Pocket Network is a decentralized infrastructure network that routes and serves blockchain data requests through a distributed set of node operators, providing dApps and developers with reliable RPC access across multiple chains. Pulse 2.0 interviewed Pocket Network Director Chris “Jinx” Jenkins to gain a deeper understanding of the company.
Chris “Jinx” Jenkins’ Background
Q.) Could you tell me more about your background? Jenkins said:
“I’ve worked in technology for 25 years, most of that as a startup founder/cofounder. I’ve had a couple of exits along the way, along with some notable failures. I got into crypto in 2015 as a hobbyist, and started working in the space in 2017.”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? Jenkins shared:
“Our founder, Michael O’Rourke, saw that most of the blockchain, which is supposed to be decentralized, was running through a single API, which meant that there was a massive single point of failure. He realized that the infrastructure that on-chain apps ran on needed to be as decentralized as the chain itself.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Jenkins reflected:
“Breaking a billion relays processed through Pocket Network in a single day.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Jenkins explained:
“A fully decentralized and permissionless data delivery network, offered at the lowest costs in the industry.”
Challenges Faced
Have you faced any challenges in your sector of work recently? Jenkins acknowledged:
“The transition of speculative hype in blockchain into actual core business fundamentals is a pretty big challenge, because a lot of ecosystem participants are only there for “free money,” so you end up losing some folks along the way. But by emphasizing how the fundamentals are critical to long-term sustainability, the people who stay are actually serious business builders, which is who you want. Our ecosystem is stronger because of it.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Jenkins noted:
“The very first concept of Pocket was as a mobile SDK to make it easy to integrate blockchain into mobile apps. But it quickly pivoted to being a decentralized RPC network. Now it’s a fully permissionless decentralized data delivery network that is capable of serving any kind of data, blockchain or not. The scope of the serviceable market has increased by an order of magnitude.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Jenkins cited:
“Going live on mainnet for the first time. Breaking a billion relays daily. Then the full mainnet hard fork for the Shannon upgrade.”
Customer Success Stories
Can you share any specific customer success stories? Jenkins highlighted:
“Pocket became the default RPC provider for the XRPL EVM Sidechain, and has provided ongoing and strong support for RippleX developers. We’re very proud of that relationship.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Jenkins assessed:
“500 billion relays daily.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Jenkins affirmed:
“Pocket is the only fully permissionless decentralized data delivery network. Others all have some form of permissioned access. It also supports more than just RPC data. Last, our tokenomics tie directly into business fundamentals, enforced with usage-based burns.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future goals? Jenkins concluded:
“To offer a full library of data app templates for developers to use in a one-click fashion. And to be the default solution for unstoppable data in all forms.”
