Author: Paul Veradittakit; Compiler: Wu Baht, Golden Finance

Decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePin) is a combination of blockchain and infrastructure network, and has been used in energy and telecommunications , storage, artificial intelligence, data collection and other industries.

In the last crypto cycle, many projects capitalized on the DePin hype, identifying problems with huge market opportunities, but then pivoted when the core product failed to gain traction in both demand and supply. The Economics of Crypto Tokens.

However, for those that survived, many took the time to build out their infrastructure to the point where many were creating sustainable revenue by solving existing problems, even independently of the token economy Learn the flywheel. Let's have them!

The Core Problem Geodnet (Real-Time Kinematics) is Solving

Traditional GPS systems often lack the accuracy required for advanced applications that require centimeter-level accuracy rather than meter-level accuracy. Geodnet's solution improves positioning accuracy by up to 100 times compared to traditional GPS technology.

Target Customers

Geodnet serves industries that rely on high-precision geospatial data, including:

- Autonomous Vehicles

- Agriculture

- Smart Cities

- Defense and Security

- Space Exploration

Profit Model

- Data Licensing: Sell geospatial data to commercial customers.

- Node participation fee: the fee associated with the installation and use of the miner.

- Partnerships: Working with industries such as autonomous systems to integrate Geodnet services into existing workflows.

In 2024, Geodnet reported revenue growth of more than 500% year-over-year to $1.7 million, with a year-end run rate of over $2.2 million.

Token Economics

Geodnet uses its native GEOD token to incentivize participants:

- Miners earn tokens based on data contribution and network uptime.

- Burning mechanism: Tokens are burned during data transactions, increasing deflationary pressure.

- Daily earnings: The average daily earnings per miner is approximately $4.30, with an expected payback period of 3-4 months.

- Circulation: Tokens are distributed to ensure liquidity while incentivizing early adopters.

- Token utility: used for payment, staking and governance within the network.

Participation and Contribution

1. Become a miner:

- Purchase mining equipment (price ranges from $500 to $700).

- Set up the miner and connect it to the network, uploading 20-40GB of data per month.

2. Use the Internet:

- Access RTK correction data via subscription or direct purchase.

3. Develop applications:

- Leverage data from Geodnet to build software for specific industries.

4. Governance:

- Participate in protocol governance by staking GEOD tokens and voting on proposals.

The Core Problem Helium (Wireless Infrastructure) is Solving

Traditional mobile network operators such as T-Mobile require significant capital expenditures to build cell towers, maintain infrastructure and expand coverage. Helium solves this problem by creating a distributed wireless network that leverages community-owned hotspots to provide affordable, scalable, and resilient connectivity to mobile and IoT devices.

Target Customers

1. Consumer – Offers affordable mobile plans ($20 per month) with unlimited data over its decentralized network.

2. Telecommunications Providers – Provide WiFi offloading capabilities to major operators to reduce their infrastructure costs.

3. IoT device manufacturers – Provide connectivity for low-power IoT devices through the LoRaWAN protocol.

4. Enterprise – Helps organizations deploy private wireless networks for asset tracking, sensors and environmental monitoring.

Revenue Model

Helium generates revenue through two main channels:

1. Direct-to-consumer mobile plans:

- Using Helium hotspots and partner network (T-Mobile, for example) offers unlimited plans for $20 per month.

2. Carrier WiFi Offload Fees:

- Charge telecom providers $0.50/GB to pass through Helium’s decentralized hotspots (instead of traditional cell towers) Offload data.

Financial Performance

- Users: Over 100,000 direct mobile users and over 300,000 indirect WiFi offloaded users.

- Revenue: Generates seven-figure annualized on-chain revenue through mobile subscriptions and carrier offload fees.

- Forecast: Potential revenue from WiFi offloading alone is estimated to exceed $50 million per year as carrier partnerships expand.

Tokenomics

Helium’s HNT token is at the core of its incentive and payment structure:

1. Earn rewards:

- Hotspot operators pass Earn HNT by providing coverage and transmitting data.

2. Utility:

- Tokens are used for network transactions, data usage payments and governance proposals.

3. Destruction mechanism:

- HNT tokens will be burned when used to pay for network services.destroyed, thereby reducing supply and creating deflationary pressure.

How to participate, contribute and access Helium

1. Hotspot Deployment:

- Purchase and set up a Helium-compatible hotspot to provide network coverage and earn HNT rewards.

- Choose from 16 approved hardware types designed for IoT or mobile offloading.

2. Consumer Plans:

- Subscribe to Helium Mobile’s $20/month plan for affordable mobile data coverage.

3. Carrier Partnerships:

- Telecom providers can integrate with Helium to offload data traffic, thereby reducing operational costs.

4. Governance and Staking:

- Stake HNT tokens to participate in network governance, propose upgrades, and vote on key changes.

Core Problems Akash (Compute) Is Solving

Akash solves the high cost, scalability limitations, and centralization issues of traditional cloud computing providers such as AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. Akash solves this problem by providing a decentralized cloud computing marketplace that allows users to monetize idle machines at a low cost.

Target Customers

1. AI Developers – Need high-performance GPUs to train and deploy machine learning models.

2. Startups and Enterprises – Need affordable and scalable cloud computing to support data processing, storage, and AI-driven applications.

Revenue Model

Akash generates revenue through:

1. Market Fees – Transaction fees charged for calculating leases and payments processed through the network.

2. Computing resource leasing – Earn a portion of the revenue generated by AI training and workloads from GPU and CPU leasing.

3. Developer Tools – Use its computing infrastructure to enable developers to monetize API integration and SDK licensing fees.

4. Enterprise Partnerships – Work with AI labs and decentralized platforms to expand computing capabilities.

Financial Performance

- Annual Revenue: Akash reported $2.5 million in lease and fee revenue in 2024.

- Growth rate: Demand for GPU computing resources has grown 33x, driven by AI adoption.

- Network Scale: Supports 400+ GPUs

Token Economics

Akash uses the AKT token for payments, governance, and incentives.

1. Practicality:

- Payment – ​​Buyer uses AKT tokens pay for computing resources.

- Staking – Providers stake tokens to secure work and improve reputation.

2. Incentives:

- Providers earn AKT tokens by providing computing resources.

- Tokens are distributed based on uptime, performance, and job completion.

3. Governance:

- Token holders can propose upgrades and vote on protocol changes.

4. Burning Mechanism:

- Fees are burned, reducing the token supply and increasing deflationary pressure.

How to participate, contribute and access Akash

1. As a provider:

- Set up a GPU, CPU or storage server on the Akash network.

- List resources, set prices and start earning AKT tokens.

2. As a consumer:

- Rent computing resources using the Akash web interface or CLI.

- Deploy AI training workloads, web services, and decentralized applications.

3. As a Developer:

- Access API and SDK to integrate Akash’s services into applications.

- Leverage GPU clusters for deep learning training or inference tasks.

4. Governance Participation:

- Stake AKT tokens to vote on network upgrades and resource pricing.

Outlook

The above is just a short list of projects that are feasible and have sustainable income. The coming months will undoubtedly see DePin’s acceptance increase and result in more sustainable, scalable and profitable companies.

These companies are all consumer-facing, but another aspect that excites me is infrastructure. The underlying blockchain, oracle services, smart contract services, middleware, integrations, token issuance services, etc. are areas of companies that will benefit greatly from increased use of the DePin project. Some examples include Solana, Peaq, Base, Story, Arweave, Opacity Network, and DeForm.