On The Brink with Castle Island Austin Federa (DoubleZero) on Building a Better Internet (EP.664)
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Sep 8, 2025 In this engaging discussion, Austin Federa, founder of DoubleZero and former Solana Foundation member, dives into the vital role hardware plays in blockchain and internet infrastructure. He reveals why much of today’s internet hardware is outdated and how vertical integration can stifle innovation. Austin champions the need for faster, reliable bandwidth to support decentralized systems and explores the potential of a token framework to enhance incentives. The conversation also tackles privacy in blockchain transactions and the future of decentralized technology infrastructure.
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Performance-First Neutral Network
- DoubleZero builds a high-performance global fiber network plus a blockchain protocol for coordination.
- The design prioritizes performance and censorship resistance over traditional internet reach.
Software Firms Become Hardware Firms
- Large software companies build hardware because public infrastructure fails to meet scale and performance needs.
- Crypto must adopt similar physical-layer tools to compete with traditional finance and distributed systems.
Why High-Performance Links Stay Exclusive
- Private high-performance networking is an anti-network-effect business favoring exclusivity for competitive advantage.
- Carrier economics and underinvestment keep public internet capacity tight and just-in-time.