Escape the Cloud Monopoly: What You Need to Know About Fluence

In a recent DePINed podcast episode, Tom Trowbridge hosted Fluence co-founder Evgeny Ponomarev, who shared insights into the groundbreaking work done by our team here at Fluence.

Fluence provides a cloudless alternative to traditional big cloud providers by aggregating global computing resources into a decentralized platform, offering developers and businesses a more open and flexible ecosystem. In Evgeny's words,

Fluence is like a decentralized “big cloud”

that emphasizes openness and flexibility, offering a much-needed counterbalance to the centralized systems dominating today’s internet. Read on to find out more about how Fluence is bringing the cloudless computing vision into reality and transforming the cloud computing landscape.

🔄 Why Compute Is Critical & the Challenges of Centralization

Compute resources are the backbone of the modern internet, supporting everything from video streaming to application functionality. However, over 70% of these resources are controlled by a few major corporations, leading to significant challenges:

• Dependence on centralized entities: A handful of companies manage the majority of compute resources, leaving users vulnerable to their governance, policies, and potential disruptions.
• Vendor lock-in: Proprietary tools and financial incentives from large providers make switching services costly and complex, further entrenching centralization.

Fluence addresses these issues by creating a permissionless, decentralized ecosystem. Its open platform allows hardware providers to contribute resources and offer services without locking users into a specific system. This promotes flexibility, competition, and ease of switching between providers.

🔧 The Evolution & Struggles of Open Source in Cloud Computing

Open-source tools have historically driven cloud computing innovation, with technologies like MySQL and MongoDB playing critical roles. However, developers of these tools often face challenges in monetizing their work, as large cloud providers bundle these open-source solutions into their platforms without fairly compensating the creators.

Fluence introduces mechanisms to address these challenges, including:

• Revenue Sharing: Using smart contracts, Fluence redistributes revenue to align incentives for developers and the broader community.
• Cost Efficiency: The decentralized model is 70-80% cheaper than traditional alternatives, making it easier for developers to switch providers and commoditize compute globally.

🌐 Driving Innovation Through Decentralized Infrastructure

Fluence’s approach centers on Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN), emphasizing:

• Enterprise-Grade Hardware: Certified data centers ensure high standards for security, reliability, and low latency.
• Proof of Capacity: Hardware providers are incentivized to maintain availability through Fluence’s Capacity Commitment algorithm, which also rewards providers with tokens.
• Token Staking: Fluence's staking mechanism secures the network while offering rewards to stakers.

Fluence’s pricing model includes a universal flat rate of $10 per standard unit per month, with providers earning $10 in FLT tokens at an 11% annual percentage rate (APR). This model aligns the interests of providers and stakers while ensuring reliability.

⚛️  Building a Decentralized Future

Fluence is scaling capacity to meet growing demand, evolving from a serverless platform for cloud functions into a comprehensive ecosystem for decentralized compute services. By addressing the challenges of centralization, Fluence is paving the way for a more open, collaborative, and efficient internet. The platform’s innovative approach reimagines how we interact with compute resources on a global scale, offering a compelling alternative to traditional cloud services.

The vision for Fluence is ambitious yet practical:

“We’re not just competing with traditional cloud services; we’re reimagining how we interact with compute resources on a global scale",

explained Evgeny.

We hope you enjoyed this DePINed podcast recap featuring Fluence founders. Stay tuned for new episodes and don't forget to join our newly launched Cloudless VMs Alpha Testing Program!

What’s Next:

• Listen to the full interview on Spotify or watch it on YouTube.
• Join the Fluence Cloudless VMs Alpha Testing Program.