DePIN 101: How Polkadot powers the future of decentralized infrastructure

What you can expect

• What DePIN is and why it matters in Web3
• A look at how DePIN works for users and builders
• How tokens drive network participation
• Leading DePIN projects on Polkadot
• Why Polkadot is built for DePIN’s future

Decentralizing money was just the beginning. Now Web3 is tackling something bigger: the infrastructure we all rely on, but few control. Enter DePIN.

Short for Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks, DePIN brings blockchain coordination to real-world systems like networks for connectivity, mobility, energy, compute, and beyond. Instead of depending on centralized corporations to deploy and maintain infrastructure, DePIN enables anyone to contribute resources and earn tokenized rewards in return.

This shift marks a turning point: away from top-down control and toward open networks built from the ground up. It introduces a new model for how we build and share public infrastructure. One that is open, permissionless, and collectively owned. From wireless hotspots to noise pollution sensors, these systems are growing from the bottom up, powered by everyday people instead of centralized gatekeepers.

As the demand for real-world blockchain applications accelerates, DePIN has emerged as a core pillar of Web3. This post explores what DePIN really means, how it works, and why Polkadot is the best place to build it. We'll look at some of the top DePIN projects in the ecosystem and highlight how Polkadot's architecture unlocks new potential for decentralized infrastructure at scale.

What are DePIN projects in crypto?

At a basic level, DePIN projects use blockchain technology to help build and manage real-world systems, like wireless networks or sensor grids. Instead of relying on one company to run everything, they let everyday people set up small devices like hotspots, GPS trackers, or cameras, and earn rewards for keeping them online and contributing useful data.

What sets DePIN apart from most crypto projects is that its impact reaches beyond the screen. While traditional Web3 apps often operate in code alone—finance, governance, and digital identity—DePIN projects are anchored in the physical world. These networks rely on real people operating real devices in their homes, vehicles, or communities.

Most DePINs rely on three core components:

• Physical infrastructure, such as sensors, compute nodes, or energy devices.
• Incentive mechanisms that reward users for contributing useful resources or data.
• Blockchain systems to verify, record, and manage contributions on a public ledger.

Anyone can get involved in a DePIN project. Imagine plugging in a device at home that helps extend wireless coverage to your neighborhood and getting paid for keeping it online. Or using a spare phone to securely process bits of information for decentralized apps, all while earning tokens in return. Or securely sharing your car’s performance data to earn tokens, instead of giving it away to a third-party app.

This idea is already taking shape in the real world through Helium, Acurast, and Hivemapper. These early DePIN projects show how decentralized infrastructure can grow from the bottom up. They offer a glimpse of what becomes possible when everyday people help build the systems that shape their environment and share in the value they create.

How DePIN works: from hardware to token rewards

So how does this all work in practice? Let’s break it down: first from the user’s perspective, then behind the scenes.

How it works for everyday users

DePIN projects follow a simple but powerful cycle. People contribute real-world resources, earn tokens for their participation, and help grow a network that becomes more useful as more contributors join. This self-enforcing loop, often called the DePIN flywheel, drives long-term adoption and sustainability.

Here’s how it typically works:

1. A user installs a device or connects existing hardware to a network.
2. That device collects or delivers data, such as environmental readings or vehicle information.
3. The network verifies and records the contribution onchain.
4. The user earns token rewards based on the value they provide.

For users, the experience is often as simple as plugging in a device, letting it run, and watching rewards accumulate as they contribute to a growing decentralized network.

What powers DePIN behind the scenes

While the user experience is simple, each DePIN project is powered by a set of decentralized technologies that make the system run securely and efficiently.

Most DePIN projects rely on:

• Smart contracts to automate contributions, rewards, and network rules.
• Oracles to bring offchain data into the blockchain system.
• Decentralized compute and storage to handle large-scale data processing and hosting.
• Onchain governance so participants can propose, vote on, and implement network upgrades.

Together, these components replace traditional infrastructure providers with a blockchain-based system of trust. This keeps DePINs transparent, adaptable, and resilient over time.

How DePIN coins drive real-world participation

DePIN projects use crypto tokens, sometimes called DePIN coins, to incentivize participation and grow their networks. These tokens serve multiple purposes: rewarding contributors, paying for network services, and enabling community governance.

Take Acurast, for example: the project turns everyday smartphones into secure compute providers. Participants are already earning ACU tokens for contributing mobile compute, even though the token is not yet listed on exchanges. When the token generation event takes place (projected for sometime this year), ACU will also be used to pay network fees, stake for added security, and vote on governance decisions. This helps align developers, users, and contributors around a shared mission to decentralize the future of compute.

In other DePIN networks, token incentives might work differently. Some projects reward users for setting up wireless hotspots and extending network coverage. Others offer tokens to drivers for sharing dashcam footage or GPS data, or provide incentives for plugging in low-cost IoT devices that gather environmental or location-based information. The value and liquidity of these rewards can vary, especially in early stages, but the fundamental principle remains: meaningful participation earns meaningful rewards.

Top DePIN projects (that also happen to be built on Polkadot)

Here are some of the most innovative DePIN crypto projects building on Polkadot. Each uses DePIN coins or rewards to power real-world infrastructure while benefiting from Polkadot’s scalability, flexibility, and secure multichain design.

Acurast: decentralized compute powered by mobile devices

We’ve mentioned Acurast a few times already, and for good reason. This project transforms cracked or otherwise unused smartphones into decentralized compute providers. Participants can already earn ACU tokens for contributing mobile compute, with plans to unlock staking, governance, and token liquidity after the token generation event later this year.

By tapping into idle phone power, Acurast creates a more accessible and distributed alternative to traditional cloud services. This helps developers deploy confidential apps, support censorship-resistant tools, and lower infrastructure costs, especially in underserved regions..

NeuroWeb: building a decentralized AI knowledge graph

Neuroweb is building a decentralized knowledge graph that anyone can contribute to by sharing data, training AI models, or offering computing power. This crowdsourced approach helps build a more open and transparent AI ecosystem.

Participants earn NEURO tokens for their contributions, whether they’re submitting verified information or helping process and train models. NEURO tokens can be traded on major exchanges, with real market value. They can also be used to access verified data, pay for AI services, and participate in network governance. Contributors can stake tokens to help secure the protocol and validate future submissions. Neuroweb’s long-term goal is to power applications across sectors like education, robotics, and research using a permissionless AI network.

Silencio: noise mapping with smartphones

Silencio turns smartphones into environmental sensors, creating a decentralized network to measure urban noise pollution. Users can contribute by downloading the app and collecting anonymized audio data from their surroundings. Participants earn SIL tokens for each validated submission, as well as through referrals, milestones, and seasonal campaigns.

This crowdsourced data supports public health research, city planning, and greater awareness of sound pollution. SIL tokens will also unlock future features like governance participation, premium insights, and advanced analytics tools. Silencio is built on peaq, a DePIN-specialized chain within the Polkadot ecosystem.

Why Polkadot is the infrastructure layer for DePIN’s future

DePIN is evolving from basic reward apps to powering smart cities, robotics, and privacy-preserving AI. As edge devices and real-world sensors generate more valuable data, the need for data sovereignty, transparency, and scalability is growing.

For builders, this shift creates new challenges. Decentralized physical infrastructure must process high-volume transactions, connect to other networks, and evolve without disruptive hard forks. It also needs governance that can respond quickly to the needs of global, real-time systems.

Polkadot was built for exactly this. Developers can:

• Launch custom rollups and appchains with full control over execution, tokenomics, and governance.
• Access modular developer tooling with 40+ pre-built modules for rapid deployment.
• Upgrade seamlessly with forkless runtime upgrades that avoid downtime.
• Achieve native interoperability through XCM for trustless data and asset exchange across networks.
• Rely on shared economic security backed by billions in staked DOT and 700+ validators.

Whether you’re connecting thousands of IoT devices, tokenizing physical assets, or building AI-driven infrastructure, Polkadot provides the scalable, secure, and composable foundation to launch and grow without limits.

Explore Polkadot’s DePIN use case and dive deeper into the projects shaping its future.