Surge in Social Engagement Highlights Key Players in DePIN Sector

The Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network (DePIN) is gaining traction in the technology and blockchain sectors. By leveraging blockchain technology and token incentives, DePIN platforms enable individuals to collaboratively build and manage physical infrastructure. This innovative approach not only enhances infrastructure efficiency but also allows participants to earn rewards through token systems. Here, we explore five leading DePIN platforms that are transforming infrastructure usage: Helium Network, Filecoin, Render Network, Akash Network, and The Graph. Helium Network stands out as a decentralized IoT network that provides wireless connectivity for IoT devices. Users can contribute by setting up wireless hotspots, which facilitate communication for these devices, and in return, they earn HNT tokens. Filecoin, on the other hand, focuses on decentralized data storage, allowing users to rent out their unused storage space and earn FIL tokens. Render Network offers a platform for users to rent their GPU processing power for graphics rendering, rewarding them with RENDER tokens. Similarly, Akash Network provides a decentralized cloud computing service where users can lease their computing resources and receive AKT tokens in return. Lastly, The Graph serves as a decentralized data indexation service for decentralized applications (dApps), allowing users to earn GRT tokens for their indexing services. These platforms exemplify how blockchain can facilitate decentralized and efficient physical infrastructure. However, potential participants should conduct thorough research and understand the associated risks before engaging in these opportunities, as the crypto market is known for its volatility and unpredictability.

Asset Chain has officially launched the USDT/WNT trading pair, marking a significant milestone for the first public layer-1 EVM chain from Africa, co-developed by the Wicrypt team. This new trading pair aims to enhance liquidity depth for WNT and increase the Total Value Locked (TVL) on Asset Chain. The decentralized exchange (DEX) operates as an automated market maker (AMM), similar to Uniswap V3, and is currently running a Liquidity Mining Campaign designed to incentivize liquidity providers and traders. Participants can earn points based on their trading activities, which will contribute to airdrops of the blockchain’s native token after the Token Generation Event (TGE). The more transactions users complete, the more points they accumulate, ultimately increasing their airdrop potential. To further engage the community, Asset Chain is launching a special Boost Campaign for the Liquidity Mining Program, specifically targeting the USDT/WNT pair. This campaign, commencing on August 27th, will offer enhanced rewards for liquidity provision, allowing participants to earn up to 200% Annual Percentage Rate (APR) on locked liquidity positions. Additionally, non-custodial wallets holding over 50,000 WNT will receive double points for liquidity provision transactions from September 9th to October 9th. This initiative is designed to maximize returns for liquidity providers and encourage more users to participate in the ecosystem. In conjunction with the liquidity provision campaign, a 30-day trading campaign will also begin on August 27th, providing users with double points for trading activities on the USDT/WNT pair. A reward pool of $3,000 USDT and $2,000 worth of WNT will be distributed among the top 10 traders based on their trading volumes during the campaign. To qualify, traders must maintain a minimum weekly trading volume of $50,000, totaling at least $200,000 over the 30 days. This dual approach aims to boost trading activity and liquidity on the Asset Chain DEX, driving the WNT token to new heights.

The conversation surrounding cryptocurrency in the United States has undergone a significant transformation, with industry leaders heralding it as a pivotal moment. After years of stringent regulatory actions, the atmosphere in Washington regarding digital assets has shifted notably, indicating a potential path towards mainstream acceptance. Ripple's CEO, Brad Garlinghouse, emphasized the stark contrast in how policymakers now engage with digital assets compared to the previous year. At the Wyoming Blockchain Symposium, he noted a more supportive tone, particularly highlighting the surprising endorsement of blockchain technology by several Federal Reserve governors, which he described as a new dawn for the industry. Legal voices in the crypto sector have also acknowledged this shift. Attorney John Deaton characterized the change as a complete turnaround, moving from a period of regulatory suffocation under what he termed "ChokePoint 2.0" to a landscape ripe for universal acceptance and mass adoption. His remarks underscore the rapid evolution in the regulatory environment, suggesting that the industry is now on a path toward broader acceptance rather than being stifled by enforcement actions. This sentiment reflects a growing optimism among crypto advocates about the future of digital assets in the U.S. Ripple's Chief Legal Officer, Stuart Alderoty, contributed to the dialogue by emphasizing the necessity for a coordinated regulatory approach in the post-GENIUS Act era. He participated in discussions with notable representatives from various organizations, advocating for clarity and support for innovation through collaboration between lawmakers and the executive branch. This evolving dialogue indicates a broader shift in how traditional policymakers perceive cryptocurrencies, moving from skepticism to a focus on collaboration and sustainable growth. If this momentum continues, the U.S. could not only clarify its own regulatory landscape but also play a crucial role in shaping the global future of digital assets.

Trading and investing platform, eToro, has announced the addition of 27 new cryptoassets for U.S. users, bringing the total to over 100. This expansion allows users to trade a variety of cryptoassets alongside equities, options, and ETFs. Some of the newly added cryptoassets include 1inch Network, AIOZ Network, Amp, Ankr, and more. eToro is also planning to launch staking for U.S. users, providing the opportunity for retail investors to earn passive income on eligible cryptoasset holdings while supporting blockchain networks' security and operation. In a statement, Andrew McCormick, Head of eToro U.S., expressed excitement about the milestone, highlighting eToro's commitment to empowering retail investors with a diverse range of investment options. He emphasized the platform's dedication to broadening investment opportunities as markets evolve, aiming to assist users in building long-term wealth.

As the landscape of artificial intelligence evolves, the focus is shifting from large, resource-intensive Language Models (LLMs) to more efficient Small Language Models (SLMs). CUDOS Intercloud is at the forefront of this transition, emphasizing the need for decentralization, privacy protection, and sustainable scaling. SLMs are designed to provide faster inference, reduced deployment costs, and a smaller carbon footprint, making them ideal for applications ranging from Web3 to edge AI. This shift is not merely a trend but a necessary evolution in AI development, catering to the increasing demand for speed, precision, and adaptability in various applications. CUDOS Intercloud offers a decentralized infrastructure optimized for efficient AI deployment. With renewable-powered GPU nodes accessible through digital wallets, developers can enjoy permissionless compute access without the burdens of KYC or lock-ins. The platform provides real-time GPU orchestration and preloaded templates equipped with production-grade tools. For teams transitioning from LLMs to SLMs, CUDOS Intercloud features flexible environments such as Ollama for rapid prototyping, vLLM for high-throughput deployments, and OpenManus for multi-modal AI agents. These tools facilitate experimentation with lightweight models and streamline the deployment of tailored SLM solutions. The CUDOS Intercloud platform already hosts several optimized SLMs, including DeepSeek-R1 and Llama 3.3, which are ready for immediate deployment. These models are designed for real-world applications, providing developers with the resources needed to build decentralized stacks efficiently. The transition to SLMs represents a fundamental rethink of AI development, empowering developers while ensuring data security and minimizing resource consumption. CUDOS Intercloud is committed to supporting this shift, enabling the creation of decentralized agents and scalable AI solutions that are practical for production use.

In early 2025, extensive scaling tests were conducted on the new trackerless Streamr Network 1.0 to evaluate its performance and scalability. The tests involved deploying thousands of nodes across 17 global regions, utilizing data centers to simulate a live network environment. The experiments focused on validating the three-layer trackerless architecture, particularly the locality awareness in Layer 2, and measuring the network's performance under load. Key metrics analyzed included join times, routing delays, message propagation delays, and time to data, all crucial for the network's functionality. The experiment setup involved running tests with up to 2,000 nodes, coordinated by a centralized script that tracked progress and issued instructions. Initial latency measurements established a baseline, revealing a mean one-way delay of 75 ms between AWS regions. The results indicated that join times for nodes joining the Layer 0 Distributed Hash Table (DHT) were efficient, with most nodes able to start participating in higher layers shortly after establishing a single DHT connection. Routing delays and hops were also measured, showing that the mean hop count grew logarithmically with the number of nodes, while the average round-trip time (RTT) remained around 360 ms at 2,000 nodes, confirming the efficiency of Layer 0 routing. The tests further evaluated stream message propagation delays and time to data, with results indicating that the mean message propagation delay was lower for larger streams due to effective locality-aware clustering. The mean time to data consistently averaged around 1 second, significantly below the 2-second target. Overall, the new trackerless Streamr Network demonstrated stable performance, efficient routing, and low latency growth, confirming its capability to scale effectively while maintaining high data availability and performance standards. This success validates the architecture's design and its potential for future applications in decentralized data streaming.