What if our most important services – basic internet access, electricity, and access to water – were owned by users, not companies?
In this talk, Jay Woollett, Cryptocurrency General Partner at a16z, explains decentralized physical infrastructure (DePIN) networks and why they may be one of the most important use cases for cryptocurrencies.
Most people understand how blockchain technology decentralizes digital services. But energy grids, communications networks, transportation, and other physical systems are controlled by centralized companies. DePIN upends this model by allowing users to own, operate, and manage the physical infrastructure they rely on.
The man collapses:
- What DePIN actually is (and what it isn’t)
- Why Not Bitcoin Mining and Decentralized AI Using DePIN
- How projects like Helium pioneered user-owned communications networks
- Why energy, communications and transportation are a natural fit for decentralization
- How tokens can help crowdfunding infrastructure and solve cold start problems
- The difference between distributed and decentralized networks
- Why are composability and inherent power important in the physical world?
- How DePIN can challenge existing monopolies
Resources: Find the guy on X: https://x.com/guywuolletjr Why DePIN is important and how to activate it: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/listicle… Follow a16z crypto via… https://x.com/a16zcrypto LinkedIn: / Youtube Posts: / @a16zcrypto 📩 Subscribe to our Substack for more industry reports, trend updates, news analysis, building guides, and other resources: https://a16zcrypto.substack.com/ ***As always, none of the following should be considered investment, business, legal or tax advice. Please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments.
