In this episode of SlateCast, CryptoSlate Akiba speaks with Matt Hawkins, the CEO of Cudo, to discuss infrastructure in the web 3 space. Hawkins has a background in web 2.0 infrastructure, having founded a large data center and cloud company in the early 2000s. In running that business, Hawkins noticed a lot of waste and empty capacity at data centers and cloud providers, as well as the growing dominance of hyperscalers. This led him to build a network using available computing to provide distributed computing for both traditional web 3 and blockchain applications.

One of the main challenges of decentralization in the web 3 space, according to Hawkins, is that a significant portion of networks like Ethereum still run on Amazon AWS, which presents platform and regulatory risks. To address this, Hawkins believes we need to work differently in the web 3 space, but also in the web 2.0 space to provide decentralized computing at scale. He also emphasized the need to push computing to the edge, particularly for applications like game servers and metaverses, which require low latency.

Another key challenge in the web 3 space is the cost of running decentralized applications (dApps), which Hawkins believes is prohibitively high for most developers. Cudo is working on a solution to this problem through its decentralized computing network, which allows developers to access computing at scale without having to pay for the underlying infrastructure. This will allow developers to create and deploy dApps more efficiently and at a lower cost.

Additionally, Hawkins discussed the importance of building a decentralized computing network that is truly global, with nodes located in a wide range of geographic locations. This will help reduce the risk of centralization and ensure that the network is scalable and resilient. Cudo is building its network with this in mind and has nodes in over 50 countries around the world.

As for the potential applications of decentralized computing, Hawkins mentioned a number of use cases that are currently being explored. These include distributed machine learning and artificial intelligence, which require vast amounts of computing power and data. Other potential applications include scientific research, drug discovery, and genomics, which could benefit from the ability to run complex simulations at scale.

Overall, Hawkins believes that decentralized computing has the potential to revolutionize the way we build and deploy applications, giving developers access to low-cost, scalable computing at the edge. This will enable the development of new and innovative applications that were not possible before and will fuel the growth of web 3 ecosystems.