Insights

12 DePIN/DeVIN Categories for 2025

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As in the past couple of months we have seen a grown interest in Geodnet, Honey, Dimo, Grass, Render, IO.net, TAO in DePIN/DeVIN and AI in crypto sectors at SecondLane, we’ve decided to go deep down the rabbit hole of these two sectors that, according to the reports of Messari, Crucible, GSR, Pantera, and many more respected institutions, are among the most important use cases for blockchain, especially in this market cycle. We’ve even pulled up DePIN/DeVIN and AI token indices to explore how one could systematically gain exposure to each sector…

…and then Trump dropped his meme bomb, cracking open Pandora’s box for celebrity memes. Unsurprisingly, all attention immediately shifted to pump.fun. Now we have the founders of Vine and even Venmo launching their own meme tokens, helping people “unburden” themselves of their hard-earned cash. 😱

Before the meme craze completely takes over the minds of the last pizza delivery guys, here’s a summary of what we’ve dug up on DePIN/DeVIN so you don’t have to. 

What is DePIN/DeVIN in simple terms?

DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks) or DeVIN (Decentralized Virtual Infrastructure Networks) refer to projects that leverage blockchain to build decentralized real-world infrastructure. Imagine Uber without a central company, where drivers and riders interact directly through smart contracts.

All DePIN/DeVIN projects can be broadly classified into two fundamental types:

  • Physical Resource Networks (PRNs) – Networks that rely on physical locations, such as EV charging stations or Wi-Fi hotspots. You can’t use them remotely; you must be physically near them.
  • Digital Resource Networks (DRNs) – Location-independent networks, like cloud computing or decentralized storage, that you can access from anywhere with an internet connection.
According to Messari, Crucible, GSR, Pantera, and more, DePIN and AI are among the most important use cases for blockchain in this market cycle.

We can identify 12 categories of DePIN/DeVIN projects, which we’ve grouped into three main segments:

Group A – “The Gold Mine”

DePIN Energy – Virtually no publicly tradable tokens exist yet, apart from a few poorly structured projects with flawed tokenomics. Almost the only way to gain exposure is through DER (Decentralized Energy Resource) marketplaces, but even those are still scarce.

Group B – “Experimental Pioneers”

Sectors showing promise but still lacking major players with significant results – CDN (Content Distribution Networks), manufacturing, consumer applications, zk-TLS (Zero-Knowledge Transport Layer Security)

Group C – “Overcrowded Categories”

Segments that are flooded with new entrants – DePIN/DeVIN-AI focused blockchains (building TEE – Trusted Execution Environments), DeWi (Decentralized Wireless Networks), RTK (Real-Time Kinematic correction data), Mobility & Map Imagery, DRN Compute (Decentralized Cloud Computing), File Storage, AI Data Layers.

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1. DePIN Energy

  • Key projects: Daylight, Fuse/Project Zero, Glow, Starpower
  • Use case: Decentralizing the energy sector
  • Notable innovations:
    • P2P solar energy: Projects like Glow create peer-to-peer solar energy marketplaces.
    • Carbon credits: KlimaDAO and Toucan tokenize carbon offsets.
    • DER marketplaces: Penomo, Plural Energy, and Powerledger are building decentralized energy trading platforms.
  • Challenges: Scaling energy infrastructure and coordinating distributed energy resources.

2. Wireless (DeWi)

  • Key projects: Helium, DAWN, Really, Roam, Dabba Network
  • Use case: Creating decentralized wireless networks
  • Potential impact: Could revolutionize global internet access by removing reliance on centralized ISPs.

3. RTK (Real-Time Kinematic Correction Data)

  • Key projects: GEODNET, Onocoy, Raad, SkyX, Nubila
  • Use case: Providing high-precision GPS data for navigation, agriculture, and construction.
  • Potential impact: A decentralized network for real-time, high-accuracy positioning data.

4. Mobility & Map Imagery

  • Key projects: Hivemapper, NATIX, DIMO
  • Use case: Decentralized maps and navigation systems powered by community-driven data collection.
  • Potential impact: Could create an independent, user-powered mapping ecosystem, reducing reliance on centralized providers like Google Maps.

5. DRN Compute (Decentralized Cloud Computing)

  • Key projects: Akash, Render, io_net, Aethir, Nosana, vast_ai
  • Use case: Offering decentralized cloud computing services for Web3 applications.
  • Challenges: Low demand and high token emissions.
  • Interesting case study: Prodia is specializing in AI-powered decentralized computing.

6. File Storage

  • Key projects: Filecoin, Storj, Arweave
  • Use case: Providing decentralized data storage solutions.
  • Industry partnerships: Filecoin is working with AI projects like SingularityNET to store AI-generated data.
  • Evolution: Some veteran Web3 storage projects are pivoting into new business models to stay competitive.

7. AI Data Layers

  • Key projects: Grass, DAWN, Bless Network
  • Use case: Infrastructure for AI training and data processing in a decentralized ecosystem.
  • Potential impact: Could democratize access to AI development and machine learning resources.

8. CDN Networks (Content Distribution Networks)

  • Key projects: Pipe, Blockcast
  • Use case: Enhancing content delivery efficiency, particularly in regions with poor internet connectivity.
  • Potential impact: Innovations in local node-based and multicast technology could make decentralized content distribution more practical.

9. Manufacturing

  • Key project: 3DOS – A decentralized global 3D-printing network.
  • Use case: Enabling on-demand manufacturing through distributed production hubs.
  • Potential impact: Could disrupt traditional supply chains.

10. Consumer Applications

  • Key project: Blackbird (Flynet) – A Web3-powered restaurant loyalty program.
  • Use case: Bringing blockchain-powered incentives into consumer engagement.
  • Potential impact: Redefining how businesses interact with and reward their customers.

11. zk-TLS (Zero-Knowledge Transport Layer Security)

  • Key project: Nosh – A decentralized food delivery service.
  • Use case: Using zero-knowledge proofs for secure order verification.
  • Potential impact: Could challenge traditional food delivery platforms through aggressive vampire attacks(offering better terms to users and providers).

12. DePIN/DeVIN Blockchains

  • Key projects: Bittensor, Peaq, Phala, Near
  • Use case: Developing Trusted Execution Environments (TEE) as the backbone for DePIN/DeVIN projects.
  • Focus areas: Security, scalability, and decentralized infrastructure.

DePIN/DeVIN continues to evolve rapidly, with constant innovation and new applications emerging. The most exciting areas right now seem to be energy and AI infrastructure, where the growth potential feels the most significant.

For those interested, above is the screenshot with the extended list of projects we used for DePIN/DeVIN Index 👆

Let’s see how the index performs in the coming months. 🔬

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