When
did
I
get
interested
in
DePIN?
It
goes
back
to
SETI,
a
2000s-era
crowdsourced
search
for
extraterrestrial
intelligence,
and
my
own
family.
We
have
always
found
a
hobby
in
setting
up
airplane
antennas
and
watching
the
planes
on
radar
for
fun.
I
never
thought
there
would
be
a
decentralized
version
of
this
network,
where
individuals
could
contribute
radar
data
and
be
rewarded
for
these
contributions
instead
of
just
a
hobby.
Little
did
I
know
that,
years
later,
it
would
be
a
worldwide
movement
called
DePIN.
This
op-ed
is
part
of
CoinDesk’s
new
DePIN
Vertical,
covering
the
emerging
industry
of
decentralized
physical
infrastructure.
If
you
have
been
here
for
a
few
cycles
or
even
since
the
last
bull
run,
you’ve
already
heard
a
lot
of
broken
promises
with
different
buzzword
metas
and
acronyms
such
as
HODL
to
WAGMI.
As
most
of
the
last
cycles’
promises
fade
away,
there’s
a
new
acronym
and
utility
taking
front
and
center
stage.
This
time
it
stands
for
something
REAL.
DePIN.
Decentralized
Physical
Infrastructure
Networks.
What
is
DePIN?
DePIN
takes
current
blockchain
tech
and
transforms
how
physical
infrastructure
like
IoT
devices
and
machines
operate
and
interact
with
each
other.
By
using
decentralized
control,
DePIN
allows
machines
to
autonomously
trade
value,
offer
services
and
also
sustain
themselves.
The
DePIN
approach
creates
a
scalable,
faster
and
people-owned
infrastructure.
This
enables
real
world
assets
like
vehicles
and
sensors
to
function
as
part
of
a
friendly
ecosystem,
creating
machine
composability
and
value
in
the
form
of
tokens
for
all
participants.
We
call
this
the
“Economy
of
Things.”
This
DePIN
model
also
reduces
dependency
on
large
corporations,
cuts
capital
expenditure
(CapEx)
and
operational
expenditure
(OpEx)
and
enhances
any
system’s
strength
and
durability.
If
this
is
your
first
time
hearing
about
DePIN,
let
me
explain
it
in
more
simple
terms.
Instead
of
big
companies
profiting
millions
off
all
kinds
of
your
data,
imagine
you’re
rewarded
for
the
data
you
create
or
for
any
extra
resource
you
might
have.
That
could
include
your
GPS
location,
supplying
weather
data,
extra
bandwidth
from
your
internet,
flight
data
or
even
the
extra
power
your
house
or
GPU
generates.
This
is
the
same
data
and
resources
that
in
most
cases,
you
have
been
giving
away
for
free
for
years
and
sometimes
even
decades.
DePIN
cuts
out
middlemen
and
gives
the
power
and
data
back
to
the
people.
Another
exciting
concept
that’s
already
starting
to
form
within
the
DePIN
space
is
parallel
markets.
Take
a
DePIN
like
Farmsent
on
peaq.
One
part
of
the
network
is
soil
sensors
for
farmers.
They
can
now
put
another
DePIN
like
a
weather
antenna
up
and
get
a
better
weather
insurance
rate
now
that
they’re
supplying
up-to-date
weather
data
directly
from
the
farm.
Now
you
have
one
sector
of
data
connecting
to
another
and
creating
value
for
both
sides.
This
leads
to
better
pricing
models,
a
better
network,
and
even
bringing
communities
together
who
might
not
have
been
introduced
otherwise.
The
Current
Landscape
of
DePIN
What
excites
me
most
is
that
DePIN
is
breaking
traditional
sectors
and
changing
how
we
think
about
these
legacy
systems.
There’s
so
many
amazing
projects
being
built.
Projects
like
Silencio
(also
on
peaq)
allow
you
to
be
rewarded
for
measuring
noise
pollution
from
your
iPhone.
MapMetrics
gathers
mapping
and
carbon
data.
And
platforms
like
TENEO
are
unlocking
access
and
liquidity
with
the
tokenization
of
machines
like
a
fleet
of
Teslas.
Combinder
gives
people
access
to
green
microgrids
while
YOM
offers
sustainable
alternatives
by
using
a
network
of
existing
gaming
machines
instead
of
building
more
data
centers.
New
and
exciting
sectors
are
constantly
popping
up
within
DePIN,
such
as
agriculture
and
robotics.
Farmsent
is
transforming
the
agricultural
world
through
decentralized
farming
data
networks,
while
XMAQUINA
is
allowing
you
to
own
fractions
of
all
sorts
of
machines
with
tokenized
robotics
solutions.
RWA/DePIN
hybrid
projects
like
penomo
are
making
investments
in
renewable
energy
and
allowing
for
big
machines
like
EV
charging
stations
and
solar
turbines
more
accessible
to
all.
DePIN
is
more
than
just
a
clever
acronym
or
another
Web3
meta.
It’s
the
Web3
Bat
Signal
for
a
fundamental
change
in
our
approach
to
building,
managing,
and
interacting
with
physical
infrastructure.
The
projects
I’ve
engaged
with,
the
events
I’ve
spoken
at,
and
the
communities
I’ve
helped
uplift,
all
underscore
one
truth.
DePIN
is
where
Web3
gets
REAL.
It’s
a
complete
pivot
from
speculative
vaporware
and
tribalism
to
creating
real
world
value
and
real
world
progress.
As
the
founder
of
DePIN
Daily
and
Growth
Lead
at
peaq,
I’ve
seen
the
influence
of
an
organic,
engaged
community
fighting
the
good
fight
of
taking
our
data
back.
From
people
making
their
own
devices
with
Raspberry
Pi’s
to
helping
other
community
members
with
their
setups,
everyone
is
here
to
build
and
uplift
each
other.
The
chain
tribalism
and
PFP
wars
have
been
left
behind
in
2021.
The
DePIN
community
acts
as
a
foundation
for
builders,
founders,
and
users
to
exchange
ideas,
collaborate,
and
push
this
DePIN
movement
forward.
Conclusion
People
are
frightened
and
struggling
all
across
the
world,
from
AI
taking
their
jobs
to
finding
and
earning
passive
income
to
help
with
bills
due
to
inflation.
DePIN
can
help
with
this.
From
owning
a
fraction
share
of
an
AI
robot-cafe
to
earning
a
few
extra
bucks
a
day
for
sharing
your
cars
data
or
GPS
location,
the
change
starts
now.
Stepping
into
DePIN
and
real
world
applications,
while
working
at
peaq
has
opened
a
whole
new
horizon
and
has
me
so
excited
for
the
future.
Let’s
bring
blockchain
back
to
what
it
was
meant
to
do
and
give
power
back
to
the
people.
DePIN
Summer
is
here.
Note:
The
views
expressed
in
this
column
are
those
of
the
author
and
do
not
necessarily
reflect
those
of
CoinDesk,
Inc.
or
its
owners
and
affiliates.
