363: Why We Need Another L1: Inside Pod’s MEV-Free Market Vision with Guest Speaker Shresth Agrawal from Pod Network

In this episode, I sit down with Shresth Agrawal, co-founder of Pod Network, to unpack why the world needs yet another Layer 1.We go deep into MEV, front-running, and why today’s blockchain markets are still unfair. Shresth explains how Pod is building a purpose-built L1 designed for high-performance, MEV-free markets. We break down how auctions replace traditional transaction ordering, how Pod can process 300,000 orders per second, and why sub-second settlement changes everything.We also talk about product-market fit in Web3. Are payments and markets the only real use cases? What can founders learn from Ethereum, Hyperliquid, and newer L1s? And what’s Pod’s go-to-market plan?If you care about fair markets, decentralized finance, or the future of on-chain trading, this episode is for you.🔑 Key Learnings (with timestamps)00:57 – Shresth’s crypto journey. From Bitcoin whitepaper to building consensus systems.02:01 – Why consensus innovation still matters in 2026.04:23 – What is Pod Network? A purpose-built L1 for MEV-free markets.06:16 – What is MEV? Simple explanation with real trading examples.11:32 – How Pod removes ordering where it doesn’t matter.14:36 – 300,000 orders per second. Sub-second confirmations explained.16:51 – Why Pod focused only on markets. The power of niche L1s.18:21 – Trade-offs: Less general-purpose, more performance.22:36 – Go-to-market strategy for a new L1.24:25 – Users vs builders: The real growth engine.27:21 – The biggest ask: Early user feedback.28:20 – Do only payments and markets have real product-market fit in Web3?32:18 – Why instant settlement will disrupt traditional finance.Connect with POD Networkhttps://pod.network/ https://x.com/poddotnetwork https://discord.com/invite/ZTFERarfnm⚠️ DisclaimerNothing mentioned in this podcast is investment advice and please do your own research.It would mean a lot if you can leave a review of this podcast on ApplePodcasts or Spotify and share this podcast with a friend.Be a guest on the podcast or contact us - https://www.web3pod.xyz/