How DoubleZero Built a Faster Internet for Crypto and Helped All DePIN - Ep. 914
How DoubleZero Built a Faster Internet for Crypto and Helped All DePIN - Ep. 914
219 days agoUnchainedLaura Shin
Podcast36 min 7 sec
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Note: AI-generated summary based on third-party content. Not financial advice. Read more.
Quick Insights

Consider an investment in DoubleZero (2Z), a project building a high-speed private internet for blockchains that recently received a significant SEC no-action letter, greatly reducing its regulatory risk. The 2Z token's value is driven by network usage fees and a deflationary mechanism that burns 50% of all fees collected. High-performance blockchains like Solana (SOL), Aptos (APT), and Sui (SUI) are poised to directly benefit from this infrastructure, potentially increasing their transaction speeds and network value. For example, Solana's Fire Dancer client has already demonstrated a capacity of 1 million transactions per second using DoubleZero's network. This regulatory breakthrough is also a major bullish catalyst for the entire DePIN sector, making it a key investment theme to watch.

Detailed Analysis

DoubleZero (2Z)

  • What it is: DoubleZero is building a high-speed, low-latency "parallel internet" specifically for blockchains and other distributed systems. It uses a network of dedicated, private fiber optic cables contributed by various partners.
  • Problem it solves: The regular public internet is a major bottleneck for high-performance blockchains. It's often slow and unpredictable (high "jitter"), which limits the transaction speed and capacity of chains like Solana. Major financial firms like Jump and Citadel, and tech giants like Facebook and Google, already use private networks to avoid this problem. DoubleZero aims to provide a similar private network but in a decentralized way.
  • Target Market: This is a B2B (business-to-business) product aimed at:
    • High-performance Layer 1 blockchains like Solana, Aptos, and Sui.
    • Ethereum Layer 2s that need fast execution.
    • Crypto traders and MEV (Maximal Extractable Value) systems like Flashbots that require reliable, fast transaction submission.
  • Tokenomics (2Z):
    • Utility: The 2Z token is used to pay for access to the network.
    • Burn Mechanism: Approximately 50% of the fees paid in 2Z are burned, which is a deflationary pressure on the token supply.
    • Rewards: The other 50% of fees are paid out as rewards to the contributors who provide the physical fiber optic infrastructure.
    • Reward Model: It uses a "Proof of Utility" model. This means rewards are based on how critical and utilized a contributor's fiber link is, not on how many tokens they hold (like in Proof of Stake). This is designed to incentivize building a robust and useful network.
  • Key Backers: The project has significant backing and contributions from major players in both crypto and traditional finance, including Jump and Galaxy.
  • Regulatory Clarity: DoubleZero received a no-action letter from the SEC. This is a major milestone, as the SEC stated they do not view the reward tokens paid to infrastructure contributors as securities transactions. This reduces regulatory risk and makes it easier to onboard large, traditional telecommunications companies.
  • Mentioned Risk Factor: The transcript notes online discussion about the token allocation, with trading firm Jump receiving 28% of the supply. The project's co-founder explained this was due to Jump's multi-faceted role as a core developer, the first and most significant infrastructure contributor, and an early investor.

Takeaways

  • Bullish Case: DoubleZero is tackling a fundamental bottleneck in crypto—internet speed. If successful, it could unlock a new level of performance for the entire industry, enabling applications that aren't possible today, such as on-chain trading that rivals the NASDAQ.
  • Investment Angle: The 2Z token is central to the network's economy. Its value could be driven by demand for network access and the token burn mechanism. The project's success is tied to its ability to onboard both users (blockchains, traders) and infrastructure providers.
  • Key Catalyst: The SEC no-action letter is a significant de-risking event, not just for DoubleZero but for the entire DePIN sector. It provides a potential roadmap for other projects that blend crypto with real-world infrastructure.
  • What to Watch: Monitor the adoption of the DoubleZero network. Success will be measured by how many major blockchains, validators, and trading firms begin using its infrastructure.

Solana (SOL), Aptos (APT), & Sui (SUI)

  • Context: These blockchains were repeatedly mentioned as the primary beneficiaries of DoubleZero's technology. The guest stated that these networks are no longer limited by their software but by the physical limitations of the public internet.
  • Proof of Concept: The Fire Dancer client for Solana, which demonstrated 1 million transactions per second, was secretly run on an early version of the DoubleZero network. This shows the potential performance gains.
  • Future Potential: If a significant portion of these networks' validators adopt DoubleZero, they could potentially increase their throughput and decrease their block times (e.g., Solana moving from 400ms to 250ms block times), making them even faster and more competitive.

Takeaways

  • Indirect Beneficiaries: The success of DoubleZero could be a major bullish catalyst for high-performance blockchains like SOL, APT, and SUI.
  • Ecosystem Play: Investing in these Layer 1s can be seen as an indirect way to bet on the theme of improving blockchain infrastructure. If their networks become dramatically faster and more reliable thanks to services like DoubleZero, their utility and value could increase significantly.
  • Ethereum L2s: While Ethereum (ETH) mainnet was described as "designed to be slow" and unlikely to use DoubleZero, the fast Layer 2s built on top of it are potential customers and could see similar performance benefits.

DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks)

  • Context: DoubleZero is a prime example of a DePIN project, which uses a crypto-economic model to build and coordinate real-world physical infrastructure.
  • Major Theme: The discussion around the SEC no-action letter has broad, positive implications for the entire DePIN sector.
  • Regulatory Breakthrough: SEC Commissioner Hester Peirce's comments highlighted that the SEC may view tokens allocated as compensation for real work (like providing bandwidth, storage, or energy) differently than tokens sold purely as an investment. This provides a potential framework for other DePIN projects to achieve regulatory clarity in the U.S.

Takeaways

  • Sector-Wide Bullish Signal: The regulatory clarity achieved by DoubleZero is a significant win for the DePIN space. It could lower the barrier for non-crypto native companies to participate in these networks, accelerating adoption.
  • Investment Theme: DePIN is an emerging investment theme focused on tangible, real-world applications of crypto. The positive regulatory development could attract more capital and attention to this sector.
  • What to Look For: Investors interested in this theme should look for other DePIN projects that require significant, verifiable work from contributors, as they may be able to follow a similar regulatory path.
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Episode Description
DoubleZero just launched its mainnet-beta, offering a new type of high-performance fiber network for blockchains, live across 5 continents and already adopted by 20%+ of Solana stake. Co-founder Austin Federa joins Unchained to walk through: How DoubleZero creates a dedicated internet for crypto Who contributes fiber and why they earn the 2Z token What the SEC’s no-action letter means for crypto and DePIN specifically And what this could unlock for L2s, onchain trading, and more Thank you to our sponsors! Binance Token2049 Guest: Austin Federa, Co-founder of DoubleZero Timestamps: 🎬 0:00 Introduction and ads: Token2049 and Binance 🌐 0:59 What’s wrong with the public internet—and why crypto needs its own ⚡ 5:28 How DoubleZero is building a dedicated network for blockchains 🌍 7:54 How the physical world gets integrated into the blockchain economy ⏱️ 10:49 Why traders demand more determinism in transaction times 🛠️ 13:09 How anyone can become a contributor to the DoubleZero network 🚫 14:32 Why Ethereum might not be the right fit for this product 💰 16:06 What role the 2Z token plays in the ecosystem 🔥 23:12 Why Jump’s token allocation sparked controversy ⚖️ 27:40 What the SEC’s no-action letter really means for DePIN 🏆 32:59 If DoubleZero succeeds, who will come out on top? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
About Unchained
Unchained

Unchained

By Laura Shin

Crypto assets and blockchain technology are about to transform every trust-based interaction of our lives, from financial services to identity to the Internet of Things. In this podcast, host Laura Shin, an independent journalist covering all things crypto, talks with industry pioneers about how crypto assets and blockchains will change the way we earn, spend and invest our money. Tune in to find out how Web 3.0, the decentralized web, will revolutionize our world. Disclosure: I'm a nocoiner.