Building the Infrastructure of the Future: Althea L1, Liquid Infrastructure, and a $3 Trillion Market

John Metais
Interchain Ecosystem Blog
4 min readApr 29, 2024

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Althea’s mission to empower democratized infrastructure for telecom and utilities takes a powerful leap forward with our integration of the Interchain Stack and the launch of the Althea L1 Blockchain.

The Althea platform, a leading application previously deployed on the Gnosis chain, has already captured a large portion of the DePIN industries demand side revenue year over year with the machine-to-machine payment platform deployed to decentralized broadband networks across 13 US states and 4 countries. The Althea L1, a purpose-built hybrid EVM blockchain using the Cosmos SDK, supports instant finality and configurability of the block space, which prioritizes the micro-transactions essential for the machine economy. This approach unlocks a $3 trillion value in existing infrastructure, aligns with our commitment to decentralization and community ownership, and empowers innovation in challenging markets. Althea L1 and the RWA platform, Liquid Infrastructure, revolutionize how assets are funded, built, and operated.

Let’s dive into the technical specifics that make this possible.

Liquid Infrastructure: A Game Changer

The core concept of Liquid Infrastructure is simple: tokenizing real-world infrastructure assets like fiber cables and cell towers, which can then be fractionalized to open up new ways to fund and operate networks. This is a powerful novel method to share costs and revenue and unlock capital to build infrastructure.

Althea’s Liquid Infrastructure revolutionizes traditional funding and ownership models within the infrastructure sector. By tokenizing real-world assets, we’re unlocking trillions in untapped value. There is over 2.5 trillion in booked assets in just the top 30 telecom companies alone.

Liquid Infrastructure removes barriers for large infrastructure projects to access new capital while enabling communities to directly participate in building the infrastructure they need. This model aligns with Althea’s core principles of decentralization and open participation, promising greater access, innovation, and equitable development.

Read more about Liquid Infrastructure here.

Why a Purpose Built Chain is Crucial

Althea’s L1 leverages the modularity and security of the Cosmos SDK, allowing us to tailor the blockchain’s design specifically for Liquid Infrastructure.

At its core, Althea’s machine-to-machine payment infrastructure is built for automated settlements, making it a natural fit for the DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network) model. The IBC (Inter-Blockchain Communication) protocol integrates our network with the thriving interchain ecosystem to foster collaboration and interoperability.

Althea L1 also offers developers a familiar EVM (Ethereum Virtual Machine) environment, easing onboarding and attracting those with existing Ethereum smart contract experience. However, unlike Ethereum, it leverages the Cosmos SDK to achieve instant finality and greater chain customization. This hybrid approach ensures Althea L1 can handle the machine economy’s unique demands without sacrificing developer accessibility.

Althea’s technology solves tangible problems faced by today’s fragmented telecom and utilities industry. It addresses issues like inflexible billing and lack of transparency and enables tools to build sustainable models for the new machine economy. Our blockchain-based settlement layers enable dynamic pricing models, automated payments, and the ability for communities to directly participate in the infrastructure they use.

The DePIN DEX: A Marketplace Built for Infrastructure

With a tokenized infrastructure, a specialized marketplace is key. Built into the chain infrastructure at launch is Althea’s DePIN DEX, a decentralized exchange where businesses and communities can trade tokens from various DePIN projects.

Traditional finance isn’t well-suited for the needs of infrastructure ownership and management. The DePIN DEX changes that. It’s a decentralized exchange specifically designed for infrastructure assets and services. Think of it as a marketplace where businesses and communities can:

  • Swap DePIN tokens for $USDC seamlessly
  • Build enterprise applications that interact with the DEX
  • Abstract away the complexities of operating in the web3 space

Open Participation and the Future of Infrastructure

Althea’s mission isn’t just about technology — it’s about creating a more equitable and accessible future for connectivity and infrastructure. The decentralized, transparent nature of the Althea L1 aligns perfectly with our belief in open participation. By breaking down the traditional gatekeeping within the telecom industry, Althea is empowering everyone, from small providers to communities, to build and manage the infrastructure they rely on.

Althea L1 is far more than just a technology upgrade. By unlocking the largely untapped potential of tokenized infrastructure assets and empowering open participation, Althea stands poised to trigger seismic shifts in how essential infrastructure is built, financed, and accessed globally. The future of infrastructure isn’t only about better connectivity — it’s about enabling a more connected, equitable, and innovative world.

Stay in touch and get involved with Althea

Are you building in the LI space? We are actively looking for builders and projects to launch on the Althea Network. Contact us at hello@althea.net.

If you wish to participate in funding infrastructure, complete our VIP signup form to start investing in builds.

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