Top 5 DePIN Crypto Projects to Watch

The Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) sector is experiencing spectacular growth. According to CoinGecko, the total DePIN market capitalization now reaches $19.2 billion as of September 2025, up from just $5.2 billion a year earlier. The World Economic Forum projects this market could reach $3.5 trillion by 2028.

This guide analyzes the most promising DePIN projects based on two criteria: solid technical fundamentals and real-world adoption. We include an emerging project in post-quantum cybersecurity that deserves particular attention.

1. Bittensor (TAO) – The Decentralized AI Leader

Fundamentals and Technology

Bittensor is an open-source protocol that merges blockchain with artificial intelligence. The platform creates a decentralized marketplace for machine learning models, where participants are rewarded in TAO according to the informational value they bring to the network.

The network currently counts over 128 active subnets, each specialized in a specific AI task (image generation, prediction, data analysis). The Yuma Consensus mechanism evaluates output quality rather than raw computing power.

Tokenomics and Key Events

TAO has a market capitalization of approximately $2.7 billion (December 2025). The major event: the first halving on December 15, 2025, reducing daily emissions from 7,200 to 3,600 TAO. Inflation thus drops from 26% to 13% annualized, following a Bitcoin-like model with a 21 million token cap.

On the institutional side, Grayscale launched the Bittensor Trust (GTAO) in December 2025. Public companies like xTAO and TAO Synergies are accumulating over 70,000 TAO (approximately $26 million).

2. Render (RENDER) – GPU Infrastructure for Creators

Use Cases and Ecosystem

Render Network connects creators needing GPU power with providers who have unused capacity. The platform enables savings of up to 85% compared to traditional clouds for 3D rendering, visual effects, and AI model training.

Founded by Jules Urbach (OTOY) in 2017, Render’s advisors include personalities like JJ Abrams (Bad Robot) and Brendan Eich (Brave/BAT). The project migrated from Ethereum to Solana in 2023 to improve performance and join the dominant DePIN ecosystem.

Performance and 2025 Developments

RENDER has a market capitalization of approximately $770 million. In July 2025, the network rendered over 1.49 million frames and burned 207,900 USDC in fees. Render is the headline sponsor of Solana Breakpoint 2025 in Dubai, confirming its strategic positioning.

3. Helium (HNT) – The Decentralized Wireless Network

A Disruptive Telecom Model

Helium revolutionizes telecom by enabling anyone to deploy Hotspots (mini cell towers) to provide network coverage and earn HNT. The network has over 115,000 hotspots and serves 1.9 million daily users.

Partnerships with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Telefónica allow traditional carriers to offload their traffic onto the Helium network. In Q2 2025, the network transferred 2,721 TB of data for carriers (+138.5% quarter-over-quarter).

Deflationary Tokenomics

Market capitalization: approximately $318 million. The August 2025 halving reduced emissions from 15 to 7.5 million HNT annually. Notable fact: October 2025 marks the first deflationary month in Helium’s history, thanks to burns generated by Helium Mobile subscription revenue. The SEC dismissed its lawsuit against Helium in April 2025, clarifying the project’s legal status.

4. Filecoin (FIL) – Decentralized Storage at Scale

Web3 Storage Infrastructure

Filecoin is the largest decentralized storage network, with 2.1 exbibytes (EiB) of secured data and raw capacity of 7.6 EiB. The network uses cryptographic proofs—Proof of Replication (PoRep) and Proof of Spacetime (PoSt)—to guarantee data integrity.

Notable clients include the Digital Public Library of America, Cornell University, and the Smithsonian. The launch of Fast Finality (F3) in April 2025 increased transaction speed by 100x.

2025 Developments

Market capitalization: approximately $1.5 billion. The launch of Filecoin Onchain Cloud in November 2025 transforms the network into a programmable cloud layer with verifiable storage and automated payments. DeFi TVL stands at $27 million. Integration with Avalanche enables cross-chain storage.

5. Naoris Protocol (NAORIS) – Post-Quantum Cybersecurity

A Unique Market Position

Naoris Protocol represents the first DePIN project dedicated to decentralized post-quantum cybersecurity. Founded in 2018 by David Carvalho, the protocol transforms every connected device into a security validator node, creating a “Security Hive Mind” capable of detecting and neutralizing threats in real time.

The technology rests on three pillars:

• post-quantum cryptography (Dilithium-5) aligned with NIST/NATO/ETSI standards ;
• dPoSec (Decentralized Proof of Security) consensus ;
• decentralized SWARM AI. The Sub-Zero Layer operates beneath traditional blockchain layers (L0, L1, L2) to secure transactions without hard forks.

Testnet Metrics and Adoption

Since the testnet launch in January 2025, Naoris shows impressive figures:

• Over 106 million post-quantum transactions
• 3.3 million wallets created
• 1 million security nodes deployed
• 603 million threats neutralized

The project raised $31 million from top-tier investors, including Tim Draper (Draper Associates), who states: “Naoris Protocol is creating a unique distributed cybersecurity solution with an enormous market opportunity.”

Advisors and Institutional Recognition

The advisory team includes David Holtzman (former IBM CTO, DNS architect), Kjell Grandhagen (former NATO Intelligence Committee Chairman), and Mick Mulvaney (former White House Chief of Staff). In September 2025, Naoris was cited in a U.S. SEC submission as the reference model for quantum-resistant blockchain infrastructure.

The $NAORIS token has been available since the TGE on July 31, 2025. Mainnet is planned for Q1 2026. Naoris Protocol won the “Best DePIN Crypto Project” award at the Cryptonomist Awards 2025.

Comparative Table of DePIN Projects

Project	Sector	Market Cap	Key Feature
Bittensor (TAO)	Decentralized AI	~$2.7B	128 AI subnets, December 2025 halving
Render (RENDER)	GPU/3D Rendering	~$770M	85% cost savings, Solana migration
Helium (HNT)	Telecom	~$318M	1.9M users, AT&T/T-Mobile partnerships
Filecoin (FIL)	Storage	~$1.5B	2.1 EiB stored, Fast Finality 100x
Naoris (NAORIS)	Cybersecurity	~$17M	Post-quantum, Sub-Zero Layer

What This Means for Users

DePIN projects offer several concrete advantages:

• Passive income: Contributing to infrastructure (GPU, storage, bandwidth, hotspot) generates token rewards
• Reduced costs: Decentralized services typically cost 50-85% less than their centralized equivalents
• Resilience: No single point of failure, unlike centralized cloud services
• Sovereignty: Decentralized ownership and community governance of critical infrastructure

Depin as a solution for the future? 

The DePIN sector represents one of the strongest narratives of the 2024-2025 crypto cycle because it addresses real infrastructure needs with verifiable economic models. 

Bittensor dominates decentralized AI, Render GPU rendering, Helium telecom, and Filecoin storage. Naoris Protocol emerges as the reference post-quantum cybersecurity solution, with remarkable institutional fundamentals and technology aligned with international standards.