DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks) is a model that uses blockchain to connect the physical world to decentralized networks. This allows individuals to contribute their resources, such as computing power, bandwidth, and energy, to those who need them and earn cryptos in return.
As such, DePIN represents a new layer of the creator economy, which allows artists, agencies, and even athletes to earn from their work, but also from the physical network that powers it. Simultaneously, it doesn’t limit creators to streaming royalties, ad revenue, or brand sponsorships. In fact, Messari data shows that the DePIN sector crossed $50 billion in total value in 2024, with current predictions saying that it could scale dramatically, up to $3.5 trillion by 2028.
The sector has seen the launch of thousands of projects, going from decentralized GPU rendering to IoT-powered data marketplaces and more. For creators, this means revenue streams can expand to include the physical world, where fans can stake tokens for athlete-issued wearables, mint NFTs through sensors, and more.
In other words, DePIN can use blockchain to profit from physical devices connected to the network, so creators would not have to rely on centralized platforms to earn, but rather, own a part of the network itself.
Passive Income or Creative Monetization
When people first hear about DePIN, they typically first think of plug-and-play gadgets such as routers, hotspots, storage boxes, and sensors. These are things that can mine crypto in the background for them, and they typically fit the passive income model. This is a model that allows for slow accumulation with minimal effort, and it can be considered a small side hustle.
However, this model doesn’t even come close to what creators can do with actual physical networks. For artists, athletes, and even agencies, monetization is about more than just passively accumulating tokens - it is about forming and activating communities and experiences.
Things like ads, merch sales, and brand sponsorships have been a good way to make income, but they are now outdated, stale, and not very profitable anymore due to major platform cuts. This is why DePIN is a major shift that can offer the ability to earn directly from physical participation and engagement.
For example, a gallery show can do more than just sell paintings - it can host IoT devices that mint NFT tickets while visitors walk around. Sports teams are no longer limited to the deals offered by sponsors, but can instead tokenize performance data collected by wearables. Even agencies can monetize event WiFi, AR layers, and decentralized GPU renders for their clients.
Simply put, the audience is no longer just a customer, but a network participant, and that allows creators to monetize activity, presence, and data, rather than just pushing ads.
DePIN for Artists & Designers
As mentioned, DePIN is more than a way for artists and designers to get some extra revenue - it is an entirely new medium for doing their work. Through it, creators can tie their work to physical NFTs that are directly linked to merch drops, galleries, and on-site events. Users could attend an exhibition where everyone’s movement near a sculpture could produce some sort of effect, such as triggering a sensor mint and producing a unique NFT tied to that specific experience. As such, they act as more than just collectibles, but rather, they become proof of presence, ownership, and/or interaction.
Now, with the AI-powered art, the creative work could expand even further on decentralized GPU networks. For example, instead of relying on expensive, centralized services like MidJourney or property cloud GPUs, artists can use decentralized rendering to scale their work in a much more affordable way.
One example of this is Sogni AI, which is a network that focuses on generative art tools that allow artists to mint and distribute AI creations from decentralized GPUs. Then, there is HiveMapper’s model-sharing layout that is mostly used for maps, but it can also be used by artists who wish to engage its crowdsourced imagery and models to tackle more immersive projects.
The most striking case, however, is easily the Render Network, which is a project that is democratizing access to advanced-grade rendering that can even match visuals produced in Hollywood. This could be a massive game-changer for small studios and independent designers, who could previously not afford the same amount of GPU power that blockbuster films have. Now, however, with users contributing their idle GPU power to a decentralized network, rendering power becomes more available, while the cost is low, and many of the former barriers have been removed.
In other words, for artists, DePIN could open the door to entirely new forms of art and allow talented individuals to share their vision in a way they were unable to do in the past.
DePIN for Agencies & Collectives
Agencies and collectives are two other types of groups that can benefit from what DePIN has to offer. They have always thrived on live experiences such as concerts, exhibitions, and various campaigns. However, with DePIN, these offline activations could become networking assets that could continue to generate revenue long after the events are over and the crowds disperse.
The process is based on the devices embedded at venues, including sensors, cameras, charging stations, and even WiFi nodes. They not only provide services, but also collect information, mint tokens, and provide data to decentralized networks, which agencies then get to monetize.
One example would be when a concert organizer deploys Helium hotspots and allows attendees to access WiFi. In return, the network rewards the agency in tokens. In a similar way, DIMO-connected devices in parking lots can be used to generate data regarding mobility, which is valuable for logistics services and mapping platforms. Festivals can use solar-powered DePIN rigs to act as energy nodes, allowing them to use the power they need, and sell any extra power to the grid or allow attendees to charge their devices, thus creating smaller revenue streams.
DePIN for Athletes & Sports Brands
DePIN can act as a major game-changer for athletes and sports organizations, as well. They already control some of the world’s most valuable physical networks, including stadiums, training facilities, and fan communities. With DePIN, they can transform these into data-to-earn assets that could constantly generate value.
One of the easiest ways to do so is through wearables, which could be an easy entry point. Think of fitness devices like Whoop bands and Oura rings, which can easily be plugged into decentralized health-data networks and reward athletes and fans who share performance metrics alike. Then, stadiums themselves can act as DePIN nodes by providing Helium-based 5G hotspots to enable connectivity for the fans. In addition, there are IoT sensors that can track practically anything, from crowd flows to energy usage, and provide this data to a decentralized network.
Another thing that can change considerably is fan engagement. For example, a football player could issue tokens that can double as collectibles and access passes to training sessions, or tickets to AR-enhanced stadium tours. There are plenty of different things that could be offered to fans that tokens could unlock, such as NFT-linked seats, where fans could own a physical season ticket represented by ownership of a token. The token is tradeable, which would also allow secondary market activity, and not break stadium rules.
Turning Sports Brands into Revenue Engines
Right now, it is also fairly easy for athletes to make a profit from their personal brand, which goes beyond fan tokens. The key is to place their efforts into developing limited edition merch, such as IoT-enabled wearables, and event access passes. This allows them to monetize their audience, as every connected device or collectible can be used to generate income. As a result, stadium experience and fitness tracking can be turned into actual earnings with very little effort.
Experiments
DePIN is currently still fairly young, and that means that a lot about it and its limitations is currently unknown. However, many are working on exploring different possibilities and finding the limits of what can be done through experimentation.
For example:
- NFT-minting exhibitions: Some galleries are installing motion/proximity sensors that trigger NFT mints when visitors interact with the artwork on display. Instead of buying prints, visitors can leave with a digital collectible tied to their visit.
- Concerts/Festivals WiFi monetization: At larger events, organizers are trying out DePIN-powered WiFi hotspots and charging stations where fans can connect for free, while the network’s usage data generates tokens for the organizers
- Sports events streaming biometric access: Athletes are experimenting with using tokenized biometric data, such as heart rates, sprint speeds, and jump heights, streamed during games. Fans can then pay to unlock these real-time feeds, allowing players to monetize their performance.
- Monetizing IoT devices in DePIN: IoT devices hold the same potential to be monetized as the other examples on this list. Things like sensors, wearables, and smart equipment can also be tokenized, which would allow automated earnings through DePIN networks. For example, a community-powered WiFi hotspot or stadium charging stations can generate tokens based on usage or data contributions.
Step-by-Step Guide: How a Creator Can Start
Getting started with DePIN does not require you to build an entire network from scratch. Most creators can just use existing ecosystems and layer on monetization tools slowly, over time. Here is how you can get started right now:
1. Identify physical assets
Start by looking into what you already own or have access to. For artists, this could be a studio, a gallery, or even limited-run merch. Agencies can use event venues, pop-ups, or collectively owned equipment, while athletes can look into wearables, stadium specs, and training data.
2. Join an existing DePIN project
As an alternative to launching something alone, you could try to connect to platforms that already run decentralized networks. Helium is a good example when it comes to WiFi and IoT data, Render Network can serve for GPU-based rendering, and DIMO for mobility and connected devices.
In fact, Render Network is one of the leading platforms where creators can manage and monetize their content, specifically when it comes to GPU-based projects. Foundation or Zora are ideal for NFT drops, and Vera for tokenization of physical assets. With these tools, creators can keep track of engagement, automate revenue, and more.
3. Set up a wallet or device
Most projects already have guides in place that can allow new users to get started, and one of the most important steps is setting up a wallet such as MetaMask, where you will store your tokens. Alternatively, there is also an option to store devices, like sensors, routers, or GPUs
4. Collect first tokens
Once you are connected, you can start earning from network activity, such as a gallery running Helium hotspots and earning tokens as visitors connect, or an artist training AI art models on Render, which earns them RNDR credits.
5. Expand to multi-channel monetization
Add extra revenue streams to move from passive income to active monetization by dropping NFTs tied to merch or events, offering tokenized membership for fans, or providing a bundle experience such as VIP access, AR fan interactions, and more, tied to your DePIN presence.
Conclusion
DePIN represents a major shift for various groups, including artists, athletes, agencies, and more. It brings together art, technology, communities, and revenue, turning it all into a single system where creators are not limited to online streams of income alone. Instead, it allows them to plug into physical networks, from gallery-linked NFTs and GPU-powered rendering to stadium IoT, community WiFi, and more. Simply put, assets that were once nothing but an expense can now become revenue bringers.
But, the biggest shift is the fact that creators no longer create digital content; rather, they can own and monetize the infrastructure that their work touches. A gallery can become a way to collect data, a wearable can be a token generator, and a live concert turns into both an experience and a networked event.
In other words, DePIN is creating the next layer of the creator economy and creating a bridge between Web2 influence and Web3 monetization. Best of all, as the networks continue to grow, early adopters will have a major advantage and establish new income channels before the new space becomes crowded, making it that much more important to join early.
