PODO: Real-World Horse Asset Tokenization Platform

What is PODO

Friends, today I want to introduce you to a new blockchain project called Pod Network, also known as Pod. You can think of it as a brand-new, super-fast “information highway.” Many blockchains we use, like Bitcoin and Ethereum, are like busy city roads—they can deliver information (transactions) from point A to point B, but sometimes there’s traffic and things move slowly. Pod Network aims to solve this problem, making information transfer on the blockchain as fast as a Google search—almost instantaneous.

This project is mainly targeted at those who want to build high-performance applications on the blockchain, such as online games, decentralized social networks, global payment systems, and even AI agents. The typical process is: a user initiates a transaction, which is sent directly to validators in the network, who immediately process and timestamp it. The whole process is extremely fast, taking about 200 milliseconds for confirmation.

Project Vision and Value Proposition

Pod Network’s vision is to build “user experience-driven infrastructure.” They believe that the future decentralized internet shouldn’t be slow and complicated; users shouldn’t even notice the decentralized network running in the background when using Web3 products—they should simply love the product for its value.

The core problem it aims to solve is the current blockchain infrastructure being “slow, expensive, and fragile.” Traditional blockchains often require complex consensus mechanisms for all nodes to agree, which introduces delays. Pod Network takes a different approach, using a “consensusless” Layer 1 network design to dramatically improve speed and efficiency.

Compared to similar projects, Pod Network’s main differentiator is its unique “consensusless” design. Instead of packaging blocks through complex consensus protocols, transactions are streamed directly to validators for authentication and timestamping, resulting in ultra-low latency and high throughput. You can think of traditional blockchains as meetings where everyone must raise their hand to vote on decisions, while Pod Network is more like an efficient assembly line, with each worker (validator) independently handling their part, greatly speeding up overall efficiency.

Technical Features

Technical Architecture

The core of Pod Network is a new Layer 1 blockchain called the “Partially Ordered Dataset” (POD). It receives unordered transactions, then sorts them and outputs a log sequence. Unlike traditional blockchains, Pod Network does not provide persistent total ordering of transactions, but allows transactions to “swing” in their positions. This flexibility enables extremely high performance.

It is built using the EVMx framework, which is a backward-compatible extension of the Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). This means developers familiar with Ethereum can continue using Solidity and other toolchains to easily build decentralized applications on Pod Network.

Consensus Mechanism

Pod Network’s most notable technical feature is its “consensusless” mechanism. It does not use traditional complex consensus protocols like Proof of Work (PoW) or Proof of Stake (PoS). Instead, transactions are streamed directly to a group of validators, who authenticate and timestamp them. Validators do not communicate directly with each other, which is the key to Pod Network’s speed.

You can think of traditional consensus mechanisms as a band where all musicians must play in sync to produce harmonious music. Pod Network is more like a jazz ensemble, where each musician (validator) receives the sheet music (transaction) and can independently and quickly play their part. While there’s some improvisation (transactions “swinging”), the performance is quickly completed and recorded.

Pod Network’s transaction confirmation speed is about 200 milliseconds, comparable to Web2 applications (client↔server) and reaching the physical network latency limit.

Tokenomics

Currently, details about Pod Network’s tokenomics are relatively limited. Based on available information, it is not yet decided whether Pod Network’s token will launch alongside the mainnet.

It’s worth noting that search results also mention an ERC20 token called PODO (POD), described as a reward token in the PODO platform ecosystem, related to the amount of Bitcoin held by users and used for governance. There is also another token called "Power Of Deep Ocean" (PODO), a secondary token in the Aqua Farm game with unlimited supply, designed to maintain stable prices in the game ecosystem. These appear to be different projects from Pod Network (Layer 1), despite using similar names or token symbols.

Therefore, in the context of Pod Network (Layer 1), detailed information about its native token (such as token symbol, issuance chain, total supply, issuance mechanism, inflation/burn, utility, allocation and unlocking, etc.) will need to await further official announcements.

Team, Governance, and Funding

Team

The core team of Pod Network consists of five members, with additional support from about ten people at blockchain consulting firm Common Prefix. Common Prefix has worked with well-known projects such as Celestia, Babylon, and Axelar. The CEO of Pod Network is Shresth Agrawal.

Funding

Pod Network raised $13 million in its seed round. The round was co-led by a16z Crypto Startup Accelerator (a16z CSX) and 1kx, with participation from Flashbots, Blockchain Builders Fund, and Protagonist. There were also notable angel investors from projects like Celestia, Babylon, and Axelar.

Governance

Specific details about Pod Network’s governance mechanism have not yet been disclosed. Given its nature as a Layer 1 blockchain, it is expected that a decentralized governance framework will be established in the future.

Roadmap

According to publicly available information, Pod Network’s development roadmap is as follows:

• Devnet Launch: Planned for the coming weeks (as of January 2025).
• Testnet Launch: Planned for Q3 2025.
• Mainnet Launch: Planned for Q1 2026.

It is not yet decided whether the token will launch alongside the mainnet.

Common Risk Reminders

Investing in any blockchain project carries risks, and Pod Network is no exception. Here are some common risk reminders:

Technical and Security Risks

• Novelty Risk: Pod Network uses a “consensusless” Layer 1 design, which is relatively new and untested at scale. While it claims high performance, its long-term stability, security, and behavior under extreme conditions remain to be proven.
• Smart Contract Risk: Although EVM-compatible, smart contracts themselves may have vulnerabilities that could lead to asset loss.
• Centralization Risk: Although the goal is decentralization, in the early stages the number of validators may be small, posing some centralization risk.

Economic Risks

• Market Volatility Risk: The entire crypto market is highly volatile, and the price of project tokens (if issued) may be affected by macroeconomic factors, market sentiment, and more.
• Competition Risk: The Layer 1 blockchain sector is highly competitive, and Pod Network needs to stand out among many projects.

Compliance and Operational Risks

• Regulatory Risk: Global cryptocurrency regulations are constantly evolving, and future policy changes may impact project operations.
• Team Execution Risk: The project’s success largely depends on the team’s execution ability and development progress.

Please remember, the above information is for reference only and does not constitute investment advice. Before making any investment decisions, be sure to conduct thorough independent research (DYOR - Do Your Own Research) and consult a professional financial advisor.

Verification Checklist

Since Pod Network is still in early development, much information may not yet be public or is still being refined. Here are some links and information points you can verify yourself:

• Official Website: Visit Pod Network’s official website (pod.network) for the latest information and official documentation.
• Whitepaper/Research Papers: Look for its core research papers or whitepaper to understand its technical details and design principles.
• Block Explorer Contract Address: After testnet and mainnet launch, check its block explorer for network activity and token contract addresses.
• GitHub Activity: Check its GitHub repository for code update frequency, developer community activity, and code quality.
• Social Media and Community: Follow its Twitter, Telegram, and other social media channels for project updates and community discussions.

Project Summary

Overall, Pod Network is an ambitious Layer 1 blockchain project that seeks to address current blockchain speed and user experience pain points through its innovative “consensusless” design. It promises Web2-level transaction confirmation speeds and EVM compatibility, aiming to attract developers to build high-performance decentralized applications. The project has received funding from well-known investment institutions, and the team has extensive blockchain industry experience.

However, as an early-stage project, Pod Network’s technical roadmap and market performance remain to be seen. The long-term stability and security of its “consensusless” mechanism, and whether it can stand out in the highly competitive Layer 1 sector, are key areas to watch. For anyone interested in this project, I must emphasize again: this is not investment advice. Please be sure to conduct your own in-depth research and fully understand the potential risks involved.

For more details, users should conduct their own research.