In an ideal world, the Internet works like tap water: you turn it on, and it flows. Smoothly. No one really wants to think about a “better hotspot,” SIM cards, or the nearest cell towers. Users just want a fast and stable connection wherever they are. The good thing is that they get it quietly without even knowing it.
Our Internet is Broken (and Expensive)
Traditional communications infrastructure is heavy and expensive. Each tower requires site leasing, permits, maintenance and marketing. Each expansion takes months or years (of build and red tape) and can happen It costs From $5 million to $100 million, meaning that installing a single small cell tower could drain a company’s finances by as much as $300,000.
In this system, we don’t really pay for the gigabytes we use, we pay for the bureaucracy built around it.
This system does not make economic sense anymore. Telecom companies can no longer afford to spend billions on connections that are not improving and becoming increasingly difficult to maintain with more users around the world.
The good news is that better substitute It’s already in people’s homes and devices, even though you don’t see it on billboards.
DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networking) turns the Wi-Fi routers around you into a new kind of connection.
From towers to routers
According to crypto asset manager Grayscale, DePIN is already widespread user In everyday life, the company describes it as a “great” investment opportunity.
Why? DePIN follows a software-first approach, meaning it uses what already exists. A firmware update or lightweight app turns a regular Wi-Fi router into a small part of a larger network. When you are nearby, your device automatically connects via this router.
As DePIN grows in popularity, people and companies are already implementing it: Nodle, a smartphone-based DePIN, turns smartphones into network nodes that transmit IoT data over existing mobile infrastructure, while Helium Mobile relies on community-deployed hotspots and small cells to expand 5G coverage and offload traffic to partner carriers in U.S. cities.
In crowded city complexes, DePIN-style networks are used to fill coverage gaps that traditional mobile infrastructure struggles to reach.
Another example outside of Wi-Fi is DIMO, a DePIN network for connected cars that allows drivers to share car data while controlling it and earning rewards. By 2025, its network will number about 425,000 connected vehicles, more than 300 applications built on its data, and about $1.5 billion worth of cars flowing information to the protocol. This kind of scale shows that DePIN is already reaching everyday drivers, not just crypto insiders.
DePIN startups have onboarded millions of people to their platforms and are adding tens of thousands of users daily. Last June alone, the industry Market value It was estimated at $25 billion, and is expected to reach $3.5 trillion by 2028.
Behind the scenes, DePIN is working on a simple economic design with a network token that coordinates incentives and settlements between routers (“nodes”) and stable network credits that ensure predictable rates for telecom users and enterprises.
For telcos, DePIN is a cost-effective driver. Offloading traffic to local Wi-Fi nodes reduces the cost per gigabyte, especially indoors and during peak hours.
Grid dumping is nothing new. Data He appears Platforms that have recognized the benefits of offloading have been doing so for years, with experts calling the process “crucial to mitigate increasing demands on network infrastructure.”
But venture capital firm a16z crypto believes DePIN exists beyond telecommunications. Recently a reportIt has identified artificial intelligence, healthcare, energy, transportation and robotics as other sectors where DePIN could revolutionize.
Wi-Fi as a revenue stream
All over the world, there are now people running coworking spaces or small offices Use Wi-Fi as a way to produce more revenue streams for themselves. Because when the economics fit everyone involved, technology not only spreads, it persists.
If your internet at the airport suddenly drops out at the guest gate, your phone in the mall automatically finds a faster Wi-Fi network, and the evening connection lag at home disappears, you’ve probably already used DePIN. You have not installed a wallet or purchased a token; The network simply chose the nearest node and routed your traffic in the shortest and cheapest way.
Using Wi-Fi as a revenue source benefits everyone involved. For users, this means fewer dead zones, smoother connections, and lower bills. For venue owners, Wi-Fi stops being an expensive expense and starts generating income. For operators, coverage becomes flexible, fast and cost-effective.
When adoption is really here
Technology reaches maturity when people stop talking about it. No one says “I use TCP/IP” or “this application runs in the cloud”. They just use it.
Mass adoption doesn’t happen when cryptocurrency enthusiasts start using it. It happens when your grandmother does it without you realizing it. And it already does.
