Podcast: How did UST collapse? | Jordi Alexander & Mika Honkasalo

Jordi Alexander and Mika Honkasalo discuss the UST meltdown and the future of decentralized stablecoins.

article-image
share

Jordi Alexander and Mika Honkasalo join Jason on today’s episode of “Empire” to discuss the meltdown of UST, Terra’s stablecoin. The match was lit Sunday with UST de-pegging from one dollar, and it’s now become the single biggest wealth destruction event in crypto.

Jordi and Mika explain what led to UST’s demise, how this could have been prevented, and what’s in store for the future of UST and Terra. Is this the end of decentralized stablecoins? Can the market recover? Tune in to find out.

Plus, hear more on:

  • Systemic effects
  • Frax and Maker
  • Arb opportunities
  • The multiplier effect
  • 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

Brooklyn, NY

SUN - MON, JUN. 22 - 23, 2025

Blockworks and Cracked Labs are teaming up for the third installment of the Permissionless Hackathon, happening June 22–23, 2025 in Brooklyn, NY. This is a 36-hour IRL builder sprint where developers, designers, and creatives ship real projects solving real problems across […]

Industry City | Brooklyn, NY

TUES - THURS, JUNE 24 - 26, 2025

Permissionless IV serves as the definitive gathering for crypto’s technical founders, developers, and builders to come together and create the future.If you’re ready to shape the future of crypto, Permissionless IV is where it happens.

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.

recent research

Research

article-image

LBTC and sBTC integrations unlock new DeFi yields for BTC holders

article-image

The Breakdown becomes your central hub for insightful, daily crypto macro analysis

article-image

What was a cool $500,000 would now be worth more than $7 million

article-image

Mersinger’s final day at the CFTC will be May 30

article-image

Squads CEO Stepan Simkin explained why the firm launched Altitude and how he’s thinking about stablecoins

article-image

Sponsored

Instead of endless wallet popups, users could connect once, set clear rules, and delegate permission to an app or to an AI agent.