One of the most practical use-cases of blockchain technology so far have been Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePINs). These novel networks differ from traditional infrastructure in a few key ways.

Rather than a centralized company raising capital to build-out energy, AI, or wireless infrastructure, individuals and small businesses are paid automatically and directly on the blockchain to install and maintain devices like solar panels, GPUs, and hotspots.

Also, instead of going through an antiquated and inefficient banking system to pay workers and contractors in unsustainable debt-based fiat currencies, smart contracts on the blockchain pay participants (the community) directly in the project's token.

If the smart contracts are configured correctly, these token rewards remain under the complete control of the community members who receive them, so long as they protect their seed phrases.

Helium vs. World Mobile

Helium was the first DePIN project, rewarding individuals and small business owners for deploying LoRaWAN devices that provided Internet access to wireless IoT devices in rural areas.

The project has since pivoted to incentivizing the roll-out of wireless hotspots that facilitate carrier offload from major providers like AT&T.

Similar to Helium, World Mobile also rewards contributors for installing and maintaining wireless hotspots (AirNodes), but targets more underserved and unconnected areas.

Initially launched on the Cardano blockchain, World Mobile has since expanded their token (WMTX) to other blockchains including Base, Solana, and Binance Smart Chain.

Network Growth

Despite the prolonged crypto bear market, World Mobile continues to increase their AirNode count, daily active users, revenue, and token buybacks.

In fact, their cumulative revenue has increased from ~$2 million in Februrary 2025 to more than $15 million today. They also recently reached a new all-time high of 124,464 AirNodes deployed.

The WMTX token can be traded via Minswap on Cardano, Raydium on Solana, and Aerodrome on Base, as well as centralized exchanges.

If World Mobile interests you, be sure to check out similar DePIN projects such as Helium and XNET, which are working on expanding their own decentralized wireless networks.

Until next time...

If you learned something new from this article, be sure to check out my other posts on crypto and finance here on the Hive blockchain. You can also follow me on X or InLeo for more frequent updates.

Sources

- World Mobile X Account
- World Mobile Ecosystem Metrics

Posted Using INLEO