Why VCs Are Betting Billions on AI Labs That Have No Product episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 16, 2026 · 1H 29M

Why VCs Are Betting Billions on AI Labs That Have No Product

from RiskReversal Pod · host RiskReversal Media

Dan Nathan welcomes Michael Dempsey, partner at Compound VC, for an in-depth discussion on AI, crypto, and technological investing. Returning guest Dempsey shares his insights on historical and emerging trends in AI, highlighting the evolving landscape of AI commercialization, the increasing speed from research to market, and the shift from market cap expansion to destruction. The podcast also dives into Dempsey's venture capital strategies, discussing his firm's impressive portfolio, including companies like Runway and Wave, and their new public markets fund. The conversation later transitions to crypto, with guest Evan Karvounis sharing his journey and the significant potential he sees in the decentralized exchange, Hyper Liquid. Michael further elaborates on Bitcoin's potential as a store of value. The episode encapsulates a comprehensive overview of the bleeding-edge tech landscape and its promising future. After the break, Dan welcomes Evan Karvounis to the pod. Evan shares his view on Bitcoin's current branding issues linked to the Trump administration and the preference for gold among Eastern investors. The conversation then shifts to Ethereum and Solana, which Evan believes are significantly overvalued, explaining their past success through the 'casino chip thesis.' The focus then moves to Hyper Liquid, a decentralized exchange project Evan heavily invests in. He outlines its unique approach of building a product before a chain, its market potential, and recent impressive growth, particularly in traditional asset trading. The discussion concludes with Hyper Liquid's market positioning and revenue growth potential. —FOLLOW USYouTube: @RiskReversalMediaInstagram: @riskreversalmediaTwitter: @RiskReversalLinkedIn: RiskReversal Media

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Feb 16, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

Why VCs Are Betting Billions on AI Labs That Have No Product

0:00 1:29:36

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of RiskReversal Pod?

This episode is 1 hour and 29 minutes long.

When was this RiskReversal Pod episode published?

This episode was published on February 16, 2026.

Can I download this RiskReversal Pod episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!