The Grandma Benchmark: Mass Adoption of DePIN Has Arrived When Your Mom Uses It Unknowingly

Imagine a world where the internet functions as smoothly as turning on a tap - effortless and seamless. Nobody wants to think about finding the best connection spot, dealing with SIM cards, or locating the nearest cell tower. All users want is a fast and stable connection wherever they are, and the good news is that they are quietly getting it without even knowing it. The current state of the internet is flawed and expensive Traditional telecom infrastructure is cumbersome and costly. Each tower requires a site lease, permits, maintenance, and marketing, with every expansion taking months or years and costing between $5 million and $100 million. This means that installing a single small cell tower can drain a business's finances by up to $300,000. In this system, we are not paying for the gigabytes we use, but rather for the bureaucracy surrounding them. This system no longer makes economic sense. Telecom companies can no longer afford to spend billions on connections that do not improve and become increasingly difficult to maintain as the number of users grows globally. The good news is that a better alternative already exists in people's homes and devices, even if it is not visible on billboards. DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks) is transforming the Wi-Fi routers around us into a new type of connectivity. From towers to routers According to crypto asset manager Grayscale, DePIN is already widely used in daily life and is considered a significant investment opportunity. Why? DePIN takes a software-first approach, utilizing existing infrastructure. A lightweight app or firmware update turns a regular Wi-Fi router into a small part of a larger network. When you are nearby, your device automatically connects through that router. As DePIN's popularity grows, people and businesses are already implementing it: Nodle, a smartphone-based DePIN, turns smartphones into network nodes that relay IoT data over existing mobile infrastructure, while Helium Mobile relies on community-deployed hotspots and small cells to extend 5G coverage and offload traffic for partner carriers in US cities. In dense city blocks, DePIN-style networks are being used to fill coverage gaps that traditional mobile infrastructure struggles to reach. Another example outside of Wi-Fi is DIMO, a DePIN network for connected cars that allows drivers to share vehicle data while maintaining control over it and earning rewards. By 2025, its network had around 425,000 connected vehicles, over 300 apps built on top of its data, and approximately $1.5 billion worth of cars streaming information into the protocol. This scale demonstrates that DePIN is already reaching everyday drivers, not just crypto insiders. DePIN startups have onboarded millions of people to their platforms and are adding tens of thousands of users daily. Last June alone, the industry's market cap was estimated to be $25 billion and is projected to reach $3.5 trillion by 2028. Behind the scenes, DePIN operates on a simple economic design with a network token that coordinates incentives and settlements between routers (nodes) and stable network credits that ensure predictable pricing for telecom and enterprise users. For telecom companies, DePIN is a cost-efficiency engine. Offloading traffic to local Wi-Fi nodes reduces the cost per gigabyte, especially indoors and during peak hours. Network offloading is not new. Data shows that platforms that have realized the advantages of offloading have been doing it for years, with experts describing the process as crucial to alleviating the increasing demands on network infrastructure. But venture capital firm a16z crypto believes that DePIN extends beyond telecom. In a recent report, it outlined AI, healthcare, energy, transportation, and robotics as other sectors that DePIN can revolutionize. Wi-Fi as a revenue stream All over the world, people running co-working spaces or small offices are now using Wi-Fi as a way to generate more revenue streams for themselves. When the economics line up for everyone involved, technology doesn't just spread, it sticks. If your internet at the airport suddenly cuts out on the guest portal, your phone in a shopping mall automatically finds faster Wi-Fi, and the evening connection lag at home just disappears, chances are you've already used DePIN. You didn't install a wallet or buy a token; the network simply chose the nearest node and routed your traffic the shorter, cheaper way. Using Wi-Fi as a revenue stream benefits everyone involved. For users, it means fewer dead zones, smoother connections, and lower bills. For venue owners, Wi-Fi stops being a sunk cost and starts generating income. For operators, coverage becomes flexible, fast, and cost-efficient. When adoption is truly here Technology reaches maturity when people stop talking about it. Nobody says, 'I'm using TCP/IP' or 'this app runs on the cloud.' They just use it. Mass adoption doesn't happen when crypto enthusiasts start using it. It happens when your grandma does it without even realizing it. And she already does.