 40:44 Another contradiction: Trump willing to defend Taiwan while being isolationist? 🪖 47:55 Why the current geopolitical climate is especially dangerous 😱 55:51 Is America heading for a recession? 🤔 01:02:00 How will this affect Bitcoin? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Quinn Thompson

Founder

Lekker Capital

Welcome to The Chopping Block – where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner break down the biggest stories in crypto. This week, we’re joined by special guest Quinn Thompson, Master of Macro at Lekker Capital, to dissect Trump’s Bitcoin Reserve. The US government is now officially hodling Bitcoin —Trump’s executive order creates a BTC reserve using seized funds. But markets didn’t buy the hype. Bitcoin tanked, and traders are still questioning what this means for crypto’s future. Meanwhile, the global macro picture is a disaster—stocks are down, trade wars are escalating, and recession fears are mounting.Is this controlled demolition of the economy, or just a side effect of Trump’s economic agenda? And most importantly, what does this mean for crypto? Let’s dive in. Show highlights 🔹 Trump’s Bitcoin Reserve Announcement – The US government officially holds BTC, but it’s not buying more. No new demand—just a change in optics. 🔹 Digital Asset Stockpile – XRP, ADA, SOL? Treasury isn’t sure what it owns, and no guarantee these altcoins stay on the balance sheet. 🔹 Market Reactions – Bitcoin pumped, then crashed. No net buying pressure, just an end to government auctions of seized BTC. 🔹 Trade War Fallout – Tariffs hit Mexico, Canada, EU, and China—S&P 500 posts worst day since 2022, losing $1.4T in market cap. 🔹 Trump’s Endgame? – Is this a controlled demolition of asset prices, or just chaos in motion? 🔹 Crypto’s Liquidity Crunch – The Fed isn’t stepping in (yet), but the macro backdrop is grim. Rate cuts may be the only way out. Hosts ⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly ⭐️Tarun Chitra, Managing Partner at Robot Ventures ⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly  ⭐️Robert Leshner, CEO & Co-founder of Superstate Guest ⭐️Quinn Thompson, Founder & CIO at Lekker Capital Disclosures Timestamps  00:00 Intro 02:36 Trump’s Bitcoin Reserve 05:17 Bitcoin Tanks 14:30 How This Affects Crypto & Traditional Finance 19:36 Trade Wars Escalate 31:30 Corn Twitter Is Mad 35:16 Why Stocks & Crypto Are Dumping in Sync 41:39 Trump's Historical Stance on Tariffs 54:57 Government Spending and Crypto Market Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Quinn Thompson

Founder

Lekker Capital

The Fed just made its first rate cut in years, slashing 50 basis points off interest rates—but what does this mean for the crypto markets? With Bitcoin lagging behind traditional finance, and the looming U.S. elections, uncertainty is growing.  In this episode, Quinn Thompson of Lekker Capital and Travis Kling of Ikigai Asset Management break down the major factors influencing the markets: from Bitcoin’s sluggish summer and the unwinding of the Japan yen carry trade, to why the 2024 elections could be a pivotal moment for crypto. Are these the catalysts we’ve been waiting for, or should we brace for more turbulence ahead? Also, they cover which assets could benefit the most under a Trump administration, and why they believe SOL could have a negative catalyst in the near future. Show highlights: Why the Fed cut rates by 50 basis points and what the chances of a recession are in the U.S. Why Bitcoin has underperformed the broader TradFi markets this summer The risks of the unwinding of the Japan carry trade for crypto How the election results might matter differently for different sectors of the industry Whether rate cuts affect stablecoin yields in DeFi  How the approval of Bitcoin ETF options will affect the price of BTC Whether Bitcoin miners will be affected by AI’s need for computing power Ether’s lagging performance this year and what might be a huge catalyst for ETH How SOL will manage through the huge unlock in early 2025 What Quinn and Travis think about investing in memecoins How the rise of Base will impact Coinbase Visit our website for breaking news, analysis, op-eds, articles to learn about crypto, and much more: unchainedcrypto.com Thank you to our sponsors! Polkadot Mantle Gemini Guests: Quinn Thompson, CIO of Lekker Capital Travis Kling, Founder and CIO of Ikigai Asset Management Previous appearance on Unchained: With the Merge, Will Ethereum Take Over Bitcoin’s Title as Digital Gold Links Rate cuts Unchained:  Fed Cuts Rates for First Time Since 2020; Bitcoin Remains Mostly Flat Fed Rate Cut Should Spur Crypto Investors to Load up on Memecoins, Asymmetric Founder Tells Token2049 Bitcoin Is Now in a ‘Classic Setup’ to Surge Higher Soon, Analysts Say Bitcoin and the Crypto Markets Slump as Fed Faces Tough Rate Cut Decision What Do Cooling Inflation and Rate Cuts Mean for Crypto and Bitcoin Prices? ETH performance and L2s: Unchained:  SOL on Course to Flip ETH, Says Multicoin Capital’s Kyle Samani Ether Has Been a Much Worse Investment Than Both Gold and Silver So Far This Year Are L2s 'Parasitic'? Analysis Shows Ethereum Only Gets a Tiny Percentage of Fees Alex Kruger’s tweet: “Ironically $SOLETH is barely up in 2024” Bitcoin ETF options: CoinDesk: BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Options to Set Stage for GameStop-Like 'Gamma Squeeze' Rally, Bitwise Predicts Mining and AI: TIME: Why So Many Bitcoin Mining Companies Are Pivoting to AI Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:09 Fed rate cut and recession chances 12:34 Bitcoin’s underperformance this summer 14:56 Risks of Japan carry trade unwinding 21:3 Election impacts on crypto sectors 38:00 Rate cuts and DeFi stablecoin yields 43:00 Bitcoin ETF options 49:31 AI’s impact on Bitcoin miners 54:38 Ether’s lagging performance and future catalysts 1:03:19 SOL’s 2025 unlock concerns 1:10:39 Investing in memecoins 1:18:15 Base’s rise and Coinbase impact Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Quinn Thompson

Founder

Lekker Capital

Travis Kling

Founder

Ikigai Asset Management

In this episode, Jason is joined by Quinn Thompson dive deep into the game-changing news of a potential Ethereum ETF approval. They discuss the implications for macro and crypto markets, ETH/BTC dynamics, and major players like Coinbase. The conversation also explores the fascinating shift in US politics around crypto, driven by electoral considerations, and what a Trump vs. Biden race could mean for the industry. Looking ahead, they consider potential ripple effects on altcoins, NFTs, stablecoins and more. Thanks for tuning in! - - Follow Quinn: https://x.com/qthomp Follow Jason: https://twitter.com/JasonYanowitz Follow Santiago: 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 Start your day with crypto news, analysis and data from Katherine Ross and David Canellis. Subscribe to the Empire newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/empire?utm_source=podcasts Get top market insights and the latest in crypto news. Subscribe to Blockworks Daily Newsletter: https://blockworks.co/newsletter/ - - Sei Labs believes the EVM is here to stay. By providing the fastest time to finality of any chain, thousands of transactions per second and full backwards compatibility with the EVM, Ethereum developers can try out a brand new design space for their applications. Try out sei v2 devnet - visit the new sei.io to find out more. - - This episode is brought to you by Aura, the AI-powered digital security protection app that keeps your personal information, passwords, online activity, and tech safe from digital threats. It’s all-in-one protection from identity theft, financial fraud, malware, scams, and more. For a limited time, Aura is offering our listeners a 14-day FREE trial plus up to 55% off an Aura subscription. Visit aura.com/blockworks to sign up for your free trial. - - Mantle Network is an Ethereum Layer 2 that aims to bring super-scalability to Ethereum by taking a modular approach that offers low fees and high security. Mantle recently launched their airdrop program "Rewards Station" to holders of its native token, $MNT. The Rewards Station program distributes pre-sale token allocations or listed token to $MNT holders who stake their $MNT. Check out the rewards station: https://www.mantle.xyz/rewards-station - - Kinto is the Safety-first L2 designed to accelerate the transition to an on-chain financial system. If you believe in this on-chain financial system, join Kinto's launch program (Engen) and become a founding member at engen.kinto.xyz - - Resources https://x.com/drjasper_eth/status/1793473109447651812 - - Timestamps: (0:00) Introduction (5:03) ETF Approval Odds (18:41) Sei Ad (19:38) Aura Ad (20:27) Kinto Ad (21:23) Mantle Ad (22:19) ETF Market Impact (34:21) Impact on Alts, NFTs, & Memes (44:16) Dems Adopt Crypto (52:43) Impact of US Election - - 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.

Quinn Thompson

Founder

Lekker Capital