The DePIN projects on Solana are thriving: How can ordinary people easily make money from Mining to mapping?

Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) are rapidly emerging as an important bridge connecting real-world assets with blockchain. Whether it's sharing GPUs, telecommunications networks, or street map collection, DePIN is reshaping the construction and operation of infrastructure through cryptographic incentive mechanisms. Solana, with its high-performance network, is gradually becoming the core platform of this trend.

This article provides an in-depth analysis of the development status, market performance, and on-chain data of several core DePIN projects on Solana, based on the latest research report. The data is current as of April 22, 2025, presenting a clear picture of this emerging ecosystem.

The Concept of DePIN and the Advantages of Solana

Introduction to DePIN

DePIN is an innovative model that uses cryptocurrency incentive mechanisms to launch and operate real-world infrastructure. These projects typically target markets with strong demand but inefficient supply, activating idle resources. Unlike traditional models, DePIN allocates ownership to individuals, improving efficiency, enhancing resilience, and expanding accessibility.

Advantages of Solana

Solana has become the ideal platform for DePIN application expansion due to its high throughput, low transaction fees, and composable infrastructure. Its thriving ecosystem and strong developer community make it the center of this emerging field.

DePIN Market Overview

As of April 2025, the total market capitalization of global DePIN projects listed on chains reaches $7.1 billion, of which projects on Solana have a total market value of $3.25 billion, leading other blockchain platforms. Calculating the average market capitalization per project, Solana ranks first again with $191.3 million.

Project Category Distribution

The DePIN project is mainly divided into five categories:

1. Calculate (71.2%)
2. Wireless (22.2%)
3. Sensor
4. Server
5. AI

The computing and wireless categories together account for 93.4% of the market share and also have the highest average market capitalization.

Node Growth and Network Participation

As of April 22, 2025, the total number of registered on-chain nodes for DePIN projects on Solana has reached 238,165. Helium quickly took the lead after the launch of Helium Mobile, currently accounting for over 60% of the new node share.

On-chain network income

As of April 22, 2025, the total on-chain revenue of DePIN projects on Solana reached $5.98 million. Revenue grew from about $4,000 per week in April 2023 to over $100,000 per week at the beginning of 2025, peaking at $130,000 in mid-April. Helium is the highest earner per week, 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 IoT and mobile devices.

Key data:

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

The growth of Helium's subscription users has been influenced by clear product-driven inflection points, such as the official launch of Helium Mobile and the introduction of the Zero Plan.

2. Hivemapper: Decentralized Map Network

Hivemapper is a community-driven mapping network where users collect street-level imagery through dashcams to earn HONEY tokens.

Key data:

• Total number of nodes: 77,483
• Weekly rewards: over $60,000 HONEY

Although less than 10% of the nodes actively contribute to the map coverage, these nodes receive about 80% of the total rewards.

3. Render: Decentralized GPU Rendering Network

Render Network is a high-performance distributed GPU rendering network that serves 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

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 network of GPU hosts.

Key data:

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

After its official launch to the public in January 2025, the number of daily active nodes significantly increased, reflecting the rising adoption rate of GPU hosts and AI developers.

5. UpRock: Mobile-first data intelligent network

UpRock is a decentralized data intelligence network driven by a mobile-first DePIN model, where users can share unused internet bandwidth and computing power.

After reaching a peak of over $3,000 per week in on-chain network revenue in February 2025, the revenue has stabilized at $1,500 per week.

Conclusion and Key Insights

1. Solana occupies a leading position in the DePIN field, with a total market value of 3.25 billion USD.
2. On-chain activities demonstrate the actual value of DePIN, with major projects generating nearly 6 million dollars in on-chain network revenue.
3. The computing and wireless categories dominate the market, accounting for a total market share of 93.4%.
4. The growth of nodes and the acceleration of service adoption have shown significant growth across major projects.
5. Despite progress, fully transparent and consistent on-chain measurement still faces challenges.