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Not a Meme! DePIN Can Take Crypto Mainstream

For years, the crypto market has thrived on speculation, where excitement, hype and fleeting trends attract value instead of fundamentals. Investors have continually poured money into tokens fueled by viral moments, chasing rapid gains. Time and again, a select few of these investments soar to incredible heights, only to come crashing down. With over 33 million tokens in circulation, the competition to attract attention gets harder and harder and investor attention is ever more fleeting. But DePIN can change this. With compelling businesses attracting real customers and revenue built on well designed token economics, DePIN can set a new standard of fundamentals in crypto.
As our DePIN Token Economics Report outlines, Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) offer a number of compelling businesses with fundamental value. Unlike typical crypto projects driven by speculation, DePIN offers a different approach. It uses blockchain technology to support real-world infrastructure, creating tangible value and generating real revenue. Instead of relying on hype, it builds a financial system based on actual demand, making it a more sustainable and practical model.
Rather than resembling major crypto networks like Bitcoin or Ethereum, DePIN operates more like capital-light marketplaces such as Uber and Airbnb, but with key distinctions. While both models connect providers with customers without funding infrastructure, DePIN providers are compensated in tokens that can appreciate in value, akin to Uber drivers or Airbnb hosts receiving equity. Additionally, most DePINs sell to businesses which eliminates the need for massive marketing expenses required in building a consumer brand.
DePIN offers a compelling business model and, unlike memes that come and go, it is the beginning of crypto’s transformation into a mature, revenue-generating industry.
From Hype to Revenue-Driven Models
At its core, DePIN represents a paradigm shift. Traditionally, blockchain-based businesses have relied on hype to attract buyers. In the absence of traditional fundamentals, the industry cycled through endless metrics such as TPS, TVL, Telegram channel size, followers on X and many others. Many projects have attempted to build decentralized ecosystems. But, without real customers paying for services, they have largely functioned as economies fueled by speculation rather than external demand.
DePIN changes this by integrating blockchain technology with physical and digital infrastructure, creating compelling services that generate revenue. Whether it is decentralized cloud computing, wireless networks, mapping or storage solutions, DePIN projects offer services like traditional businesses and with customers who pay for usage. When combined with the correct token economics, it creates a sustainable financial model.
As DePIN generates growing revenue, it is likely to draw institutional investors who have long been skeptical of crypto’s reliance on hype and speculation. The projects that successfully correlate the token demand to actual business growth will not only survive the current market but also set the standard for the next generation of blockchain companies
The report also highlights one of the most compelling aspects of DePIN, the use of buy-and-burn, which removes the need to have an expanding pool of new buyers. Instead, these projects use a portion of their revenue to repurchase and burn tokens, permanently reducing supply and potentially driving long-term price appreciation similar to stock buybacks.
This approach is in stark contrast to most of crypto which relies on new buyers to sustain and grow their value.The buy-and-burn model ensures that as DePIN businesses grow and generate more revenue, their token ecosystems become more resilient to market fluctuations. Some DePIN tokens are already demonstrating this by decoupling from broader crypto market trends, proving that real-world adoption can lead to price stability and long-term investor confidence.
Aligning Incentives for Sustainable Growth
While DePIN offers significant potential, it also comes with challenges. One major concern is transparency, as most projects lack traditional financial reports, audits, or clear revenue statements. However, blockchain itself provides a solution — on-chain verification through buy-and-burn mechanisms allows for real-time financial tracking, giving investors a clearer picture of a project’s health.
Another challenge is customer adoption. Many businesses and consumers remain concerned due to crypto’s volatility. To address this, DePIN projects are introducing fiat payment options and stablecoin rewards, making it easier for everyday users to interact with these decentralized services without needing prior crypto or Web3 experience.
For DePIN to succeed, its incentive structures must be designed to keep all stakeholders — providers, users, and investors aligned. One way to achieve alignment is through staking mechanisms, especially in cloud-based networks where service providers lock up tokens as collateral to guarantee reliability. Projects like Filecoin and Fluence already use this approach, ensuring accountability while strengthening network security. Others, such as Render and Livepeer, take a different route by distributing a share of network revenue to token stakers, creating a system similar to dividends that rewards long-term commitment.
Governance will also be critical as DePIN projects decentralize. To prevent large token holders from short-term profiteering for quick gains, new governance models like quadratic voting and weighted staking are emerging. These frameworks help keep decision-making balanced, ensuring that projects remain sustainable and fair as they evolve.
DePIN isn’t just another blockchain investment vehicle, it is laying the foundation for real, decentralized infrastructure. While meme coins have shown that crypto can generate hype, they rarely create lasting value. In contrast, DePIN is developing businesses that can compete with centralized companies by focusing on real-world utility.
With token models backed by revenue, deflationary supply mechanics, and increasing interest from institutional investors, DePIN is redefining how blockchain networks should function. The projects that successfully address capital efficiency, align incentives, and navigate regulatory challenges will be the ones that lead this next phase of decentralized technology.
As DePIN matures, its token models will continue to evolve. Optimizing capital efficiency through transparent buy-and-burn rates will ensure liquidity while maintaining long-term value. Governance structures will adapt to prevent short-term actors from derailing network growth. By 2026, DePIN will be recognized as the benchmark for sustainable blockchain economies, proving that crypto can function as more than a speculative asset class.
The crypto industry stands at a crossroads. Investors, developers, and institutions must choose between supporting unsustainable token models or supporting projects that create real value. For the space to mature, it needs to move beyond pure speculation, and DePIN is at the forefront of that transformation.
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OKX Fined $1.2M by Malta for Breaching Money Laundering Rules

OKX’s Europe company—also known as OKCoin Europe, a subsidiary of crypto exchange OKX—was fined 1.05 million euros ($1.2 million) by Malta’s financial watchdog on Thursday for breaching the country’s money laundering rules.
The Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) said the company failed to assess the money laundering and financing of terrorism risks emanating from the products it offers and had violated parts of the country’s Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism Regulations.
«Regulatory compliance is a top priority for OKX, and we remain committed to meeting and exceeding global regulatory standards,» OKX said in a statement.
The company also said it had addressed gaps identified in its compliance framework following the authority’s 2023 review. In the new notice, FIAU also commended the company on making significant improvements over the past 18 months.
OKX secured the coveted Markets in Crypto Assets license (MiCA) from Malta earlier this year, which will enable it to offer crypto services across the European Union.
«The company was expected to assess the nature of risks prevalent in the services it was offering,» the authority said in its notice.
FIAU said the exchange should assess risks tied to the use of stablecoins, mixers that obscure the origins of transactions, privacy coins, tokens designed for anonymity, and tokens on decentralized exchanges.
OKX recently temporarily suspended its decentralized exchange aggregator following reports that European regulators had been looking at how it had been used to launder funds from a recent hack of the Bybit exchange.
Bloomberg first reported the story.
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CoinDesk 20 Performance Update: Filecoin (FIL) Gains 2.3% as Index Trades Flat

CoinDesk Indices presents its daily market update, highlighting the performance of leaders and laggards in the CoinDesk 20 Index.
The CoinDesk 20 is currently trading at 2446.91, up 0.1% (+2.11) since 4 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Six of 20 assets are trading higher.
Leaders: FIL (+2.3%) and POL (+1.4%).
Laggards: APT (-5.0%) and AAVE (-2.6%).
The CoinDesk 20 is a broad-based index traded on multiple platforms in several regions globally.
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GameStop CEO Cohen Buys $10M of GME Shares Following Bitcoin Acquisition Plan

Ryan Cohen, the chairman and CEO of video retailer GameStop (GME), increased his stake in the company following the firm’s decision to add bitcoin (BTC) as a treasury reserve asset.
According to a Thursday filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Cohen acquired an additional 500,000 shares of the company’s Class A common stock at $21.55 per share, totaling approximately $10.78 million.
This purchase elevates Cohen’s total holdings to 37,347,842 shares, representing about 8.4% of GameStop’s outstanding shares, the filing shows.
Cohen’s purchase comes on the heels of GameStop’s board approving a plan in late March to invest part of its cash pile in bitcoin. The firm also issued $1.5 billion in convertible notes to raise funds for its BTC acquisition plan. That capital raise closed earlier this week.
GME shares are slightly up premarket trading after falling over 7% on Thursday as U.S. stocks plunged in reaction to President Trump’s tariff announcements.
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