The Index Podcast DePINs, Crypto Rewards & AI Tooling | Jesse Adams, Co-founder of Uprock
How do you build a DePIN network with 2.7M+ devices, zero CAC, and data streams optimized for AI—without draining batteries or compromising user trust?
In this episode of The Index, Alex Kehaya sits down with Jesse Adams, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Uprock, to unpack how they’re building the world’s first mobile-first DePIN for AI.
Jesse’s journey spans building an adult app store, launching an encrypted browser (Tenta, acquired), and now scaling Uprock—a decentralized physical infrastructure network designed to deliver real-time, geo-distributed data for AI/ML. Instead of relying on always-on proxies, Uprock’s task-based architecture wakes mobile devices only when needed, performs lightweight actions (like scraping or uptime checks), and puts them back to sleep—keeping performance high and energy use low.
We explore:
- Why location-specific data is critical for LLMs and autonomous agents
- How Uprock scaled to 2.7M devices with zero paid acquisition
- Their crypto micropayment model for rewarding bandwidth contribution
- AI-driven dev workflows for code review, QA, and marketing at speed
If you're building in DePIN, Web3 infra, or AI tooling—this convo is packed with ideas from the frontier.
🔗 Open beta: uprock.com
🐦 Follow Jesse: @jesseshappyhour