Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) offer a new approach — one powered by blockchain incentives and community-operated hardware. In the wireless space, this model is already changing how people get online. Instead of waiting years for coverage or paying steep rates, people can now host hardware, share bandwidth, and earn rewards for improving access. It’s faster, more inclusive, and built from the bottom up.
Whether it’s pay-as-you-go mobile plans, shared neighborhood WiFi, or smartphones turning into low-power IoT relays for asset tracking and smart city data — wireless DePIN networks are taking shape fast. What ties them together: decentralization, open systems, and incentives that work for the people running them.
In this piece, we’ll explore how decentralized wireless networks are reshaping access, and why that shift matters.
Helium Mobile is one of the most visible projects in the wireless DePIN space. What started as a decentralized IoT network has grown into a consumer-facing mobile carrier offering nationwide service. With over 1 million hotspots deployed across the Helium network — including IoT and mobile infrastructure — the project combines user-operated hardware with traditional telecom coverage. In the U.S., a partnership with T-Mobile allows Helium to offer hybrid connectivity: users connect through Helium hotspots when available and fall back to T-Mobile’s network when coverage is limited. This creates a flexible, resilient model that offloads bandwidth to contributors while maintaining reliable service.
Helium Mobile combines decentralized infrastructure with traditional telecom coverage, offering affordable plans and real rewards for participation. It’s a people-powered model that lowers costs while expanding access.
Plans and rewards as of Helium Mobile’s official pricing.
Helium’s decentralized model is enabling faster coverage expansion, especially in areas ignored by existing carriers. Apartments, university campuses, and underserved neighborhoods are seeing better service as users deploy hotspots locally.
Adoption is strong among budget-conscious users and communities with inconsistent mobile service — early signals that this model is working.
While Helium Mobile is tackling the cellular market head-on, other projects are finding innovation opportunities in more localized connectivity challenges. Dawn represents a neighborhood-first approach that's turning private internet connections into community resources. Global residential broadband speeds are rapidly increasing — reaching 110.4 Mbps in 2023 — yet typical home usage patterns leave significant capacity unused throughout the day, according to Cisco's 2023 Annual Internet Report. This bandwidth inefficiency is precisely what Dawn is designed to address.
Dawn is rethinking how neighborhoods get online. Most households pay for internet they don’t fully use, while others nearby might struggle to afford reliable access. Dawn bridges that gap with a secure system that makes it easy for people to share their connection, and earn passive income doing it. The setup is simple, designed for non-technical users, and doesn’t require any changes to your existing ISP. It turns your internet connection into a local network that benefits everyone around you.
Privacy and control stay with the primary user. Dawn’s tech ensures your speed isn’t compromised, and your data stays protected. Meanwhile, neighbors get access at rates far lower than what traditional ISPs charge. Households that share their internet can offset a big chunk of their monthly bill, while others gain affordable, stable access.
Dawn networks are already seeing meaningful adoption in places where major ISPs fall short. In one NYC deployment at The Dime apartment building, a single install provided high-speed wireless coverage to over 7,500 surrounding buildings — reaching more than 800,000 people.
Many households using Dawn’s system are able to offset a large portion of their internet bill by sharing excess bandwidth. Neighbors who connect through the network often pay significantly less than standard ISP rates. Beyond savings, Dawn’s model helps neighborhoods stay connected — without waiting for major providers to expand service or raise prices.
Following the theme of putting underutilized internet connections to work, Grass takes a broader approach. While Dawn focuses on neighborhood WiFi sharing, Grass lets anyone monetize their unused bandwidth by joining a decentralized, user-owned proxy network.
Instead of bandwidth being quietly sold by centralized providers, Grass introduces an opt-in model where users contribute excess capacity to vetted companies for tasks like market research or ad verification — without exposing personal data or affecting their internet experience. It’s a shift toward transparency in a space where users have historically had little visibility or control.
Grass has onboarded over 3 million users, turning idle bandwidth into passive rewards through a transparent, opt-in model. Since launch, the network has expanded across 190 countries, leveraging over 109 million IP addresses.
By aligning incentives with user ownership, Grass demonstrates how decentralized infrastructure can operate at a global level — without relying on traditional, centralized proxy markets.
WiFi Map started as a simple tool to find nearby WiFi hotspots. Today, it’s one of the world’s largest crowdsourced connectivity platforms, with over 196 million users and nearly 14 million active contributors.
From uploading speed tests to adding reviews and photos, people are actively expanding internet access in real time — turning crowdsourced data into a living DePIN network.
The app does a lot more than just help you find a signal. Users can access offline maps, activate travel eSIMs in 90+ countries, and earn token rewards by contributing to the network. It’s a global platform built by everyday people, updated constantly by the same community it serves.
Travelers have saved hundreds in roaming fees by relying on WiFi Map’s eSIMs and hotspot access. In emerging markets and underserved regions, it often provides the only reliable connectivity option, with better coverage than what traditional telecom maps suggest.
It’s also created new income streams for contributors — especially in areas where even small earnings go a long way.
Chirp is building a universal communications network that works across protocols, devices, and geographies. It supports 14 communication standards and combines licensed and unlicensed spectrum to create a more flexible, interoperable infrastructure. Unlike major networks that depend on centralized carriers and hardware-specific deployments, Chirp’s architecture makes global communication more open and programmable.
Its use of LoRa 2.4GHz removes regional limitations and enables worldwide deployments without the need for customized hardware. Blockchain integration brings transparency and accountability to how the network operates. And with the launch of Chirp Stake, a new collaboration with Walrus Protocol, users can now contribute to Chirp’s decentralized storage layer while earning rewards. All staking rewards earned by the node go toward $CHIRP buybacks — adding utility to the token and reinforcing the network’s economy.
Chirp is already being used in environments where legacy networks fall short — like industrial facilities, smart agriculture, and transport corridors. The flexibility of the network enables strong IoT performance, especially in places with unreliable cellular coverage or interference-heavy settings.
With 490+ users already staking through Chirp’s Walrus node, the community is actively supporting the infrastructure while earning yield.
Wicrypt is making it possible for anyone to earn from their internet connection. Users can turn personal hotspots into revenue-generating nodes, giving people the ability to offer secure WiFi access and get paid for it. This model has seen strong traction in regions where connectivity is limited or unaffordable, especially across Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya.
Unlike existing ISPs, Wicrypt puts ownership in the hands of users. Its dual SIM support enables automatic switching between networks for the best connection, while users can set their own pricing for access. There’s also a staking system that unlocks additional rewards for uptime and reliability. This mix of flexibility, decentralization, and user control gives people the tools to build connectivity where it’s needed most without relying on current providers to fill the gap.
Wicrypt is helping fill major infrastructure gaps across Africa. In many cases, it’s the most reliable and affordable option for users in rural or underserved areas. Some device owners are earning income comparable to part-time work just by keeping their hotspots online.
The Nigerian Communications Commission’s investment in the project highlights how seriously this model is being taken. By aligning with local infrastructure needs and economic incentives, Wicrypt is proving that decentralized models can succeed in places existing telecoms have failed to serve.
ROAM is tackling one of the most frustrating parts of modern connectivity: public WiFi that’s unreliable, insecure, or a pain to connect to. The team behind Metablox is combining hardware, software, and on-chain rewards to create a smoother, more secure way to get online — whether you’re in a café, airport, or halfway across the world.
At the core of the ROAM ecosystem is the Rainier MAX60, a high-performance router that allows hosts to offer WiFi while earning passive income. Instead of clunky captive portals and logins, ROAM devices support automatic connections, creating a seamless experience similar to cellular. Their eSIM app eliminates roaming fees by connecting users through verified local hotspots, and contributors earn rewards for expanding and verifying network coverage.
ROAM recently passed 3 million WiFi nodes, adding over 1 million new hotspots in just a single month.
ROAM enhances the experience for both hosts and users. Hosts get a new stream of passive income, while users benefit from faster, more secure WiFi without the usual friction. In travel-heavy areas, it cuts costs by up to 90% compared to conventional roaming solutions.
Connection times are up to 85% faster than legacy captive portal setups, and adoption is growing among digital nomads, small businesses, and frequent travelers. ROAM is making public WiFi usable again and giving people a reason to expand it.
Uplink is taking a practical approach to one of the biggest challenges in telecom: the cost and complexity of rolling out dense 5G infrastructure. Instead of relying solely on major carriers and large tower builds, Uplink connects enterprises, real estate owners, and local providers to form a shared, decentralized connectivity layer. The goal is faster, more affordable wireless coverage where it's needed most.
Their model allows businesses to offload traffic, tap into nearby infrastructure, and reduce their dependence on traditional providers. It’s especially effective in urban zones, campuses, and commercial hubs where building out full 5G support can take years. By distributing infrastructure responsibility across a wider network of contributors, Uplink creates a scalable foundation that meets modern bandwidth demands without the overhead of legacy systems.
Uplink deployments have helped businesses cut connectivity costs by 30–40%, while improving performance in high-demand environments like hospitals, universities, and industrial parks. The network gives enterprises more control over their service quality and buildout timelines without long-term contracts or centralized control.
It also opens the door for smaller providers and infrastructure hosts to participate in 5G expansion. Instead of waiting on top-down rollouts, stakeholders can collaborate locally and build out coverage in a way that’s faster, more cost-efficient, and better aligned with real usage patterns.
375ai has developed a Solana-based infrastructure for advanced data collection with a focus on edge computing capabilities. Their approach recognizes that data is increasingly as valuable as connectivity itself, rewarding users for both data contribution and network operation.
The platform's multi-modal data transformation approach enables complex analytics directly at the network edge rather than requiring centralized processing. This reduces latency, improves privacy, and creates more efficient resource utilization across the network.
375ai is already supporting deployments in urban environments and public infrastructure projects, with use cases ranging from environmental monitoring to traffic analytics. By keeping computation at the edge, the platform reduces latency and gives cities, researchers, and developers more actionable insights in real time.
For contributors, the economics are strong. In dense areas, device operators have reported earnings that rival part-time work while even passive smartphone users earn steady returns. It’s a system where data has value, and people can earn by helping the network grow.
Karrier One is building a blockchain-based telecom network designed to work within existing regulatory frameworks. While many decentralized projects avoid regulation, Karrier One leans into it, offering a DAO-governed, EVM-compatible telecom network built for compliance.
At its core is the Gatekeeper Node model, which allows individuals and organizations to operate parts of the network while meeting industry-grade standards. These nodes handle tasks like local routing, connectivity provisioning, and service validation. The platform also integrates with existing roaming partners, so users experience consistent service—even outside of Karrier One’s direct coverage areas. And with smart contracts controlling access to telecom equipment, operations become more efficient, transparent, and programmable.
The network has already seen major traction:
Karrier One shows that Web3 and telecom regulation can work together. It offers a working blueprint for decentralized infrastructure in a high-compliance industry, and it’s already serving real users at scale.
Gatekeepers report strong returns, with node economics that outperform many conventional infrastructure investments. Governance participation remains high, with token holders actively shaping the direction of the network.
Nodle is building a global, citizen-owned network powered by something nearly everyone already has — a smartphone. Instead of relying on towers or antennas, the Nodle app turns your phone into a lightweight node that connects to nearby devices via Bluetooth. Just by having it running in the background, you’re contributing to the network.
At the core of Nodle is its Proof of Connectivity algorithm, which measures how long your device broadcasts, detects nearby sensors, and stays active. In return, users earn NODL tokens — not just for holding a device, but for providing a real service: wireless connectivity, sensing, or lightweight computation.
By leveraging the global density of smartphones, Nodle offers wide coverage without new infrastructure costs. It’s energy-efficient, mobile-native, and already supports real-world use cases like asset tracking, environmental monitoring, and smart city deployments. Developers can even build on it directly using the Nodle Virtual Machine, enabling custom interactions between devices and edge nodes.
Nodle has already been used for asset tracking, environmental sensing, and smart city monitoring — all without the cost and complexity of building new infrastructure. With smartphones already everywhere, Nodle can scale globally with near-zero friction.
With over 7 billion smartphones worldwide, Nodle represents a new kind of decentralized infrastructure: accessible, lightweight, and people-powered. It’s a shift away from centralized clouds toward a world where anyone can contribute to a network and get rewarded for doing so.
Across the projects we covered, a clear pattern is emerging: DePIN is offering practical, community-driven solutions to long-standing telecom challenges.
Projects are reducing costs, expanding coverage, and giving people more control over how wireless access is built and delivered. The incentive models behind them are being used to fund real infrastructure, especially in areas existing providers have overlooked.
For anyone working in connectivity, Web3, or new infrastructure models — DePIN is a space to watch. We’re excited to see how this sector continues to evolve and what new models emerge as more people get involved.
Curious about how DePIN extends beyond wireless?