Every time you use Google Maps, a telecom tower, or cloud AI, someone else profits. You pay to use it, but you don’t own it and don't earn from it.

But what if that changed? What if your Wi-Fi could power someone’s phone plan and pay you for it? What if your dashcam helped rebuild global maps, and you earn crypto tokens?

That’s the idea behind DePIN real-world services, and it's powered by people, not corporations.

It’s crypto in its most useful form, connecting phones, maps, and compute to the blockchain. And the most promising DePIN networks are already live and scaling fast on Solana.

In this post, we’ll break down what DePIN is, how it works, and why it’s quietly becoming one of crypto’s most important real-world use cases.

What Is DePIN?

Most infrastructure today, like cell towers, cloud servers, and maps, is controlled by big companies. You pay to use it, but you don’t own it, and you don’t earn from it.

That is the foundation of Web2. Big platforms build the service, users consume it, and the profits stay at the top.

DePIN, short for Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks, works differently. It’s part of Web3, where users can help run real-world services, and share in the value those services create.

Instead of raising billions to launch a network, DePIN projects reward people with cryptocurrency for sharing everyday resources like:

• Bandwidth
• Location data
• Compute power

When others tap into what you provide, you earn tokens in return. It’s more open, less wasteful, and designed so anyone can participate, with no contracts and zero gatekeepers.

Example of how DePIN works - Contributor (Driver) → Uploads resource like data, coverage, compute (Dashcam footage) → Gets paid in tokens (Earns HONEY)

Why Solana?

DePIN projects don’t just live on a crypto blockchain. They depend on it because every job, reward, and data request is logged on-chain.

That means fast speeds and low fees aren’t optional, they’re critical. And Solana makes it possible. It’s one of the fastest blockchains in the world, with average fees under a cent and capacity for tens of thousands of transactions per second.

That’s why the biggest DePIN networks like Helium, Hivemapper, UpRock, and Nosana have chosen Solana. They need the performance, and Solana delivers it at scale.

DePIN in Action

Let’s look at three live DePIN projects on Solana, each solving a different real-world problem in connectivity, mapping, and compute.

Helium – Rebuilding Mobile Networks from the Ground Up

Helium is a decentralized wireless network powered by user-run hotspots. Anyone can install a Helium device to provide 5G or IoT coverage and earn HNT tokens when others use it.

Instead of relying on telecom giants, Helium creates a people-powered alternative with better reach and lower cost.

In 2025, Helium launched the Zero Plan, the first free 5G phone plan in the U.S., and partnered with AT&T to extend national coverage. All usage is paid for with Data Credits, which are bought by burning HNT on Solana.

• 69,449 Hotspot Nodes
• 176,301 Mobile Subscribers
• $2.3M Total Onchain Revenue

Helium shows how DePIN can make mobile service cheaper, fairer, and user-owned.

Link: https://helium.com/

Hivemapper – A Map Built by Drivers

Hivemapper turns everyday driving into a way to build better maps. Drivers install dashcams that capture street-level imagery. That data is uploaded to the network and turned into live maps used by companies like TomTom, Mapbox, and Trimble.

Buyers pay with Map Credits, which are priced in dollars and bought by burning HONEY tokens on Solana. Contributors earn rewards based on map coverage, AI training, and bounty tasks.

• 77,483 Active Nodes
• Over 1M Kilometers of Road Mapped
• $60K in Weekly Rewards

Hivemapper offers a faster, cheaper, and more open alternative to legacy mapping systems, built by the people who drive the roads.

Link: https://hivemapper.com/

Nosana – AI Compute That Anyone Can Rent or Provide

Nosana is a decentralized compute marketplace built for AI workloads. GPU owners join the network by registering idle devices as nodes. AI developers submit jobs like image generation or inference, paying in NOS tokens. Jobs are matched and run on-chain using a queue system.

In early 2025, Nosana launched its GPU Marketplace on Solana. That same month, active nodes doubled, and the demand continues to grow.

• 4,200+ Registered GPU Nodes
• Over 80,000 Weekly Compute Jobs

Nosana proves that complex, high-performance infrastructure like AI compute doesn’t have to be centralized or expensive.

Link: https://nosana.io/

Why DePIN Beats Web2

Web2 systems are built to keep control at the center. A few big companies manage the infrastructure, own the data, and decide how it’s used.

DePIN changes that structure. It uses Web3 tools, like blockchains, tokens, and open access, to let users help run the network and get paid for it.

Table: “DePIN vs Web2 Infrastructure”

In a DePIN system:

• You can contribute bandwidth, map data, or GPU power
• You earn when someone else uses it
• And no one can lock you out

It’s not just a better deal, it’s a different kind of network which is open to anyone, owned by its users, and designed to reward contribution instead of control.

Why DePIN on Solana Isn’t Just Another Crypto Idea

Helium offers real phone plans. Hivemapper powers commercial map data. Nosana runs AI jobs across a live network of GPUs. All three are up and running today on Solana, a blockchain built for speed, scale, and real-world usage.

If you’re a developer, a builder, or just tired of centralized systems that keep control locked at the top, DePIN is already open. It’s a working model for what Web3 can be: useful, accessible, and shared by the people who power it.

Explore more projects. Join a network. Or build your own.

Learn more here:

Solana Projects – https://solanacompass.com/projects/category/rwa/depin

Solana DePIN Market Dashboard – https://dune.com/sliceanalytics/solana-depin-market