Key Takeaways
- Innovative Memory Solution: Optimum addresses the critical “memory problem” in blockchain architecture, introducing high-performance memory for the world computer to enable scalable, efficient decentralized networks.
- RLNC Technology: Utilizing Random Linear Network Coding (RLNC), Optimum achieves up to 20x improvements in propagation bandwidth and 2x speed gains, transforming data transmission in blockchain networks.
- Core Products: OptimumP2P optimizes data propagation with a high-performance pub-sub protocol, while DeRAM provides real-time, decentralized RAM for latency-sensitive Web3 applications.
- Recent Funding: In April 2025, Optimum secured $11 million in seed funding led by 1kx to scale its high-performance memory infrastructure across major blockchain ecosystems.
- Future Impact: By enabling low-latency applications like trading, gaming, and AI, Optimum’s technology could bridge the gap between centralized and decentralized systems, driving mainstream blockchain adoption.
Optimum represents a groundbreaking advancement in blockchain technology by addressing the critical yet overlooked “memory problem” in Web3 architecture. Launched in 2025, this MIT-incubated project has developed the world’s first high-performance decentralized memory infrastructure for blockchains, recently securing $11 million in seed funding to scale its innovative solutions. By implementing Random Linear Network Coding (RLNC) technology, Optimum enhances data propagation and storage efficiency, potentially transforming how blockchains handle information and enabling a new generation of decentralized applications that require low latency and high throughput.
The Memory Challenge In Blockchain Technology
Blockchains today are fundamentally operating without true memory architecture, creating a significant limitation in their functionality as “world computers.” This oversight has led to systemic inefficiencies that prevent blockchain technology from reaching its full potential. Traditional computers follow the von Neumann architecture which clearly separates processing (CPU) from memory (RAM), connected by efficient data buses – a design that has been the foundation of computing for decades.
Blockchain networks face four critical constraints that stem from this missing memory layer. First, they suffer from throughput limitations, with networks like Ethereum processing only around 15 transactions per second during periods of high demand. Second, current blockchain designs employ inefficient data dissemination mechanisms, forcing nodes to redundantly share information and delaying block finalization. Third, significant latency issues plague read/write processes across the network, hindering real-time applications like decentralized finance and gaming. Finally, storage redundancy compels each node to maintain a full ledger, dramatically increasing costs and extending synchronization times.
These limitations manifest in everyday blockchain operations as fragmented, bandwidth-hungry workarounds resulting in congestion, unpredictable delays, and prohibitively expensive data storage and retrieval. As decentralized networks continue to grow, these challenges threaten to undermine the very promise of Web3 technology, creating what industry experts refer to as the “scalability trilemma” – the challenge of balancing speed, security, and decentralization simultaneously.
The Cost Of Missing Memory
Without a dedicated memory layer, blockchain networks resort to inefficient alternatives that compromise performance. Current systems use outdated gossip networks that redundantly propagate data, creating unnecessary network traffic. This leads to congested mempools that cause transaction delays and unpredictable fee spikes. Additionally, as chains grow, node operations become increasingly burdensome, making data retrieval both costly and complex.
These inefficiencies don’t merely represent technical challenges; they translate directly into real-world limitations that constrain adoption and innovation across the blockchain ecosystem. The existing architecture simply cannot scale to support the next generation of decentralized applications without a fundamental redesign of how blockchains handle memory.
Optimum’s Innovative Approach
At its core, Optimum is building a provably optimal memory infrastructure that transforms blockchains into high-speed, scalable computing networks. The architecture is modular, permissionless, and designed for easy integration via API, fundamentally addressing the three key issues plaguing blockchain infrastructure: inefficient data propagation, redundant storage, and slow access.
Optimum’s innovation centers around Random Linear Network Coding (RLNC), an advanced form of erasure coding that represents a paradigm shift in how data is transmitted across networks. Unlike traditional approaches, RLNC transforms data into smaller chunks, encoding them into random linear combinations before transmission. This method significantly improves network efficiency and fault tolerance, ensuring data can be accurately reconstructed even if some pieces are lost along the way.
The Science Behind RLNC
RLNC was developed through pioneering research at MIT, with Professor Muriel Médard recognized as its co-inventor. The technology has been refined over two decades and has received significant recognition, including the IEEE Koji Kobayashi Computers and Communications Award in 2022. Professor Médard’s research has demonstrated that RLNC offers mathematical guarantees for optimal data transmission, making it uniquely suited for decentralized networks where conditions are unpredictable and resources are limited.
In contrast to typical gossip-based peer-to-peer systems where nodes redundantly forward packets, RLNC uses coded data packets that dramatically increase bandwidth efficiency and resilience. In private tests and academic research, the technique has shown remarkable improvements, with up to 20x enhancements in propagation bandwidth and 2x gains in speed. These performance boosts can be flexibly adjusted depending on application needs, allowing networks to optimize for their specific requirements.
Core Products & Services
Optimum’s offering consists of two main components that together provide a comprehensive memory solution for blockchain networks:
OptimumP2P: Reinventing Blockchain Data Transmission
OptimumP2P is a high-performance pub-sub protocol that functions as a memory bus for blockchain networks, dramatically reducing latency and optimizing the delivery of transactions, blocks, and data blobs. This enhanced efficiency not only boosts network speed and scalability but also maximizes validator rewards by capturing every opportunity while using minimal bandwidth and CPU resources.
The protocol works by encoding transactions, blocks, and data blobs into efficient, resilient packets using RLNC technology. This approach dramatically reduces the network’s latency and bandwidth usage compared to traditional gossip networks, which redundantly propagate the same data multiple times. By ensuring that all data reaches its destination quickly and reliably, OptimumP2P improves overall network performance and increases validator profitability.
Integration with existing blockchain infrastructure is streamlined through a simple API call, allowing validators and node operators to immediately benefit from the technology without significant changes to their existing setup. This ease of implementation represents a major advantage for adoption across various blockchain ecosystems.
Optimum DeRAM: Decentralized Memory For Web3
Optimum DeRAM is a decentralized Random Access Memory (RAM) layer that ensures Atomicity, Consistency, and Durability (ACD) of data. This component gives applications real-time read/write access to blockchain state, enabling fast, cheap storage and access that has previously been impossible in decentralized networks.
DeRAM serves as the foundation for latency-sensitive onchain use cases that current blockchain infrastructure has struggled to support, including trading, gaming, AI, and social applications. By providing a true memory layer for decentralized applications, DeRAM enables a new generation of Web3 services that can rival the performance of centralized alternatives.
The implementation of these technologies creates a more robust, scalable, and efficient blockchain ecosystem that benefits all participants in the network. For developers, this means the ability to build faster, more responsive decentralized applications; for validators and node operators, it translates to improved performance and higher returns; and for end users, it delivers a cheaper, smoother experience across all blockchain interactions.
Recent Developments & Funding
In a significant milestone for the project, Optimum recently secured $11 million in seed funding to accelerate the development and deployment of its technology. The funding round, announced in April 2025, was led by 1kx, with participation from a consortium of leading investors including Robot Ventures, cmt digital, spartan, Finality Capital, Triton Capital, snz, Big Brain, cms, Longhash, NGC, Animoca, GSR, Caladan, and Reforge.
Wei Dai, Research Partner at 1kx, highlighted the potential of RLNC technology, noting its ability to solve critical bottlenecks in decentralized networks and enhance performance across all blockchains. The investment reflects growing recognition of the importance of memory infrastructure in addressing blockchain scalability challenges.
Optimum is currently live on a private testnet with OptimumP2P and is actively inviting Layer 1 and Layer 2 blockchains, validators, and node operators to experience its high-speed, decentralized memory layer in action. The funding will accelerate integration across major ecosystems, enhancing scalability for blockchains, lowering costs, and improving performance for node operators.
The Team Behind Optimum
Optimum brings together an exceptional team of researchers, engineers, and industry veterans with deep expertise in network coding, distributed systems, and blockchain technology.
Co-Founders
Prof. Muriel Médard serves as a co-founder, bringing her unparalleled expertise as the NEC Chair at MIT EECS and the co-inventor of RLNC. Ranked #1 globally in Network Coding, Prof. Médard’s accolades include membership in the US National Academy of Engineering (2020) and the US National Academy of Inventors (2018), as well as a tenure as the former IEEE Information Theory Society President. Her pioneering work in network coding over two decades forms the foundation of Optimum’s technical innovations.
Dr. Kishori Konwar, another co-founder, contributes deep expertise in distributed systems, coding theory, and AI. As a former Senior Engineer and Scientist at Meta who completed his Postdoctoral fellowship in Network Coding at MIT, Dr. Konwar also brings valuable industry experience from his time as an Quant at Goldman Sachs.
Kent Lin rounds out the founding team, driving Optimum’s adoption and ecosystem growth by overseeing business development, tokenomics, and fundraising efforts. His background as a former Partner at GSRV (a $4B VC), Harvard MBA dropout, President of the Harvard Blockchain Club, and founder of the McKinsey Crypto DAO provides valuable business and industry connections.
Advisory Team
The project benefits from the guidance of distinguished advisors, including Prof. Nancy Lynch, who formerly served as the NEC Chair at MIT before Prof. Médard. Prof. Lynch is renowned for publishing the first mathematical proof of Byzantine Fault Tolerance (BFT) in 1985 and for creating the DLS algorithm (an early precursor to Tendermint) in 1988.
Prof. Sriram Viswanath also serves as an advisor, bringing his expertise as a graduate of IIT Madras, CalTech, and Stanford in electrical engineering. His accolades include receiving the NSF Career Award and the 2005 IEEE Joint IT/ComSoc Best Paper Award.
Future Implications & Applications
Optimum’s technology has far-reaching implications for the entire blockchain ecosystem, potentially enabling a new wave of applications and use cases that were previously infeasible due to performance limitations.
Transforming Blockchain Performance
By addressing the fundamental memory challenge in blockchain architecture, Optimum could significantly improve performance metrics across all major networks. The integration of OptimumP2P promises to reduce block propagation times and increase throughput, while DeRAM could dramatically decrease the latency of state access and updates.
These improvements would benefit various stakeholders in different ways. For Layer 1 and Layer 2 blockchains, Optimum offers enhanced scalability without compromising decentralization or security. Node operators and validators can expect improved performance and higher APY through more efficient resource utilization. Developers gain the ability to build faster, more responsive decentralized applications, while end users ultimately enjoy a cheaper, smoother experience across all blockchain interactions.
Enabling New Use Cases
Perhaps most significantly, Optimum’s technology unlocks the potential for latency-sensitive onchain applications that current blockchain infrastructure has struggled to support. These include:
- High-frequency trading: DeRAM’s real-time access to blockchain state could enable sophisticated trading strategies that require microsecond-level response times.
- On-chain gaming: Games requiring real-time state updates and low-latency interactions could become viable on blockchain networks.
- AI and machine learning applications: The ability to efficiently access and update large datasets could enable new forms of decentralized \decentralized artificial intelligence.
- Social applications: Real-time social interactions requiring immediate state updates could finally become practical in decentralized environments.
By enabling these and other latency-sensitive applications, Optimum could help bridge the performance gap between centralized and decentralized systems, potentially accelerating mainstream adoption of blockchain technology.
Building the Future: Optimum’s High-Performance Memory for Blockchain Efficiency
Optimum represents a significant advancement in blockchain infrastructure, addressing the critical “memory problem” that has limited the scalability and performance of decentralized networks. By leveraging Random Linear Network Coding (RLNC) technology developed at MIT, the project provides a comprehensive memory solution consisting of OptimumP2P for efficient data propagation and DeRAM for real-time state access.
With $11 million in seed funding and a team of world-class researchers and industry veterans, Optimum is well-positioned to deliver on its vision of transforming blockchains into high-performance computing networks. The recent launch of its private testnet marks an important milestone in bringing this technology to market, with broader integration across major blockchain ecosystems expected in the coming months.
As decentralized systems continue to evolve, Optimum’s memory infrastructure could prove to be a crucial missing piece in the Web3 architecture, enabling a new generation of high-performance applications and potentially accelerating the mainstream adoption of blockchain technology. By solving the fundamental memory challenges faced by all blockchains, Optimum is helping to build a more scalable, efficient, and accessible decentralized future.
Michael Crag
