In 2024, the Solana blockchain has emerged as a powerhouse for Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN), enabling projects that bridge blockchain with tangible, real-world infrastructure. These Solana DePIN projects are not only reshaping how core services like wireless connectivity, mapping, and compute are provided but are also unlocking new models for user participation and value creation. Below, we analyze the top seven Solana-based DePIN projects powering real-world infrastructure this year.
Helium Network: Decentralized Wireless at Scale
Helium Network has solidified its status as the leading decentralized wireless infrastructure on Solana. Following its migration from its own blockchain to Solana, Helium now leverages Solana’s high throughput and low fees to support nearly one million hotspots deployed in 192 countries. The network’s focus is on providing cost-effective IoT connectivity and, as of 2024, affordable 5G cellular plans, including a $20 unlimited mobile plan. Strategic partnerships with major telecoms like AT and T and Telefónica further validate Helium’s approach to decentralized wireless. The network’s economic model rewards users who deploy and maintain hotspots, creating a self-sustaining ecosystem for both IoT devices and mobile users. For more on Helium’s role in Solana DePIN, see the BingX analysis.
Render Network: Distributed GPU Power for AI and Creators
Render Network is transforming digital content creation and AI development through its decentralized GPU marketplace. After migrating to Solana in 2024, Render leverages the network’s scalability to facilitate secure, verifiable rendering tasks at scale. The platform’s Proof of Render system ensures task integrity while enabling anyone with spare GPU capacity to earn rewards. Render Network reached a market capitalization exceeding $3.3 billion in April 2024, reflecting surging demand from AI developers and digital artists. This migration has positioned Render among the most valuable DePIN initiatives on Solana. For further details on Render’s growth, visit Bittime’s coverage.
Hivemapper: Crowdsourced Mapping for the Modern World
Hivemapper is building a decentralized alternative to traditional mapping services by incentivizing drivers to collect street-level imagery using dashcams. Contributors earn HONEY tokens for their data, which is then processed into up-to-date global maps. By 2025, Hivemapper had charted over 2.4 million miles of unique roads, demonstrating the power of community-driven data collection. This approach not only reduces costs but also increases map freshness and coverage compared to legacy providers. Hivemapper exemplifies how Solana DePIN projects can disrupt established industries by engaging users directly in infrastructure creation.
Nosana: Decentralized Compute for Web3 Workloads
Nosana brings decentralized cloud computing to Solana, offering an open marketplace for compute resources. By connecting developers with idle CPU/GPU power from individuals worldwide, Nosana reduces costs for Web3 applications and AI tasks. The platform rewards resource providers in NOS tokens, fostering a distributed network that rivals centralized cloud providers in efficiency and transparency. Nosana’s integration with Solana ensures fast, low-cost settlement of compute jobs, a critical factor as demand for decentralized compute surges in 2024.
Top 7 Solana DePIN Projects in 2024
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Helium Network: A leading decentralized wireless network, Helium migrated to Solana to scale its global IoT and 5G connectivity. With nearly one million hotspots across 192 countries, Helium offers affordable IoT and mobile data solutions, including a $20 unlimited 5G cellular plan and partnerships with major telecoms like AT&T and Telefónica.
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Render Network: As a pioneer in decentralized GPU computing, Render Network provides a marketplace for digital creators and AI developers to access distributed rendering power. In 2024, Render migrated to Solana, leveraging its speed and low fees. The network reached a market cap of over $3.3 billion as of April 2024.
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Hivemapper: Hivemapper is building a decentralized, community-driven global map. Users collect street-level imagery using dashcams and earn HONEY tokens for their contributions. By 2025, Hivemapper had mapped over 2.4 million miles of unique roads, providing up-to-date mapping data.
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Nosana: Nosana is a decentralized compute network on Solana, enabling users to share unused computing power for tasks like CI/CD pipelines and AI workloads. The platform rewards contributors with NOS tokens, making scalable, cost-effective cloud computing accessible to developers and enterprises.
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Stepn: Stepn is a move-to-earn platform that gamifies physical activity. Users earn GMT and GST tokens by walking, jogging, or running with NFT sneakers. Stepn leverages Solana’s fast transactions to support its global fitness community and drive real-world IoT engagement.
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GolfN: GolfN connects the world of golf with blockchain, offering a decentralized platform for golf course reservations, tournaments, and rewards. By integrating with Solana, GolfN aims to streamline golf infrastructure and incentivize participation through tokenized rewards.
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Solana Compass: Solana Compass is a comprehensive analytics and ecosystem dashboard for tracking Solana DePIN projects, network activity, and infrastructure growth. It provides real-time data, project rankings, and insights to help users navigate the expanding Solana DePIN landscape.
These projects collectively illustrate how Solana’s unique capabilities, high throughput, low fees, composability, are catalyzing a new generation of decentralized infrastructure solutions. Each project targets a distinct vertical, from wireless and compute to mapping and beyond, highlighting both the diversity and depth of innovation within the Solana DePIN ecosystem.
Stepn: Move-to-Earn Meets IoT
Stepn has pioneered the move-to-earn sector by fusing fitness, IoT, and blockchain incentives. Users earn GMT tokens by walking, jogging, or running with NFT sneakers, and the project’s integration with Solana ensures seamless, low-fee transactions and a scalable experience for millions. In 2024, Stepn expanded its ecosystem with new gamified features and partnerships that reward healthy lifestyle choices, while also exploring integrations with physical infrastructure like gym networks and urban IoT sensors. This evolution positions Stepn as a bridge between digital assets and real-world activity, making it a cornerstone of Solana’s DePIN narrative.
GolfN: Decentralized Sports Infrastructure
GolfN represents a novel application of DePIN principles to sports and recreation. By tokenizing golf course access and incentivizing community-driven course data collection, GolfN is building a decentralized network of golfing infrastructure. Players can earn rewards for verifying course conditions and contributing usage statistics, while clubs benefit from transparent, blockchain-based management tools. GolfN’s use of Solana’s high throughput allows for real-time updates and instant settlement of rewards, offering a glimpse into how decentralized models can disrupt traditional sports infrastructure.
Solana Compass: Ecosystem Analytics and DePIN Discovery
Solana Compass is the analytics and discovery platform at the heart of the Solana DePIN movement. By aggregating real-time data on network activity, project health, and infrastructure deployments, Solana Compass empowers users, developers, and investors to make informed decisions. The platform tracks key DePIN metrics such as active nodes, reward distributions, and geographic coverage, offering unparalleled transparency across the ecosystem. In 2024, Solana Compass introduced advanced dashboards that visualize the growth of projects like Helium, Render Network, and Hivemapper, making it an indispensable resource for anyone navigating the rapidly evolving Solana DePIN landscape.
Comparative Overview of Solana’s Top DePIN Projects
| Project | Sector | Key Feature | 2024 Milestone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helium Network | Wireless/IoT | Decentralized 5G and IoT | $20 unlimited mobile plan, major carrier partnerships |
| Render Network | GPU Compute | Proof of Render system | Migration to Solana, $3.3B and market cap |
| Hivemapper | Mapping | Tokenized map data collection | 2.4M and unique miles mapped |
| Nosana | Compute | Decentralized cloud marketplace | Expanded Web3/AI workloads |
| Stepn | Move-to-Earn/IoT | Fitness rewards via NFTs | New gamified features, urban IoT integrations |
| GolfN | Sports Infrastructure | Tokenized course access | Community-driven course data |
| Solana Compass | Analytics | DePIN ecosystem dashboards | Advanced real-time analytics tools |
The diversity of these projects underscores Solana’s strategic role in powering decentralized physical infrastructure networks across multiple sectors. From wireless connectivity and GPU rendering to mapping, sports, and analytics, the Solana DePIN ecosystem is setting new standards for transparency, efficiency, and user empowerment in 2024. As adoption accelerates, expect continued innovation and the emergence of new business and participation models that further blur the line between blockchain and the physical world.
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