#006 - Crypto Goes Green 🌱 Learn how DePIN is ushering in a cleaner future!
Welcome back to the DePIN Hub Newsletter, your unmissable read in the innovative world of crypto utility.
It’s been another crazy few days in the crypto space, coming off the back of the spot Bitcoin ETF 'sell the news' event. But fear not DePIN lovers, no hexes were broken, no founders were harmed. DePIN builders continue to build, no matter which way the prices are going. And at DePIN Hub, we’re super excited to keep you informed on all the latest project news and industry insights.
Today’s issue is a must-read for anyone who lives on planet Earth, so if you know someone there, send this their way! We’ll be taking a look at some exciting projects tackling real-world environmental issues, the kind of projects that put crypto skeptics and climate bashers back in their place.
Let’s dive in…
In this issue
🏅 DePIN Hub Leaderboards
📝 Featured Blog Posts
📰 In The News
🌱 The Emergence of Green DePINs
🎙️ Podcast Updates
👋 Parting Words
DePIN Hub Leaderboards
Growth statistics of some standout DePIN projects based on social metrics and token price
In The News 📰
Telefónica and Nova Labs launch Helium Mobile Hotspots in Mexico!
The world’s largest telecommunications service provider has opted for Helium’s decentralized solution in Mexico City and Oaxaca. This collaboration will provide Telefónica customers with access to secure mobile data.
This is a massive win for Helium and the entire DePIN movement!
Just when you thought things were calming down, the largest crypto YouTube channel brings DePIN to the attention of their 2M+ audience 🚀📺
Guy from Coin Bureau provides an excellent breakdown of Messari’s recent State of DePIN 2023 report.
Oh, and while you’re there, make sure to pass by the Hotspotty channel where you can catch up on all the latest interviews with top-notch DePIN founders.
Hivemapper’s $HONEY token gets listed on Coinbase 🐝 💹
Receiving the green light from publicly traded company Coinbase is yet another stamp of approval for Hivemapper as they push forward in growing their decentralized mapping software.
P.S. Looking to get in on the decentralized map building action and earn yourself some HONEY tokens? As a DePIN Hub subscriber, you can use this discount link for 10% off your dashcam purchase!
Feature
The Emergence of Green DePINs 🌱
It’s no secret that crypto has gotten a bad rep over the years thanks to Bitcoin’s Proof of Work network which consumes “as much energy as a small country”. And the PFP madness in 2021 didn’t help matters either as Ethereum miners worked non-stop to serve monkey jpegs to NFT degens. 😓
Since then, Ethereum’s Merge helped cut the network’s energy usage by over 99%, while miners continue to find unique ways to turn bitcoin mining into a net positive for energy infrastructures around the world. Behind the doomscroll headlines, crypto is slowly but surely evolving from a problem to a solution. 👏
The DePIN sector is front and center in this mission and plenty of projects are doing their part. So here at DePIN Hub, we’ve gone ahead and highlighted some awesome projects that are bringing utility back to Mother Nature, and perhaps most importantly, (decentralized) governance back into ESG.
Here are a few sustainable DePIN projects laser-focused on environmental issues 🌱
💧 Aquasave - Innovating water management on a global scale
It doesn’t get much more environmentally conscious than what Aquasave is trying to build. This is a project that tracks and analyzes Earth’s water supplies, providing insight into the quality and consumption of our planet’s most vital resource.
User generated data is used to provide statistics and reports that enable more efficient decision making at local and global levels. This data is monetized through the project’s native $AQC token, which is what participants can expect to earn by contributing to the network.
By incentivising users to generate data, bringing awareness to responsible water use and providing actionable insights to key decision makers, Aquasave serves as a great example of the flywheel effect that DePINs are known for.
This is surely a project to keep an eye on, as there are still plenty of roadmap milestones to be met in 2024, including their device presale, token launch and even a stock exchange listing.
🌡️ WeatherXM - Entering the era of Weather 3.0
Have you ever noticed that your friend’s weather app gives a different forecast than yours, even though you're standing right next to each other? The answer usually lies somewhere in the middle, right?
WeatherXM addresses this by providing super accurate weather data to weather services. This is thanks to a wide network of people-owned weather stations. There are 3 weather stations you can choose from at different price points and with connectivity possibilities:
- Wi-Fi - $400
- Helium-LoRAWAN - $400
- 4G-LTE - $900
Come rain or shine, you can earn $WXM tokens for contributing to the network. Get started on the WeatherXM website.
The WeatherXM project is a top-level DePIN project and has received funding through various sources, including a $1.5 million investment from Borderless Capital. Who’s Borderless? Glad you asked! Check out our recent podcast episode to learn more about this awesome OG supporter of the DePIN industry.
🔋 PowerPod - Charging forward in the EV industry
PowerPod is launching an interconnected EV charging station network. The project is a perfect fit for anyone looking to offer a helping hand in transitioning the automotive sector towards a more sustainable future. Whether you have a home or business, you’ll soon be able to install a PowerPod charger and get rewarded for charging your car and also for offering your hardware to other drivers.
Starting first with a smart detachable charging adapter, PowerPod will extend its hardware to offer high-performance home AC chargers and an on-the-go charger. The devices will be linked to the blockchain. The project itself will be supported by a dual token model with Energy Points ($PT) and PowerPod Token ($PPD).
In case you missed it, our favorite DePIN degen Daniel Andrade hosted an AMA on X last week where some PowerPod team members joined in, along with the founders of GEODNET and DIMO.
♻️ Arkreen - Bringing green data on-chain
Arkreen is an ambitious Web3 powered project aiming to reduce carbon emissions by collecting green energy data. The two core applications it serves are the generation of Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) and a Virtual Power Plant (VPP)
The Arkreen network sits perfectly between the demand and supply side of green energy, providing an immutable and verifiable layer of data storage.
On the supply side, equipment and devices such as solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, and thermostats can provide a wealth of information from their output.
The demand side is vast as this speaks to countless applications.
Users can access various types of miners, such as remote miners, standard miners and even virtual API miners.
The Arkreen team’s blog roll is one of the most active on the DePIN Hub website, with regular Discord updates and new articles on their Medium blog. The project is currently on testnet and is still at Phase 0 of its roadmap.
One to keep an eye on?
🔌 Powerledger - Innovating in decentralized energy since 2016
Powerledger is one of the OGs of the DePIN space (long before we called it DePIN) and has won numerous awards for its achievements over the past few years.
Founded in 2016, Powerledger sought to develop an efficient marketplace to deal with the fluctuations in renewable energy, compared to more stable fossil fuel sources. For this purpose, Powerledger develops solutions for tracking, tracing and trading renewable energy.
Powerledger utilizes the Ethereum blockchain to secure its $POWR token, while also leveraging Solana’s tech for its custom-built Powerledger Energy Blockchain.
Energy markets are changing from centralized to decentralized and Web3 native projects like Powerledger are leading the charge in that regard.
These projects are but a few examples of how the innovative DePIN sector is tackling real-world challenges in agile ways that governments and companies simply cannot compete with. People from all around the world are aligning with their intentions to do good and give back, but are also getting paid for their contributions. And rightly so.
The road ahead will be challenging though, as these are DePIN verticals with some of the most stringent regulatory measures, especially in the energy sector. Messari’s recent report highlights the fact that in comparison to other verticals, revenue in energy has yet to really take off.
On one side that could be a warning sign, on the other it shows potential for massive growth. 🚀
From Messari and EV3's State of DePIN 2023 report
If you want to learn more, whether that’s for ESG style projects, or something else that aligns with your personal interests and values, head over to the Projects page on our site and filter by subcategory.
With hundreds of DePINs gaining momentum, launching their products and expanding their networks, it’s going to be a wild year ahead. We’ve got you covered! ✅
DePIN Hub Podcast🎙️
Brought to you by Peaq Network, the blockchain for real-world applications and home of DePIN.
🌐 Streamr Network is an OG DePIN that does something very important - they allow for streaming data without centralized servers! ✊ This episode is packed full of crypto wisdom and technical gems, so definitely check it out! 💡💡💡
🔗 Want to join the Bittorrent for real-time data? Create your Operator and get Prepared for Streamr 1.0 Incentivised Testnets!
EO Hao is a well-known DePIN thought leader and the Founding Partner of Future Money Group. Future Money Group is one of DePIN’s most bullish investors, bridging Asia and the West. Learn about FMG’s view on the ‘future of work’ and the role VC plays in Web3.
🔗 Aspiring web3 founder? Check out Future Money Group and IoTeX’s DePIN Accelerator Depin.surf 🏄♂️
🎧 Listen or Watch the podcast on:
🎙️ Spotify: DePIN Hub
🎤 Apple Podcasts: DePIN Hub on Apple Podcasts
🎥 Youtube: Hotspotty
DePIN Hub Telegram Group 💬
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Parting Words 👋
Ouch!
Yours in Decentralization,
The Hotspotty Team
