The Rise of the Solana DePIN Ecosystem: New Ways for Ordinary Users to Earn Passive Income

In recent years, decentralized physical infrastructure networks ( DePIN ), serving as a bridge between blockchain technology and real-world assets, are rapidly evolving. These projects are reshaping the construction and operation of infrastructure through cryptographic incentive mechanisms. Solana, with its high-performance network, has become an important platform for the development of DePIN projects.

This article will provide an in-depth analysis of the development status, market performance, and on-chain data of several major DePIN projects on Solana, presenting a comprehensive view of this emerging ecosystem.

The Concept of DePIN and the Advantages of Solana

DePIN is an innovative model that utilizes cryptocurrency incentive mechanisms to launch and operate real-world infrastructure. It targets markets with strong demand but low supply efficiency, mobilizing idle resources such as GPUs, wireless bandwidth, and more. Unlike traditional models, DePIN allocates ownership to individuals, thereby improving efficiency, enhancing resilience, and expanding accessibility.

Solana, with its high throughput, low fees, and composable infrastructure, has become the ideal platform for scaling DePIN applications. Its thriving ecosystem and developer community make it a hub in this field.

DePIN Market Overview

As of April 2025, the total market capitalization of global DePIN projects reached $7.1 billion, with a total market cap of $3.25 billion for projects on Solana, leading other blockchain platforms. Calculating the average market cap per project, Solana leads again with $191.3 million.

DePIN projects are mainly divided into five categories: computing, wireless, sensors, servers, and AI. Among them, the computing and wireless categories account for 93.4% of the market share and also have the highest average market value.

In terms of node growth, the total number of registered on-chain nodes for the Solana DePIN project has reached 238,165. Helium quickly became a leader after launching mobile services, accounting for over 60% of new node share.

In terms of on-chain revenue, the total on-chain revenue of DePIN projects on Solana reached $5.98 million. Revenue grew from approximately $4,000 per week in April 2023 to over $100,000 per week by early 2025. Helium is the highest earner on a weekly basis, while Render leads in total revenue.

Main Project Analysis

1. Helium: The leader in decentralized wireless networks

Helium is a decentralized wireless network that enables individuals to deploy hotspots and provide connectivity for the Internet of Things and mobile devices.

Key Data:

• Total subscribed users: 176,301
• Total nodes: 69,449
• Total on-chain revenue: 2.29 million USD

The user growth of Helium is driven by clear product initiatives, such as the official launch of Helium Mobile and the introduction of the Zero Plan. Network revenue has steadily increased, setting a record of $66,000 per week in December 2024.

2. Hivemapper: Decentralized Mapping Network

Hivemapper is a community-driven map network where users collect street-level images through dashcams to earn HONEY token rewards.

Key data:

• Total number of nodes: 77,483
• Weekly Reward: Over $60,000 HONEY

Although less than 10% of the nodes actively contribute to map coverage, these nodes receive about 80% of the total rewards. Hivemapper earns revenue by selling Map Credits, exceeding $50,000 per week during the period from April to May 2024.

3. Render: Decentralized GPU Rendering Network

Render Network is a distributed GPU rendering network that provides rendering services for 3D graphics, dynamic design, and AI workloads.

Key Data:

• Active on-chain nodes: 3,784
• Burned RENDER tokens: over 121 million
• Tokens distributed to node operators: over 2.4 million

Render's revenue peaked at nearly $300,000 per week from November to December 2024, with another significant peak in mid-April 2025, reaching a weekly income of $70,000.

4. Nosana: Decentralized AI Computing Network

Nosana is a decentralized computing network that allows users to run AI inference tasks through a global grid of GPU hosts.

Key data:

• Global node count: over 4,200
• Daily active nodes: Increased from an average of 300 in 2024 to over 600 in 2025.

After Nosana officially launched its decentralized GPU market to the public in January 2025, the number of active nodes has significantly increased. The network reached its historical peak of over 200,000 operations per week in May 2024.

5. UpRock: Mobile-first data intelligence network

UpRock is a decentralized data intelligence network driven by a mobile-first DePIN model. Users can share unused internet bandwidth and computing power through the application to earn $UPT tokens.

UpRock's on-chain network revenue has stabilized at $1,500 per week after peaking at over $3,000 per week in February 2025.

Conclusion

Solana has become the leading public chain for DePIN, with a total project market value of 3.25 billion USD. The computing and wireless categories dominate the market, accounting for 93.4% of the market share. Major projects like Helium, Render, and Hivemapper have generated nearly 6 million USD in on-chain network revenue, showcasing the real value of DePIN. Node growth and service adoption are accelerating, but transparency remains a challenge that needs to be addressed. Overall, DePIN is creating new passive income opportunities for ordinary users, with significant potential for future development.