Web3 with Sam Kamani

228: The Future of Decentralized Infra—Michael O’Rourke on Pocket Network & Grove

24 Feb 2025

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In this episode of Web3 with Sam Kamani, I sit down with Michael O’Rourke from Pocket Network & Grove to discuss the future of decentralized infrastructure in Web3.Key topics we cover:🔹 What is Pocket Network & why does Web3 need decentralized infra?🔹 How AI, blockchain & data infrastructure are merging🔹 The role of Grove in scaling decentralized infra🔹 Why the internet is shrinking & how Web3 can counteract it🔹 Pocket Network’s 2024 roadmap—Shannon upgrade & permissionless demandIf you care about Web3 infra, AI, or decentralized data, this episode is a must-listen!Key Timestamps[00:00:00] Introduction: Sam introduces Michael O’Rourke from Pocket Network & Grove, discussing Web3 infra & decentralization.[00:01:00] Michael’s Journey into Crypto & Web3 Started in Bitcoin (2013) & got hooked by the decentralization vision How growing up in the Dominican Republic shaped his perspective on financial systems Why video games & digital assets made crypto an obvious next step[00:04:00] What Problem Does Pocket Network Solve? Decentralized RPC & API access for Web3 apps Why Web3 infra should NOT be centralized The hidden reliance of most dApps on centralized services[00:07:00] Grove vs. Pocket Network—What’s the Difference? Pocket Network = Decentralized infra protocol Grove = One of the key gateways running on Pocket Network Why they rebranded to avoid confusion[00:09:00] Why Web3 Projects Register Foundations & What It Means Foundations help separate development from governance Why Pocket Network uses a direct democracy (1 person, 1 vote, not token-weighted) How Cayman Islands laws allow DAOs to control foundations[00:12:00] What’s Coming Next—Pocket Network’s 2024 Roadmap Shannon Upgrade—Launching in Q2 Enabling true permissionless demand for decentralized data Why open data sources are critical for Web3 & AI[00:14:00] Why the Internet Is Shrinking & How Web3 Can Fix It Countries are creating “walled gardens” for the internet US, EU, and China are siloing online services Web3 infra can keep data open & accessible[00:18:00] The Future of AI & Web3 Infra Why AI models need decentralized infra to scale Pocket Network now supports open-source LLMs The battle between open-source vs. closed AI models (DeepSeek, OpenAI, Mistral, etc.)[00:23:00] The Biggest Challenge in Scaling Web3 Infra Moving beyond blockchain RPCs to support AI, storage, social, etc. Why AI data needs decentralized infra just as much as blockchains How Pocket Network is accelerating adoption[00:26:00] Michael’s Bold Take—Web3 Still Needs More Infra Why infra innovation hasn’t caught up with blockchain growth Why ephemeral cloud services & decentralized compute will be the next big thing[00:27:00] Final Thoughts—Michael’s Advice for Web3 Founders Ignore the hype cycles & just keep building Focus on solving real problems, not just narrativesConnecthttps://pocket.network/https://linktr.ee/pocketnetworkhttps://x.com/POKTnetworkhttps://www.linkedin.com/company/build-with-grove/https://www.linkedin.com/in/morourke89/https://x.com/buildwithgrovehttps://x.com/o_rourkeDisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research. Finally, it would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/

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228: The Future of Decentralized Infra—Michael O’Rourke on Pocket Network & Grove

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet

Other episodes from Web3 with Sam Kamani

349: Inside Openfort: Fixing Wallets, Crypto UX and Privacy, and the Road to 2026 with Guest Speaker Joan Alavedra

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