I have been paying close attention to how DePIN and decentralized compute are gaining real traction across Web3. As AI workloads continue to scale, the limitations of centralized cloud infrastructure cost, resilience, and vendor lock-in are becoming harder to overlook. This shift feels less like speculation and more like infrastructure evolving to meet real demand.
Fluence $FLT: stands out here. By aggregating underutilized data-center capacity into a verifiable global compute network, it offers a practical alternative for running AI and backend workloads without relying on a single cloud provider. To me, it feels like a natural evolution of how cloud services should work.
Alongside that, Chainlink $LINK : continues to play a critical role in decentralized infrastructure by securely connecting on-chain systems with real-world data, which becomes even more important as AI-driven and DePIN applications grow.
IOTA $IOTA : brings a different angle, focusing on machine-to-machine communication and data integrity key foundations for IoT-heavy DePIN use cases.
Meanwhile, livepeer $LPT : highlights how decentralized networks can deliver scalable video and media processing, reinforcing the broader shift toward community-owned infrastructure.
If this trajectory holds, 2026 could be a turning point where decentralized infrastructure moves from experimentation to becoming foundational. It’s a space I’m watching closely for long-term impact rather than short-term narratives.
⏀ @Fluence DAO 2025 Year Report quick highlights: Fluence crossed $1M in total network revenue (FLT + USD) on Dec 26, 2025 a solid milestone for real usage. The DAO also bought back around 8M $FLT from the open market, showing long-term commitment. Current treasury sits at: • 359M $FLT • $3.26M USDC Only about 25% of the total supply is circulating right now, with: • TVL: ~44.6M $FLT • pFLT supply: ~31M #DePIN #AI
@Fluence is giving free compute credits to help scale dApps and AI workloads without blowing up cloud bills. This is exactly the kind of support that makes building on decentralized infra realistic not just theoretical.
High-demand apps? Fluence makes it easier to deploy and grow them on-chain.
Lately I have been paying more attention to infrastructure tokens rather than pure hype plays. It feels like this cycle is less about flashy narratives and more about who’s actually building the backbone of Web3.
A few that stand out to me: $FLT, $PHA , $BTT, and $AR . All of them are touching different parts of the same story decentralized infrastructure.
$AR (Arweave): is about permanent storage. If data is the new oil, Arweave is basically the long-term memory layer of Web3.
$BTTC (BitTorrent): focuses on decentralized bandwidth and distribution. It’s not new, but it’s still one of the most practical examples of real users + real network effects.
$PHA (Phala): is interesting on the privacy and secure compute side confidential smart contracts and data processing will matter more as AI and onchain data grow.
And then there is $FLT ( @Fluence ): which for me fits right into the emerging DePIN + decentralized compute + AI infra narrative. AI doesn’t just need models, it needs massive compute, and Fluence is positioning itself as a decentralized alternative to centralized cloud providers.
What stands out about Fluence is that it feels very builder-first.they are focusing on real GPU demand, real workloads, and how DePIN can actually compete with traditional infrastructure.
My take:
if Web3 is going to be more than speculation, these are the kinds of projects that shape the next phase storage, bandwidth, privacy, and compute. The less glamorous stuff, but probably the most important.
Web3 infrastructure is quietly building while everyone’s chasing memes
Been rotating through some DePIN and decentralized infra plays lately. Four tokens keep coming up in my research: $AR , $FLUX , $PEAQ, and $FLT.
$PEAQ : DePIN for machines and IoT. Interesting vertical, especially with the smart device explosion coming.
$FLUX : decentralized cloud infrastructure with actual nodes running. They’ve been around and shipping consistently.
$AR : permanent storage is still the backbone for a lot of dApps. Solid fundamentals, proven use case.
$FLT ( @Fluence ): this one’s been under my radar until recently. They’re targeting decentralized serverless compute and AI workloads. Think decentralized backend logic for dApps.
What stands out about Fluence is they are not trying to compete with storage or bandwidth they are going after execution. Running code, processing AI inference, handling real-time compute jobs without relying on centralized providers. Not saying any of these moon tomorrow, but narratives matter. And the “own your infrastructure” narrative feels more relevant now than it did in 2021. DYOR always. What are you watching in the DePIN space?
Did you know that @Fluence is redefining cloud computing by eliminating centralized control and offering decentralized, verifiable, and cost-efficient compute power. Staking $FLT is your opportunity to secure the network, earn rewards, and be part of the cloudless revolution!
if you are diving into @Fluence , don’t just watch the token. explore the developer side too. Deploying even a small service helps you understand how demand for $FLT grows as real usage scales
You know how everyone talks about “decentralized everything” but then most dApps are literally just running on AWS with a wallet connect button? Yeah, that’s been bugging me. So I started looking at what’s actually being built on the infrastructure side. Kept running into the same names: $FLT, $AR , $TAOand peaq Here’s my extremely simplified take:
$TAO : AI stuff, training models across networks. Honestly still wrapping my head around this one but the concept is wild.
$AR : you can store stuff forever without paying monthly fees. Cool, but storage alone doesn’t do much.
$PEAQ : DePIN infrastructure for real-world devices and machines. Interesting angle on connecting physical hardware to blockchain.
$FLT ( @Fluence ) : this one clicked for me because it is focused on peer-to-peer compute. Like, your dApp needs to run actual code somewhere that is not Ethereum (because gas fees lol) and is not some company’s server. That’s the gap Fluence is trying to fill. The thing is… we really do need this stuff. If Web3 is just “blockchain + AWS” then what’s even the point? I am not saying “Fluence” or any of these are guaranteed wins. But at least they are working on the right problem. Decentralized storage, decentralized compute, decentralized intelligence these are the actual building blocks. Am I overthinking this or does anyone else see it the same way?
If you have been putting off AI projects because GPU costs are insane, @Fluence just launched some budget-friendly options that might change your mind. This is huge for indie developers and students who can’t drop thousands on cloud computing. You can finally train models and run experiments without watching your credit card bill explode.
@Fluence is not just “decentralized compute.” It’s about owning execution.
By letting apps run on permissionless, verifiable infrastructure, Fluence removes cloud lock-in and single points of failure while staying performant enough for real workloads like Web3 backends, DePIN services, and AI agents.
@Fluence Network has now crossed $1M in revenue 💰 What stands out to me is how this happens: -Progress is quiet at first -Then it compounds -And only after real revenue shows up does the market pay attention