The Edge Podcast - Introduction to Althea - Revelo Intel

The Edge Podcast – Introduction to Althea

In this episode of The Edge Podcast which took place on March 16, 2024, DeFi Dad Nomatic and Deborah discuss the emerging world of liquid infrastructure, and how Althea enables the funding and coordination of networked utilities. Read our notes below to learn more.

Background

How infra is part of what ruined the Internet

  • Deborah says that broadband mapping reveals disparities between connected vs. non-connected houses due to infrastructure limitations.
  • She adds that challenges arise from inflexible building methods hindering internet access expansion.

What is Althea?

  • Deborah says that Althea enables new ways to fund, build, and operate infrastructure and utilities. It facilitates connectivity between machines. Machines on Althea pay each other programmatically based on selected cost or latency choices. The platform functions similarly to Stripe for machines, allowing flexible payments that transform internet systems.
  • She adds that Althea acts as a payment layer for infrastructure and connectivity networks. Liquid infrastructure can enhance the coordination of networked utilities. She highlights the advantages of using Alia for both end-users and owners of crypto-powered physical infrastructure.
  • Deborah says that software-defined routing facilitates self-healing mesh networks based on cost or latency preferences.

DePIN vs Liquid Infrastructure

  • Deborah says that DePIN is a decentralized physical infrastructure network focusing on infrastructure finance. DePIN’s model involves structuring revenues and costs for building physical networks efficiently. Contrast traditional telecom models with DePIN’s focus on sustainability, revenue generation, and customer-centric placement of infrastructure.
  • She adds that Althea is hardware agnostic, allowing flexibility in utilizing various infrastructures. Althea’s firmware software enables 4G/5G compliance in common routers, emphasizing adaptability and accessibility.

Incentives for Althea infra owners and end users

  • Deborah says that Althea focuses on software-defined processing, payments, and connectivity for machine interactions. She emphasizes the shift towards programmatically driven payments between machines for future transactions.
  • She adds that the proof-of-sale mechanism facilitates seamless payments within the network.

Why Althea needs a blockchain

  • Deborah emphasizes the ability to earn programmatically within accounts. She discusses the transition from experimenting with payment channels to settling direct payments on the blockchain for efficiency.
  • Deborah says that efficiency is important in design and user focus in building processes. She details initial experiments in Oregon, iterating quickly on models based on user feedback.
  • She adds that they expand operations across states and countries, showcasing scalability and network expansion efforts.
  • Deborah advocates for using blockchain due to its programmability and transparency advantages. There is a need for agnostic platforms like Google or TCP/IP for diverse participant utilization.
  • She emphasizes permissionless interfaces for automated transactions without manual intervention. Innovative funding methods through liquid infrastructure while ensuring payment transparency are crucial.

Partnerships and Example of Community Using Althea

  • Deborah says that a roundtable discussion at the New York Fed focused on community broadband as an emerging asset class. Decades of work have led to reimagining utilities with integrated community approaches, emphasizing capitalization and standardization processes. Advocacy for open, community-integrated models has paved the way for partnerships with carriers, ISPs, 5G zones, and fiber providers.
  • She adds that the Tree Link network operator in Northern California exemplifies successful community-driven infrastructure development. Despite financial challenges for larger carriers, grassroots initiatives like Tree Link gather local support to build sustainable networks.

Design of Althea Layer-1

  • Deborah says that Althea layer-1 is a hybrid EVM fork within the Cosmos environment supporting Gravity Bridge for seamless Ethereum tool integration.
  • She adds that users can interact with the user interface for voting on initial blockchain launch parameters. Telecom entities are interested in having their own tokens for various purposes like ads or rewards. The Althea blockchain enables swapping to stablecoins, supporting projects like Electrod, an Uber-like service for EV chargers.

Gravity bridge and Gas tokens on Althea

  • Deborah says that Gravity Bridge is a decentralized infrastructure connecting Ethereum and Cosmos. It has facilitated over $1.3 billion in transactions since 2021, using tokens like $USDC for gas payments.
  • She adds that transaction fees are paid in the token being sent; $USDC is primarily used. Participants earn from transaction fees as routers exchange $USDC within the network.

Teams building on Althea

  • Deborah says that various projects beyond Althea are leveraging its platform for different utility and infrastructure initiatives.

Price-aware routing protocol

  • Deborah discusses programmatic payment mechanisms between devices. She mentions the ability to establish multi-hop configurations for enhanced network flexibility. Price-aware routing allowing users to select cost, latency, or performance preferences.
  • She adds that shifts control from ISPs to users, creating an open marketplace through price-aware routing protocols.
  • Deborah illustrates a scenario where a gamer adjusts latency settings for optimal gameplay experience. She highlights the significance of user-configurable settings in various network interactions beyond gaming sessions.

KeyLTE

  • Deborah defines KeyLTE as a 4G/5G compliant core system with lightweight firmware. There are benefits of disaggregating user plane data flow for agile core configuration adjustments.

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Show Information

  • Medium: YouTube (Video)
  • Show: The Edge Podcast
  • Show Title: Althea: The Layer-1 Built For Liquid Infrastructure & Connectivity
  • Show Date: March 14, 2024