In this episode of Hivemind we dive into the arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov and its implications for digital freedom. The team explores Maker's rebranding to Skynet and what this means for DeFi. We also debate whether increasing censorship could actually be bullish for crypto, examining the push towards decentralized platforms. The conversation touches on market movements, the ETH/BTC ratio, and the evolving landscape of stablecoins. Throughout, the panel wrestles with the tension between innovation, regulation, and crypto's original ethos.

- -

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

Follow Ceteris: https://x.com/ceterispar1bus

Follow Jose: https://x.com/ZeMariaMacedo

Follow Yan: https://x.com/YanLiberman

Follow Duncan: https://x.com/FloodCapital

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/

- -

Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

00:58 Why is Crypto Not Moving?

05:40 Is ETH the XRP this Cycle?

10:23 ETH Bull Case

12:33 Pavel Djurov of Telegram Arrested

27:17 Censorship & Crypto's Usecase

38:43 Maker Rebrand to Skynet

- -

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.