The Truth About Decentralized AI and the Future of Compute
Wed Dec 03 2025
In this episode, Sohejl sits down with Greg Osuri, Founder of Akash Network, to explore the realities of building decentralized compute infrastructure in an AI-driven world. Decentralization delivers exceptional value when applied to highly inefficient networks, with compute resources representing one of the most compelling use cases. Greg argues that the current centralized cloud model faces insurmountable challenges as AI workloads strain energy infrastructure beyond capacity, creating structural opportunities for distributed solutions to emerge as necessities rather than alternatives.
Greg details how data centers in major markets like San Jose are already experiencing power shutdowns, validating Gartner's prediction that 40% of data centers will face energy shortages by 2026. This crisis creates a compelling case for moving workloads to where energy exists rather than attempting to transport energy across increasingly strained grid infrastructure. Greg explains how Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) solve critical problems around confidentiality and verifiability with only 20% performance overhead, making them the most practical solution compared to alternatives like zero-knowledge proofs or fully homomorphic encryption.
The discussion takes an unexpected turn into blockchain infrastructure strategy as Greg reveals Akash's planned migration away from Cosmos toward shared security models. This strategic shift reflects deeper lessons about the Cosmos ecosystem's structural challenges and the broader principle that sovereignty should follow product-market fit rather than precede it. Greg's critique of building layer-one infrastructure before achieving market validation offers valuable insights for founders navigating similar decisions across the crypto infrastructure landscape.
The episode concludes with Greg's frank assessment of the decentralized AI landscape, describing many current projects as vaporware while identifying distributed training as the most promising frontier. His framework for evaluating legitimate projects focuses on verifiable utility, non-speculative demand drivers, and actual user adoption rather than tokenomics engineering or marketing sophistication.
📣📣📣 Building something exciting & want to come on the show or collaborate with us?
Email us at 👉👉 business@teachmedefi.de 👈👈 or DM us on X: @teachmedefi
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Guest Links / Additional Material:
Greg’s Twitter: https://x.com/gregosuri
Akash Twitter: https://x.com/akashnet
Akash’s website: https://akash.network/
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Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro & Decentralization Philosophy
1:01 - Network Inefficiency & AI Energy Crisis
8:23 - Energy Distribution & Infrastructure Challenges
11:11 - Home Computing & Solar Solutions
15:24 - Confidentiality & Verifiability Solutions
19:23 - Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs)
21:07 - Akash Chain Migration Strategy
24:47 - Cosmos Model Critique & Sovereignty Issues
31:07 - L1 Economics Analysis
33:40 - Akash Marketplace Overview
36:26 - Burn-Mint Equilibrium Intro
39:05 - BME Technical Mechanics & Economics
45:06 - BME Timeline & Terra Luna Comparison
47:56 - Decentralized AI Vaporware Assessment
50:41 - Training vs Inference Opportunities
53:07 - Industry Outlook & Future Developments
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Disclaimer:
TEACHMEDEFI is a provider of entertainment and opinions. We are neither a broker/dealer nor an investment advisor. This is not a service for issuing or receiving financial or investment advice. None of our content constitutes a recommendation – or should be understood as such – to conduct transactions in securities, cryptocurrencies, or crypto-assets, or to engage in any of the investment strategies presented in our discussions or provided content. We do not provide personalized recommendations or views on whether a stock, cryptocurrency, crypto-asset, or investment approach is suitable for the financial needs of a particular individual.
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In this episode, Sohejl sits down with Greg Osuri, Founder of Akash Network, to explore the realities of building decentralized compute infrastructure in an AI-driven world. Decentralization delivers exceptional value when applied to highly inefficient networks, with compute resources representing one of the most compelling use cases. Greg argues that the current centralized cloud model faces insurmountable challenges as AI workloads strain energy infrastructure beyond capacity, creating structural opportunities for distributed solutions to emerge as necessities rather than alternatives. Greg details how data centers in major markets like San Jose are already experiencing power shutdowns, validating Gartner's prediction that 40% of data centers will face energy shortages by 2026. This crisis creates a compelling case for moving workloads to where energy exists rather than attempting to transport energy across increasingly strained grid infrastructure. Greg explains how Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) solve critical problems around confidentiality and verifiability with only 20% performance overhead, making them the most practical solution compared to alternatives like zero-knowledge proofs or fully homomorphic encryption. The discussion takes an unexpected turn into blockchain infrastructure strategy as Greg reveals Akash's planned migration away from Cosmos toward shared security models. This strategic shift reflects deeper lessons about the Cosmos ecosystem's structural challenges and the broader principle that sovereignty should follow product-market fit rather than precede it. Greg's critique of building layer-one infrastructure before achieving market validation offers valuable insights for founders navigating similar decisions across the crypto infrastructure landscape. The episode concludes with Greg's frank assessment of the decentralized AI landscape, describing many current projects as vaporware while identifying distributed training as the most promising frontier. His framework for evaluating legitimate projects focuses on verifiable utility, non-speculative demand drivers, and actual user adoption rather than tokenomics engineering or marketing sophistication. 📣📣📣 Building something exciting & want to come on the show or collaborate with us? Email us at 👉👉 business@teachmedefi.de 👈👈 or DM us on X: @teachmedefi ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Guest Links / Additional Material: Greg’s Twitter: https://x.com/gregosuri Akash Twitter: https://x.com/akashnet Akash’s website: https://akash.network/ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro & Decentralization Philosophy 1:01 - Network Inefficiency & AI Energy Crisis 8:23 - Energy Distribution & Infrastructure Challenges 11:11 - Home Computing & Solar Solutions 15:24 - Confidentiality & Verifiability Solutions 19:23 - Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) 21:07 - Akash Chain Migration Strategy 24:47 - Cosmos Model Critique & Sovereignty Issues 31:07 - L1 Economics Analysis 33:40 - Akash Marketplace Overview 36:26 - Burn-Mint Equilibrium Intro 39:05 - BME Technical Mechanics & Economics 45:06 - BME Timeline & Terra Luna Comparison 47:56 - Decentralized AI Vaporware Assessment 50:41 - Training vs Inference Opportunities 53:07 - Industry Outlook & Future Developments -------------- Disclaimer: TEACHMEDEFI is a provider of entertainment and opinions. We are neither a broker/dealer nor an investment advisor. This is not a service for issuing or receiving financial or investment advice. None of our content constitutes a recommendation – or should be understood as such – to conduct transactions in securities, cryptocurrencies, or crypto-assets, or to engage in any of the investment strategies presented in our discussions or provided content. We do not provide personalized recommendations or views on whether a stock, cryptocurrency, crypto-asset, or investment approach is suitable for the financial needs of a particular individual.