The Six Tokens To Own This Cycle | Yan Liberman
The Six Tokens To Own This Cycle | Yan Liberman
2 hours agoEmpireBlockworks
Podcast59 min 28 sec
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Note: AI-generated summary based on third-party content. Not financial advice. Read more.
Quick Insights

Consider a near-term position in Aerodrome (AERO) ahead of its multichain rollout in late September, which will introduce new revenue streams expected to boost fee distributions by 40%.

Grass (GRAS) is an undervalued decentralized AI play generating $40 million in operating profit that is poised to re-rate once its primary token supply overhang ends in October.

Maintain a constructive long position on Bitcoin (BTC) through the current consolidation, but plan to take profits as the price approaches the high $90,000s ceiling.

Investors looking for higher-beta upside to Ethereum (ETH) growth can accumulate Arbitrum (ARB), which offers an asymmetric trade from its current $1.5 billion to $2 billion valuation toward a potential $10 billion target.

For steady income, hold Hyperliquid (HYPE) as a productive core asset backed by continuous USDC buybacks, or allocate to real-world asset (RWA) platforms like Tori Finance to capture a currency-hedged 10.5% yield.

Detailed Analysis

Grass (GRAS)

  • GRAS is a decentralized residential IP network designed to scrape and aggregate web data to train AI models for Frontier Labs.
  • The underlying business is generating real cash flows, projected to achieve $70 million in top-line revenue and $40 million in operating profit.
  • It is currently valued at an estimated Fully Diluted Valuation (FDV) of $330 million, representing a steep discount compared to private tech equity benchmarks, which typically trade at $1 billion to $2 billion at similar growth rates.
  • The project has a clean value-accrual structure with no separate equity entity, ensuring value flows directly to the token.
  • Investor token unlocks are set to conclude in October, removing a significant supply overhang.
  • Grass plans to launch a new subscription product called Live Context Recall (LCR) to access live, Cloudflare-protected web data for AI agents.

Takeaways

  • GRAS is positioned as an undervalued AI-crypto convergence asset with real revenue, clear value capture, and upcoming supply unlock completion as an immediate catalyst.

Aerodrome (AERO)

  • AERO is a decentralized exchange on the Base network preparing for a major multichain expansion to Ethereum mainnet and other networks in the second half of September.
  • The protocol is shifting toward dynamic token emissions linked 1:1 with trading volume, which reduces inflationary token emissions as token price and activity increase.
  • Aerodrome is introducing multiple new revenue streams expected to add approximately 40% in incremental revenue with zero token emissions offset, directing value toward stakers and buybacks.
  • Market positioning and Open Interest (OI) relative to FDV remain low, suggesting under-allocation by larger trading desks.

Takeaways

  • AERO offers an attractive event-driven trade with upcoming catalyst milestones in late September, improving tokenomics, and new revenue lines designed to reward stakers.

Hyperliquid (HYPE)

  • HYPE operates as a high-performing decentralized trading platform with expanding market share in both crypto and non-crypto financial products.
  • The protocol benefits from consistent fee generation in USDC, creating a durable, continuous programmatic buyback bid for the token.
  • While it remains a high-conviction core asset for long-term multi-cycle exposure, a rapid short-term multiple expansion (such as a move to $200) is unlikely over the next four months due to heavy fund positioning.

Takeaways

  • Treat HYPE as a productive, core holding backed by real fee generation rather than a short-term speculative trade.

Venice (VENICE)

  • VENICE provides decentralized private AI inference services, generating recurring revenue that is not dependent on crypto market speculation.
  • Value accrual is planned to flow directly back to token holders as margins expand and the platform scales its owned compute hardware.
  • The asset represents a hedge against broad economic downturns by tapping into non-crypto AI enterprise demand.

Takeaways

  • VENICE is an attractive option for investors looking for exposure to private AI infrastructure with revenue streams outside native crypto market cycles.

Bitcoin (BTC)

  • BTC experienced a short squeeze driven by expectations around monetary easing and treasury curve dynamics during a prolonged market consolidation.
  • The absence of aggressive institutional buyers (such as MicroStrategy's Michael Saylor, who has recently focused on cash management) creates a slower, healthier grind upward rather than an overheated rally.
  • An immediate push to new all-time highs appears challenging without substantial new Quantitative Easing (QE) or major liquidity injections.
  • Jan Liberman targets the high $90,000s for Bitcoin before considering de-risking or scaling back long positions.

Takeaways

  • Maintain a constructive long bias during this consolidation phase, but monitor the high $90,000s level as a potential near-term price ceiling to take profits unless clear macroeconomic easing emerges.

Arbitrum (ARB)

  • ARB is viewed as a higher-beta, leveraged play on Ethereum (ETH) adoption, with the capacity to capture sequencer fees from consumer chains and high-volume applications like Robinhood.
  • Currently trading at an FDV of roughly $1.5 billion to $2 billion, with long-term scenarios where it could re-rate toward $10 billion if app-chain adoption and take rates accelerate.
  • Risks include slow historical sequencer fee growth and the tendency for decentralized applications to capture more direct value than layer-2 networks.

Takeaways

  • ARB can serve as an asymmetric catch-up play for investors seeking leveraged exposure to Ethereum ecosystem growth and institutional layer-2 rollouts.

Tori Finance

  • Tori Finance is a venture-stage protocol bringing an institutional Turkish Lira carry trade on-chain with a full USD hedge.
  • The protocol provides an estimated 10.5% organic, un-incentivized yield by partnering with top-tier counterparties backed by the central bank of Turkey.
  • The model avoids crypto-native lending risks and artificial token emissions by importing durable, real-world yields directly on-chain.

Takeaways

  • Monitor Tori Finance as an example of next-generation real-world asset (RWA) protocols delivering sustainable double-digit yields insulated from crypto market volatility.
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Episode Description
Which tokens are actually worth owning in today’s market? This week, Yan Liberman shares his six-token portfolio and the framework behind each position. We dig into productive vs speculative assets, catchup trades and overlooked opportunities, how AI is reshaping crypto venture, what Delphi looks for in founders, and what the ideal portfolio looks like today. Enjoy! TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Intro 00:34 Does Crypto’s Rally Have Legs? 05:49 Is AI Outshining Crypto? 10:35 Liquid Tokens Or Venture Bets? 16:17 Ads (Token2049, Avalanche) 17:57 Inside Yan’s Crypto Portfolio 23:25 What Returns Justify Crypto Risk? 29:53 Where Can Crypto Venture Still Win? 37:20 Aerodrome’s Catch-Up Trade 41:16 Why Delphi Backs Emerging Managers 44:42 How Delphi Evaluates Founders 50:29 Stop Trying To Be Clever? 57:53 Is Market Froth Taking Over? FOLLOW GUEST › Yan – https://x.com/YanLiberman › Delphi Ventures – https://x.com/Delphi_Ventures › Delphi Digital – https://x.com/Delphi_Digital FOLLOW THE SHOW › Empire – https://x.com/theempirepod › Jason – https://x.com/jasonyanowitz › Santi – https://x.com/santiagoroel › Telegram – https://t.me/+CaCYvTOB4Eg1OWJh › Blockworks – https://x.com/Blockworks EVENTS › Join us at Digital Asset Summit 2026 Asia October 7th & Digital Asset 2026 London November 10-11th https://blockworks.com/events › TOKEN2049 Singapore is back October 7–8, bringing together 25,000 attendees, 300 speakers, and 500 exhibitors for one of the biggest weeks in crypto. Get your TOKEN2049 tickets here: https://checkout.token2049.com/events/asia?promo=DASPODCAST10&utm_source=Empire&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=daspodcast&utm_id=DASPODCAST › Avalanche Summit NYC lands Sept. 16–17. Save 15% with code BLOCKWORKS15: avalanchesummit.com/registration DISCLAIMER Nothing said on Empire is a recommendation to buy or sell securities or tokens. This podcast is for informational purposes only. Any views expressed are opinions, not financial advice. Hosts and guests may hold positions in the companies, funds, or projects discussed.
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