Podcast: How To Survive A Bear Market | Olaf Carlson-Wee

Olaf Carlson-Wee discusses the market crash, what’s next and his crypto investment thesis

article-image
share

On today’s episode of Empire, Olaf Carlson-Wee, Coinbase’s first employee and founder of Polychain, joins Jason and Santiago to discuss his views on the state of crypto.

Olaf Carlson-Wee reflects on crypto’s cycles and reoccurring themes and how they relates to the UST meltdown and today’s bear market. We then dive into Olaf’s investment philosophy, exploring his thoughts on the multichain future and what assets will accrue value. You’ll also hear Olaf’s unique take on the “one reason” DAOs should exist.

Don’t miss this fantastic episode with one of the most interesting and successful OGs in crypto.

Plus, hear more on:

  • UST’s fate and algo stablecoins
  • The market outlook
  • Layer-1 vs layer-2 blockchains
  • 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 where we share the real crypto stories that aren’t heard elsewhere. On Mondays, Jason and Santiago Santos interview crypto industry movers and shakers to talk about their struggles, bold moves and tough decisions. Finish off the week with Friday’s weekly roundup episode that covers the top news and narratives of the 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 news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Upcoming Events

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.

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 24 - 26, 2026

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

article-image

Funding at a $15B valuation comes as executive shake-ups and market timing test the exchange’s path to listing

article-image

Korea’s “Google” just bought the country’s “Coinbase” in a bold bid to build a super app spanning payments, stocks and crypto

article-image

A planned $100M Ether.fi sleeve and a $47M pufETH buy from Puffer signal DAT treasuries shifting toward long-horizon, policy-driven allocations

article-image

The undercollateralized lending system plans global growth after surpassing 175,000 loans in less than a year

article-image

Share indexes every transaction across Solana, Base and Ethereum

article-image

The plan is to scale PayPal USD with Spark’s liquidity framework, building sustainable stablecoin markets