Secures Ten Million Dollars in Seed Funding for the Creation of a Novel "Consensusless" Layer-1 Blockchain Network
Pod's Consensusless Layer-1 Network Aims for Google-like Speed
Pod, a new blockchain network, is set to revolutionize the industry with its consensusless layer-1 network. The visionary behind Pod is CEO Shresth Agrawal.
The developmental milestones for Pod are well-defined. The devnet is scheduled for launch in the coming weeks, followed by a testnet in Q3 2025, and the mainnet launch in Q1 2026.
The primary focus of Pod is to power applications in gaming, social networks, stablecoin payments, decentralized exchanges, and AI agents. To achieve this, Pod's design prioritizes fast transaction speeds, a critical factor for mass Web3 adoption, as emphasized by Agrawal.
Unlike traditional blockchain networks, Pod eliminates the consensus bottleneck, enabling transactions to be processed much faster. This approach allows for near-instant transaction confirmation, significantly increasing throughput and reducing latency. In essence, Pod trades off the typical consensus mechanism for a more efficient processing model that prioritizes speed and scalability.
Pod aims to deliver blockchain performance on par with everyday internet services like Google search. For instance, Agrawal predicts that Pod's layer-1 network could achieve transaction speeds of up to 200 milliseconds, similar to Google search.
The fundraising round for Pod attracted significant attention, with A16z Crypto's Startup Accelerator and 1kx co-leading the seed round. Other participants included Flashbots, Blockchain Builders Fund, Protagonist, and several angel investors such as Celestia's Nick White, Babylon's David Tse, Axelar's Sergey Gorbunov, Lau Ventures' Waikit Lau, and VentureFriends' Apostolos Apostolaki.
One of the key advantages of Pod is that it allows transactions to be directly streamed to validators for attestation and timestamping, avoiding the artificial delay found in other networks where validators must wait for a block to appear to receive a transaction confirmation.
Pod's website states that this consensusless approach allows for near-instant transaction confirmation, significantly increasing throughput and reducing latency compared to conventional blockchains. By removing the consensus bottleneck, Pod can process transactions much faster, similar to how Google can instantly retrieve search results without waiting for distributed agreement.
In summary, Pod's consensusless layer-1 network is poised to disrupt the blockchain industry by offering transaction speeds on par with Google search, aiming to deliver a seamless experience similar to web2 applications. The upcoming testnet and mainnet launches promise exciting times for this innovative blockchain network.
Investors in the tech sector have shown interest in Pod, with A16z Crypto's Startup Accelerator and 1kx co-leading the seed round for this consensuless blockchain network. As the visionary behind Pod, CEO Shresth Agrawal sees the potential of this technology in various areas, including finance, news, and investing, due to its speed and scalability. Agrawal predicts that Pod's layer-1 network could achieve transaction speeds of up to 200 milliseconds, comparable to Google search, making it ideal for powering applications in web3, such as decentralized exchanges and social networks.
