Exploring the Role of Decentralized Technologies in Europe's Cloud Sovereignty

In 2025, Solana's decentralized finance (DeFi) sector has experienced significant growth, despite a market correction that saw its total value locked (TVL) decrease from $13.2 billion to $8.83 billion. Notably, the number of locked SOL tokens reached a record high of 69.23 million, indicating strong user engagement. The decline in dollar value, amounting to $4 billion, highlights the volatility in the market, yet the ecosystem continues to thrive due to innovative segments such as tokenization, stablecoin yield, and decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN). The leading protocols contributing to this growth include Jupiter and Kamino, each boasting over $2 billion in TVL. Jupiter has evolved into a comprehensive DeFi exchange platform, offering a range of services from lending to prediction markets, while Kamino has introduced a swap feature to complement its on-chain lending focus. Additionally, Jito supports DeFi integration across Solana and has a TVL of $1.8 billion. Other notable players in the ecosystem include Sanctum, Marinade, and Raydium, all of which have surpassed $1 billion in TVL, showcasing the diverse offerings within Solana's DeFi landscape. The growth of Solana DeFi can be attributed to its cost-effectiveness and speed compared to Ethereum, with transaction costs being approximately 99% lower. This advantage has attracted users looking for efficient DeFi solutions. However, Ethereum maintains a higher level of investor trust, and upcoming upgrades may help it close the gap with Solana. As the DeFi space continues to evolve, the interplay between these two ecosystems will be crucial in shaping the future of decentralized finance.

In the latest trading week, GRASS crypto has emerged as a standout performer amidst a downturn in major cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Despite the overall market decline, GRASS USDT has shown resilience, climbing 27% in just 24 hours. This surge raises hopes that GRASS could reverse its year-to-date losses, which currently stand at 84%. The token, which powers the Grass network—a decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) built on Solana—has stabilized above $0.25, creating a potential buying opportunity for traders eyeing a return to last week’s highs of $0.70. The optimism surrounding GRASS crypto is bolstered by the increasing adoption of DePIN solutions, with the Grass network ranking among the top 20 in this sector. The total market cap for DePIN has remained stable, adding nearly 1% to approximately $12 billion. Furthermore, the ongoing Season 2 airdrop aims to distribute 170 million GRASS tokens to community members, rewarding those who contribute to providing fast and stable internet. This initiative is expected to enhance community engagement and drive further interest in the token. In addition to GRASS, PepeNode is gaining traction as a potential next big crypto. The platform merges mining with meme coins, allowing users to mine popular tokens like Dogecoin. With over $2.1 million raised in its presale, PepeNode is attracting investors with its deflationary model, which involves burning 70% of the PEPENODE tokens. As the number of miners increases, the scarcity of the token is expected to drive its valuation higher. Investors are keenly watching both GRASS and PepeNode as they navigate the evolving crypto landscape, looking for opportunities to capitalize on potential gains in the coming months.

As the cryptocurrency market navigates through challenging times, investors are keenly searching for the next big opportunity, particularly looking towards 2026. Among the major altcoins, Internet Computer (ICP) is currently showing the most bullish trends, with a notable 64% increase in November. This surge is attributed to its unique position as a blockchain offering decentralized cloud storage, which is increasingly in demand by AI companies. Traders are eyeing Fibonacci levels, with a target price of $14, indicating strong potential for further growth. Filecoin is also gaining traction, driven by the rising need for decentralized cloud storage solutions. In November, Filecoin's value increased by 43%, fueled by its appeal to AI projects that require secure and scalable data storage. The platform has proposed significant updates, including a 50% reduction in gas fees and strategic partnerships aimed at enhancing cross-chain data access. As sectors like AI and decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN) grow, Filecoin is well-positioned to attract institutional investment, solidifying its status as a potential breakout cryptocurrency. In the realm of innovation, DeepSnitch AI is emerging as a promising contender for explosive growth. With its presale raising over $555,000 and a price surge of 58%, this project combines advanced AI technology with real-time market insights. As the AI sector is projected to expand significantly by 2030, DeepSnitch AI offers a compelling investment opportunity for those looking to capitalize on the next wave of cryptocurrency growth. With its current price at just $0.02381, it presents an attractive entry point for investors seeking high returns in the evolving crypto landscape.

The recent Cloudflare outage has underscored the vulnerabilities of centralized web systems, while simultaneously highlighting the resilience of Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN) projects. During the outage, several DePIN cryptocurrencies, including Theta Fuel (TFUEL), GRASS, and Iagon (IAG), experienced significant price rallies. This surge in value was attributed to the stable performance of DePIN projects, which operate through decentralized nodes, contrasting sharply with the disruptions faced by centralized platforms. As Cloudflare services have now been restored, the question remains whether these tokens can maintain their upward momentum. Theta Fuel (TFUEL) emerged as a standout performer, witnessing a 20% price increase shortly after the Cloudflare incident. This surge pushed TFUEL to a new monthly high, aided by a bullish crossover in the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator. The breakout above the upper trendline of its falling channel suggests a potential trend reversal. However, the continuation of this bullish trend is contingent on sustained demand; if selling pressure increases, TFUEL could see a pullback toward $0.020. Similarly, GRASS and Iagon (IAG) also benefited from the outage, with GRASS rising 16.60% and IAG increasing by 13%. GRASS broke above a descending triangle, signaling a potential shift in market direction, although it still faces resistance from the Supertrend indicator. IAG's price action indicates buyers are gaining control, with a positive Chaikin Money Flow suggesting improved capital inflows. Both tokens have the potential for further gains, but their bullish outlooks depend on maintaining momentum and overcoming resistance levels.

The decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN) sector has witnessed remarkable growth, with its total market capitalization soaring to $14.6 billion, supported by over 423 tracked protocols, including 102 focused on compute. This evolution marks a shift from a speculative concept to a robust marketplace that is reshaping the economics of computation. The surge in artificial intelligence (AI) has intensified the demand for high-performance computing, pushing traditional cloud providers to their limits. This has led to the emergence of Computation DePIN, a decentralized model that utilizes distributed hardware to offer scalable and cost-effective computing solutions. Despite the promising advancements, the institutional market remains cautious due to compliance and verification challenges that hinder broader adoption. The economic advantage of decentralized compute is significant, with DePIN networks offering GPU services at a fraction of the cost charged by traditional cloud providers. For instance, while AWS charges between $10 to $12 per hour for an Nvidia H100 GPU, DePIN networks provide similar services for just $1 to $2 per hour. This pricing discrepancy highlights a potential $80 to $150 billion compute opportunity by 2027, but the path to widespread acceptance hinges on addressing issues related to uptime, latency, and regulatory compliance. Significant progress is being made by various players in the DePIN space. Companies like Aethir and Akash are leading the charge with enterprise-grade solutions and transparent pricing models. New entrants like ArgentumAI aim to bridge the compliance gap by repurposing underutilized GPUs while ensuring enterprise-grade security. The DePIN architecture not only offers economic advantages but also enhances resilience through a globally distributed network of GPUs. However, for DePIN to transition from a cost-effective alternative to a primary compute layer for AI, it must overcome reliability and compliance challenges, ensuring that enterprises have access to verifiable service level agreements and predictable billing structures. The future of decentralized compute looks promising, with the potential to become a cornerstone of AI infrastructure in the digital era.

At the recent DePIN Day Buenos Aires, hosted by Fluence, Filecoin unveiled its innovative Filecoin Onchain Cloud, a decentralized cloud platform designed to provide verifiable storage, rapid data retrieval, and fully programmable on-chain payments. This platform, still in its early stages, has already garnered interest from various communities including ERC-8004, Ethereum Name Service (ENS), and KYVE, among others. Recognizing the vulnerabilities of centralized infrastructure, especially in light of recent outages affecting major cloud providers, Filecoin aims to offer a resilient alternative for developers seeking open systems that can support the growing demands of Web3 applications. Filecoin Onchain Cloud is built to address the increasing pressures on centralized stacks, particularly as AI systems generate vast amounts of data and regulatory environments dictate data residency. The platform expands the Filecoin network into a programmable layer for cloud services, allowing developers to create on-chain storage, retrieval, and payment logic. Molly Mackinlay, CEO of FilOz, emphasized that this platform brings essential guarantees of verifiability, programmability, and openness to cloud-scale infrastructure, enabling developers to build unstoppable Web3 applications powered by a global network of Filecoin service providers. The launch of Filecoin Onchain Cloud is supported by a suite of core services, including Warm Storage for online data retention, Filecoin Pay for automated payments, and Filecoin Beam for incentivized data retrieval. These services allow developers to compose, monitor, and monetize their data services effectively. Notably, integrations with platforms like ENS and Monad facilitate the deployment of trustless frontends and AI systems, respectively. With the mainnet launch scheduled for January 2026, Filecoin Onchain Cloud represents a significant advancement in creating a more open and verifiable internet, as highlighted by Marta Belcher, President of the Filecoin Foundation.