Latest DePIN News

In a recent analysis of a16z's report on the "State of the Crypto Industry," Lily Liu, Chair of the Solana Foundation, highlights a notable EVM bias that overlooks Solana's impressive achievements in transaction fees, NFTs, and the DeFi market. Despite Solana leading in NFT addresses and transaction volume over the past year, the report fails to acknowledge significant innovations in decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN), such as Helium and Hivemapper, which thrive within the Solana ecosystem. Liu argues that the report's binary framework, which positions EVM and non-EVM ecosystems as oppositional, misrepresents the true landscape of blockchain development and user engagement. Liu emphasizes the importance of transaction fees as a more meaningful metric for assessing ecosystem activity and health, rather than relying solely on active addresses or Total Value Locked (TVL). Since introducing a fee market, Solana's transaction fee market share has surged from below 1.5% to consistently above 10%, peaking at 25% in July 2024. This shift indicates a growing economic value within the Solana ecosystem, narrowing the gap with Ethereum when considering Real Economic Value (REV). Furthermore, Liu critiques the report's gaming sector analysis, which fails to adequately include non-EVM networks like Solana, leading to incomplete comparisons that do not reflect the full blockchain gaming ecosystem. Additionally, Liu points out that the report's focus on TVL for DeFi comparisons is insufficient, as it overlooks critical metrics such as transaction volume. While Solana's TVL is only 10% of Ethereum's, its monthly DEX transaction volume often exceeds that of Ethereum, highlighting its capital efficiency. Liu also notes that Solana's low transaction costs have driven significant consumer behavior changes, exemplified by the success of platforms like Drip Haus. The absence of DePIN innovations within the report raises questions about its comprehensiveness, as groundbreaking projects like Helium and Hivemapper are primarily developing within the Solana ecosystem, showcasing the real-world applications of decentralized networks.

In a groundbreaking announcement, C4E has partnered with Native to enhance the utility of Bitcoin within its ecosystem. This collaboration leverages Native's Bitcoin Liquidity and Interoperability Scaling Stack (BLISS), which aims to integrate Bitcoin into C4E's energy and e-mobility products. By doing so, C4E seeks to empower Bitcoin as a valuable asset within its network while simultaneously contributing to the green transformation of both the Bitcoin and energy industries. The immediate focus will be on integrating BLISS with C4E's existing Layer 1 DePIN Blockchain infrastructure, enabling users to access native Bitcoin across the C4E and IBC ecosystems. The integration of BLISS will allow C4E's energy and e-mobility products to benefit from Bitcoin's liquidity and security. Users will be able to engage in cross-chain transfers, manage multi-chain liquidity, and explore innovative use cases. This partnership marks a significant advancement in incorporating Bitcoin's robust security and liquidity into Cosmos-based applications, paving the way for staking services, collateral deployment, and advanced trading strategies within the C4E and IBC ecosystems. Looking ahead, C4E plans to explore Bitcoin restaking, which would enable BTC holders to actively participate in securing the C4E and IBC ecosystems. This shift could transform Bitcoin from a passive store of value into an active participant in the security of interconnected chains. The introduction of these services is expected to create new financial primitives and unlock economic opportunities for Bitcoin holders, as well as for the broader C4E and IBC networks. Together with Native, C4E is committed to fostering a future where Bitcoin plays a pivotal role in decentralized applications and market dynamics, contributing to a more sustainable energy and e-mobility landscape.

Helium (HNT) has recently shown remarkable resilience in a generally bearish cryptocurrency market, gaining approximately 12% over the past week. As of the latest updates, HNT is trading at $6.88, having outperformed Bitcoin (BTC) and many other decentralized physical infrastructure (DePIN) tokens. This surge in price is attributed to increased buying pressure, as indicated by the Relative Strength Index (RSI) crossing above 50 for the first time in over two weeks. Additionally, network activity has spiked, with weekly fees reaching a three-month high, further fueling bullish sentiment among investors. The technical indicators surrounding HNT suggest a potential for continued growth. The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) has shown a bullish shift, crossing above the signal line, although it remains in negative territory. This indicates that while there is growing strength among buyers, the overall trend has not yet fully reversed. The V-shaped recovery observed on the daily chart reinforces the notion that HNT is rebounding strongly after a previous decline. If the current buying momentum persists, HNT could reach the 1.618 Fibonacci level of $7.81, marking a complete recovery from its recent lows. Moreover, the derivatives market is witnessing increased interest in HNT, with futures trading volumes rising by 60% and Open Interest climbing to its highest level in nearly three weeks. This uptick in speculative activity could lead to increased volatility in HNT's price. The Long/Short Ratio of 1.04 indicates a balance between long and short positions, suggesting that traders are cautiously optimistic about HNT's upward trajectory. Despite a positive crowd sentiment, it is noteworthy that smart money remains bearish, highlighting a divergence in market perspectives that could influence HNT's future performance.

Crust Network, a prominent player in decentralized storage solutions, has announced a new partnership with Yoghourt Cloud through its Crust Grants Program. This collaboration aims to enhance the functionality of the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS), thereby improving the scalability and usability of the decentralized web. Yoghourt Cloud, a decentralized storage platform that utilizes the IPFS protocol, will receive funding to support its development efforts. The grant will focus on optimizing storage and retrieval processes, ensuring faster and more reliable file access for users, while addressing key challenges in decentralized storage such as data availability and latency. The objectives of this grant project are multifaceted. Firstly, Yoghourt Cloud plans to leverage Crust’s advanced storage architecture to develop more efficient storage management techniques for IPFS. This includes upgrading storage protocols and enhancing retrieval speeds to improve overall performance. Additionally, the integration of Crust’s decentralized storage capabilities into Yoghourt Cloud will provide users with a robust and scalable solution for their data storage needs. The project also aims to implement user-friendly upgrades, such as faster file uploads and smoother retrievals, which will enhance the overall user experience across the platform. Crust Network's commitment to decentralized storage infrastructure for Web3 is further exemplified through this grant. By supporting innovative projects like Yoghourt Cloud, Crust seeks to make IPFS more practical and accessible to a broader audience. This partnership not only marks a significant step in improving decentralized storage systems but also aims to strengthen the IPFS ecosystem, benefiting a wide range of decentralized applications (dApps). Together, Crust and Yoghourt Cloud are set to drive the future of decentralized storage, exploring new possibilities and optimizing existing solutions for Web3 applications.

Theta Labs has announced a significant partnership with Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS), marking the latter as the newest customer of its EdgeCloud AI platform. This collaboration comes on the heels of Theta's growing influence in the academic sector in South Korea, where institutions such as Korea University, Seoul Women’s University, KAIST, and Yonsei University have already integrated Theta's infrastructure to enhance their AI research capabilities. The partnership will enable LAB HAI at HUFS, under the leadership of Professor Ikbeom Jang, to utilize Theta's scalable EdgeCloud platform for various advanced projects, including LLM-based multimodal data training and biomedical data compression. Professor Ikbeom Jang, who oversees the computer cluster at HUFS, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, highlighting the potential of Theta EdgeCloud to significantly boost their multimodal medical AI research. The use of high-performance NVIDIA H100 GPUs will facilitate a wide range of AI applications in healthcare, thereby enhancing Korea's competitiveness in AI technology. Professor Jang's expertise in artificial intelligence and deep learning, along with his previous experience at Harvard Medical School, positions him and his team to make substantial contributions to the field, as evidenced by their recent publications and research grants. This multi-year agreement underscores Theta Labs' commitment to supporting AI research by providing decentralized GPU resources to esteemed institutions like HUFS. With over 33,000 students, HUFS is poised to leverage Theta’s advanced technology to drive innovation in healthcare AI, particularly in areas such as medical imaging and disease prediction. Mitch Liu, co-founder and CEO of Theta Labs, emphasized that this partnership is a pivotal step in expanding the application of decentralized computing in academia, positioning Theta as a leader in AI computing solutions in the region.

The cryptocurrency market is experiencing a significant resurgence, with venture capitalists predicting Bitcoin could soar to $88,000. This optimism is largely fueled by the stabilization of the market and the emergence of new projects in decentralized finance (DeFi) and decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN). As of August 2024, crypto venture capital has raised an impressive $2.2 billion across 24 funds, indicating a robust recovery from previous downturns. Factors contributing to this revival include the market cap reaching 93% of its previous peak, increased institutional adoption from major financial players, and the maturation of investments made during the 2020-2022 boom, which are now presenting new opportunities for investors. Among the notable projects gaining traction are Base, EigenLayer, and SolLayer, which are reshaping the DeFi landscape. These projects are attracting midsized venture funds, signaling a shift from the smaller funds that characterized the early days of crypto. However, larger VC megafunds are still facing challenges due to high valuations and deployment difficulties. The outcome of the upcoming US presidential election may influence these trends further. Three standout projects to watch in the DeFi/DePIN space include Theta, BitTorrent (BTT), and World Mobile Token (WMT). Theta leverages peer-to-peer blockchain technology to decentralize video streaming services, promising high-quality streaming without buffering. BitTorrent, originally a sensation in 2019, continues to offer utility through its token, incentivizing users to share files. Lastly, World Mobile Token supports a blockchain initiative aimed at connecting underserved populations, rewarding participants in its ecosystem. As we approach 2025, the crypto funding landscape appears poised for a vital resurgence, instilling optimism across the sector.

Bittensor (TAO) has recently captured the attention of traders and investors, particularly as it has experienced a notable 20% increase this month. Despite a 10% decline over the past week, the token's performance indicates a bullish outlook for the longer term. TAO has successfully broken out of an inverted head and shoulders pattern, surpassing the $600 level before entering a consolidation phase. Traders are now closely monitoring the $500 zone, as a bounce from this level could signal further upward movement if market conditions align favorably. As traders navigate the current market dynamics, many have mistakenly interpreted the recent price action as a sign of a bearish trend. This has led to an influx of short positions, which may have backfired as TAO's price surged, trapping these shorts. Currently trading around $560, TAO's return to breakeven levels may prompt trapped traders to exit their positions, potentially triggering a bounce. The token's recent pullback to the $500 range is viewed as a short-term buying opportunity, with analysts suggesting a bullish convergence on the 4-hour chart could lead to a price target of $800 by 2025. Despite the optimistic long-term outlook for Bittensor, traders remain cautious due to some weakness indicated by the MACD. If TAO loses support, it could dip below the $500 mark again. Nevertheless, Bittensor continues to rank among the top AI and Big Data projects, alongside notable competitors like Near Protocol, Oasis, and The Graph. This strong positioning in the market suggests that Bittensor is well-equipped to recover from recent corrections and may see further gains in the coming months, making it a project to watch closely for potential investment opportunities.

Ambient, the largest distributed network for environmental monitoring, has announced the successful deployment of blockchain-based air quality monitoring sensors in Los Angeles’ Japanese Village Plaza (JVP). This initiative aims to enhance the environment and well-being of the area, which attracts over 5,000 visitors daily. According to Ambient's CEO, Luca Franchi, the project highlights the growing importance of air quality awareness among consumers and businesses, while also promoting incentive-based behavior to drive better insights and foster a healthier experience for all. Historically, air quality monitoring has been a costly endeavor, primarily managed by government agencies and large corporations. The limited number of locations being tracked in Los Angeles underscores the need for more comprehensive monitoring solutions. With the World Health Organization reporting over seven million premature deaths globally due to air pollution, effective monitoring is essential to address health risks associated with poor air quality. The deployment at JVP not only improves the quality of life for its visitors but also serves as a model for broader applications in urban centers. Ambient, in collaboration with Parami, is deploying Kaiterra Sensedge Mini sensors across 30 retailers in JVP, providing real-time data on temperature, humidity, particulate matter, and more. This innovative approach leverages blockchain technology to record data on the Solana Blockchain and offers token-based incentives for participants. By investing in Ambient tokens, participants can benefit from data sales and commercial activities derived from the network, driving meaningful change and innovation in environmental monitoring.

According to recent data from DePINscan, the AI Layer2 project Network3 has achieved a remarkable milestone, reaching a global node count of 360,000. These nodes are strategically distributed across 185 countries and regions, including key areas such as Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia. This expansion highlights the growing adoption and interest in the Network3 platform, which is designed to enhance the efficiency and scalability of blockchain applications. In addition to its impressive node growth, Network3 has experienced a surge in miner sales, indicating strong demand for its services. Starting from November 1, the project will undergo an expansion upgrade, which is expected to further accelerate the payback period for miners. This upgrade is anticipated to enhance the overall performance of the network, making it more attractive for current and potential users. Furthermore, Network3 has successfully secured $5.5 million in pre-seed and seed round financing, with plans for the next round already in motion. Several leading institutions have confirmed their participation, signaling confidence in the project's future. The official listing process for Network3 has also commenced, marking a significant step forward for the project. However, ChainCatcher advises readers to approach blockchain investments with caution, emphasizing the importance of risk awareness amid the various virtual token issuances and market speculations.

Acurast has successfully integrated with Aleph Zero, allowing developers within the Aleph Zero ecosystem to access Acurast's decentralized compute resources while earning rewards in AZERO. This collaboration significantly enhances scalability, privacy, and cost-effectiveness for developers, enabling them to utilize unstoppable compute power directly from Acurast. By leveraging Acurast's mobile-powered cloud, developers can deploy applications more quickly, securely, and at a fraction of the cost compared to traditional cloud providers. This integration aligns perfectly with Aleph Zero's privacy-first architecture, ensuring enhanced security and data protection for decentralized applications (dApps). The integration has been hailed by key figures from both organizations. Alessandro De Carli, Co-Founder of Acurast, expressed excitement about the collaboration, emphasizing how it empowers developers to access scalable and confidential compute resources. He noted that this partnership marks a significant step toward reducing the reliance on centralized cloud providers, thus promoting the benefits of decentralization and privacy. Piotr Moczurad, Ecosystem Tech Lead of Aleph Zero, echoed these sentiments, stating that Acurast's decentralized cloud service is a perfect complement to Aleph Zero's focus on privacy, speed, and scalability. This collaboration aims to create an environment where Web3 developers can deploy and scale their applications without compromising security or performance. Aleph Zero is recognized for its privacy-centric blockchain solutions that prioritize speed, data confidentiality, and ease of development. It utilizes zero-knowledge proofs to uphold rigorous data protection standards while providing a versatile toolset for Web3 development. With over 40 active use cases, Aleph Zero showcases its adaptability across various sectors. Acurast, on the other hand, transforms upcycled mobile devices into a decentralized cloud computing platform, offering a cost-effective and efficient alternative to traditional cloud models. Together, these two platforms are poised to revolutionize the landscape of decentralized computing and application development.