depin

DePIN 2025 Wrapped ⏪

2024 was the spark.
2025 was the reset.

> Narrative Leader : $TAO

> KEY PRICE MOVES

$QRL +324%
$ZBCN +206%
$RENDER -88%
$ANYONE -84%
$PEAQ -94%

> SOCIAL DOMINANCE

$TAO
$ICP
$TRAC
$HNT
$QRL
$AKT
$GEOD

> NEW LAUNCHES IN 2025

XPIN
ROVR
ICNT
WAL
AO
BLESS
0G

> STORAGE, IoT & VPN SHARE

- Storage dominated the DePIN stack
- IoT maintained steady participation
- VPN-related networks stayed niche but consistent

What happened to DePIN in 2025

DePIN had a very different year compared to the hype-driven surge of 2024.

After explosive growth fueled by AI narratives, GPU demand, and decentralized infrastructure promises, the sector naturally cooled in 2025.

Prices corrected hard, attention rotated elsewhere, and the market started separating hype from execution.

That slowdown does not mean progress stopped.

• 2024 was about discovery.

AI plus DePIN became a powerful story almost overnight. Hardware networks, compute, storage, and bandwidth tokens ran far ahead of what infrastructure could realistically support at scale.

• 2025 was about digestion.

Deployments slowed, incentives normalized, and projects shifted focus from token velocity to real-world usage. This phase looked boring on charts, but it was necessary.

• Fundamentals quietly improved.

New launches focused on data collection, geospatial mapping, bandwidth coordination, and decentralized compute orchestration. These are not flashy narratives, but they are core building blocks.

• DePIN became a backend narrative.

Instead of being a standalone hype cycle, DePIN started positioning itself as infrastructure for DePAI, AI training pipelines, and real-time data networks.

Why DePIN still matters for 2026

DePIN is no longer about quick multiples.
It is about utility, scale, and integration.

As AI models demand more decentralized data, compute, and physical coordination, DePIN networks quietly become indispensable.
#depin #DePINProtocol

I’ve been watching how the “off-chain meets on-chain” ecosystem is maturing, and a very clear vertical is starting to emerge. It’s no longer just about simple tokens, it’s about building a functional, decentralized alternative to the entire legacy financial and cloud stack.
Looking at Mey Network, Ribbon Finance, DIA, and Fluence, you can see a "three-layer cake" forming:

The Product Layer ($MEY & $RBN) 📈
Mey Network and Ribbon Finance are the front-of-house. They are experimenting with how to package messy off-chain yields (RWAs) and complex risk (derivatives) into programmable on-chain products. They turn complex financial strategies into something a DAO or a retail user can actually hold.
2. The Data Layer ($DIA) 🛠️
You can’t have the products above without the plumbing. DIA acts as the glue, providing the oracles and data feeds necessary for RWAs and AI-adjacent products to scale. They make the off-chain world legible to the blockchain.
3. The Compute Layer ($FLT) 🧠
This is where Fluence stands out. While the others handle the what (data and yield), Fluence handles the how (execution).
Why Fluence ($FLT) is the Missing Piece
If we want a truly decentralized future, we can't have decentralized yield ($MEY) and decentralized data ($DIA) running on a centralized Amazon Web Services (AWS) backend. That’s where Fluence’s mission comes in.
Beyond Oracles: While DIA feeds data, Fluence provides the decentralized backend compute. It’s a DePIN network where logic, indexing, and AI workloads run in a permissionless environment.The AI & DePIN Narrative: As AI agents and RWA modeling become more complex, they need "verifiable, cloudless backends." Fluence is positioned as the compute counterpart to what DIA is for data.The Cloudless Mission: Fluence isn't just another DeFi protocol; it’s the substrate. Its mission is to enable an open, switchable alternative to cloud monopolies.
💡 The Big Picture
We are moving away from on-chain games toward systems that ingest real-world assets and require massive computation. In this new stack:
Mey/Ribbon package the value.DIA provides the data.Fluence provides the engine to run the logic.
By decentralizing the execution layer, Fluence ensures that the next wave of AI and DeFi doesn't just look decentralized, it actually is decentralized from the ground up.
#DePIN

As we count down the final days of 2025, it’s time to close the books on another wild year in crypto. If 2024 was the year of the "Institutional ETF Approval," 2025 was the year of "Infrastructure & Integration."
The market matured. The hype cycles were shorter, but the builds were bigger. Before we pop the champagne for 2026, let’s hand out some grades and look at where the smart money is positioning for the next 12 months.
🏆 The "Class of 2025" Top Performers
AI & DePIN (A+): The convergence of Artificial Intelligence and Decentralized Physical Infrastructure was the undisputed narrative champion. Projects that allowed you to rent out GPU power or contribute real-world data for token rewards moved from concepts to working products with real revenue.Bitcoin Layer-2s (A): As BTC cemented its role as "pristine collateral," the race to build a DeFi ecosystem on top of it heated up. The most successful L2s were those that unlocked Bitcoin's trillions in dormant capital without compromising security.Real-World Assets (RWA) Pilots (B+): We saw the first successful tokenized treasury bills and real estate deals on-chain. It wasn't a flood yet, but the plumbing was successfully laid down.
🔮 The 2026 Outlook: 3 Big Bets for the New Year
The portfolio you built in 2025 might not be the one that wins in 2026. Here are the three narratives I’m watching closely:
1. RWA Tokenization Goes Mainstream
Forget pilots. 2026 is the year BlackRock, Fidelity, and global banks start moving serious volume on-chain. We're talking about tokenized private equity, carbon credits, and even intellectual property. The platforms that provide the most compliant and liquid infrastructure will win big.
2. The Return of "Fi" to GameFi
The first wave of play-to-earn was unsustainable. The next wave is being built by AAA game studios who understand fun first, with sustainable, player-owned economies built in. Look for games where the token is a value-add, not the entire point.
3. The "Regulatory Moat" Protocol
With clearer crypto regulations emerging globally, protocols that are "compliance-native"—built from the ground up to satisfy KYC/AML requirements for institutional participants—will have a massive advantage over the "wild west" DeFi platforms of the past.
Your Turn: What’s Your #1 Prediction for 2026?
Are you betting on a specific sector, or do you think Bitcoin will stand alone? Let me know in the comments below! 👇
#crypto2025 #2026Outlook #DePIN