Understanding MetaBlox: A DePIN Upstart with Five Times More Nodes Than Helium 5G
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Understanding MetaBlox: A DePIN Upstart with Five Times More Nodes Than Helium 5G
Reduce the cost of using WiFi.
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsAuthor: Weilin
Since December last year, Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) has been condensed into the term "DePIN," returning to the spotlight in the Web3 world.
By building data layers and incentive systems on blockchain networks, then providing specialized software and hardware for users to contribute excess computing, network, or even energy resources—sold to individuals or enterprises in need—DePIN application builders form a commercial closed loop.
Among over 650 DePIN projects, Helium—the decentralized wireless network launched in 2013 and transitioned to Web3 in 2017—has drawn significant attention. Focusing on two high-demand scenarios: "Internet of Things (IoT)" and "5G," it has attracted 405,525 Helium IoT devices and 4,958 Helium 5G mobile devices into its network.
A key foundation of Helium's success lies in capturing "wireless networks"—one of the most widespread and increasingly essential use cases. Internet applications and IoT both require wireless connectivity, and many new DePIN applications are targeting this "most accessible" resource characteristic, pushing device/node deployment toward the general public.
Recently, another wireless network DePIN application, MetaBlox, has deployed 29,009 proprietary WiFi node devices—5.4 times the number of Helium’s 5G subnet devices. Leveraging wireless network resources contributed by these nodes, MetaBlox is delivering enterprise-grade WiFi roaming services to users worldwide.
In decentralized wireless networks, he who controls the nodes dominates the landscape. MetaBlox has mastered this principle, using low-barrier access methods, equipment discounts, and planned incentive programs to attract contributors of wireless network resources.
Breaking Helium’s Monopoly: New DePIN Players Enter the WiFi Arena
Use cases and real-world applications make DePIN appear more understandable and experiential to ordinary users than other Web3 sectors like DeFi, GameFi, or SocialFi—and they can build business models without relying solely on typical Web3 financial mechanisms. Investors have recognized the growth potential in the DePIN sector, with approximately $1 billion in venture capital already flowing into the top 10 DePIN projects by market cap.
Established Web3 storage infrastructure Filecoin raised $250 million in funding. Now, Web3 wireless infrastructure Helium has reached the same level.
Helium raised $250 million (image via Messari)
Among emerging DePIN unicorns, Helium stands out as the most prominent.
Entering the Web3 space in 2017, Helium deployed its own decentralized wireless infrastructure and became the world’s largest LoRaWAN (Long Range Wide Area Network) standard network. It primarily supports IoT and 5G use cases, allowing users to purchase and connect hotspots to expand the network. Participants receive crypto asset incentives, and MOBILE—the token that later gained traction in the crypto market—is the reward token for Helium’s 5G subnet.
With sharing and incentives at its core, Helium quickly attracted IoT and 5G hardware/software providers after launch. Currently, Helium’s IoT network includes 405,525 devices, while its mobile 5G network has 4,958 devices.
According to April 2023 data, Helium has deployed nearly one million hotspots since launch, covering over 77,000 towns and cities across 192 countries, forming an extensive decentralized WiFi network. Its $20/month 5G telecom service launched in the U.S. late last year gained popularity due to its affordability.
Helium’s success validates the effectiveness of the Web3 model in utilizing wireless network resources, paving the way for more DePIN infrastructures focused on wireless networking.
On third-party DePIN data platforms, WiFi networks have become the second most popular DePIN scenario after servers. Among them, Helium leads in attention and market value, followed by WiFi Map and WiCrypt. Many more wireless-focused DePIN projects are underway, with newcomers distinguished primarily by their novelty—especially that their incentive tokens have not yet launched.
Among numerous WiFi-focused DePIN projects, MetaBlox is rapidly rising, standing out particularly in node count: currently operating 29,009 proprietary WiFi nodes—5.5 times more than Helium—and growing steadily.
According to MetaBlox’s official website, it offers free enterprise-grade secure WiFi roaming services globally, with performance metrics rivaling or even surpassing those of 5G cellular networks.
In today’s landscape of ever-growing Web3 applications, MetaBlox provides traditional internet users with a seamless, secure, and effortless WiFi bridge into Web3—one that requires no repeated logins. Meanwhile, MetaBlox WiFi routers, with their inherent geographical positioning, offer direct collaboration platforms and traffic channels for other DePIN infrastructure projects and Layer2 applications.
Simply put, users of MetaBlox WiFi routers can earn hardware miner rewards and also participate in network co-construction or complete tasks via the MetaBlox app to earn additional rewards. Since the network also serves Web3 use cases, users may even receive airdrops from supported SocialFi and DeFi applications.
More importantly, how did MetaBlox, having深耕 the DeWi sector for over two years, manage to deploy over 30,000 node devices across 98 countries in such a short time? Can it surpass Helium to become another major Web3 WiFi provider?
Earn Rewards by Sharing WiFi: MetaBlox Combines Hardware and Software Incentives
Since being coined by crypto research firm Messari at the end of 2022, DePIN has emerged as a major category within Web3 infrastructure and applications, with wireless networking (WiFi) representing one of its primary physical infrastructure scenarios.
This scenario has attracted many builders adopting the Web3 model largely because wireless networks inherently rely on numerous modems, routers, and other hardware components connected in a distributed manner.
Wireless network resources are traditionally built and owned by centralized telecom operators and sold to end-users—including businesses, government agencies, and individuals. Users are typically only paying customers. DePIN-based wireless infrastructures like MetaBlox aim to allow downstream resource users to also earn rewards when sharing, thereby reducing overall WiFi usage costs.
Traditional WiFi suffers from several limitations. Due to its fragmented nature, coverage is often uneven and unstable. Users are reluctant to pay for single-location WiFi access—which explains why WiFi appears “free” at cafes and restaurants. In reality, however, the cost of wireless connectivity is embedded in merchants’ operating expenses. Moreover, public WiFi networks often lack speed and security guarantees.
To improve user convenience, the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) introduced the OpenRoaming framework in 2021, aiming to simplify roaming access between cellular networks, commercial WiFi, and public hotspots. This addresses frequent disconnections and eliminates the need for repeated registrations or logins.
Within this framework, MetaBlox is one of only nine official WBA-designated OpenRoaming service providers—including well-known names like Cisco and Boingo—and is the sole Web3 team among them.
After two years of development, MetaBlox has built a blockchain-based architecture using unified decentralized identities (DID) and verifiable credentials (VC) to integrate small residential and commercial sites into the OpenRoaming framework (hereafter “OR”).
The DID technology adopted by MetaBlox is a new type of decentralized identifier enabling verifiable, decentralized digital identities. A DID can represent any entity—data models, physical objects, organizations—with the controlling party determining its specific type.
The Verifiable Credentials (VC) system allows users full autonomy over whether to share personal resources and under what conditions and methods.
Over 3 million OpenRoaming nodes, 29,009 proprietary nodes—this is the current scale of MetaBlox’s infrastructure footprint, spanning approximately 98 countries. Its goal is to deliver secure and stable WiFi roaming services globally.
Notably, Helium 5G operates under frequency restrictions limited to the U.S. market and does not serve global users. At its core, it functions as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) riding atop T-Mobile—a centralized issuer—and further expansion depends on continuous support from the Helium mainnet ecosystem. In contrast, MetaBlox WiFi demonstrates clear advantages in decentralization and geographic reach.
To drive community participation in building a Web3-style WiFi network, MetaBlox employs dual strategies: hardware and software-driven user acquisition.
The hardware component is the MetaBlox WiFi Router Miner, now upgraded to its second generation. It also serves as a node device connecting to OR and compatible networks. As more people join the OR network, the router generates mPoints rewards. As a utility token within MetaBlox’s tokenomics, mPoints can be directly redeemed for rewards in the MetaBlox app, grant access to partner Web3 apps and services, and be staked to earn future governance tokens of MetaBlox.
The online platform is the official MetaBlox app. Supporting both Web2 and Web3 registration methods, once registered, users gain free access to the currently supported global WiFi roaming service. Additionally, users can contribute to the growth of the MetaBlox network through the app—by adding private or public WiFi networks, they earn varying amounts of mPoints rewards.
MetaBlox miner router and app
Through combined hardware and software incentives, MetaBlox continues to accumulate infrastructure and wireless network resources for global Web3 WiFi roaming.
MetaBlox’s first batch of routers has sold out, and early adopters can now get the next-generation model at a 50% discounted price of $249. The project’s governance token is expected to launch in Q2 2024, and currently accumulated mPoints—from router mining and network participation—are the sole pathway to earning future governance tokens via staking.
Given the anticipated value of these incentives, it becomes easy to understand how MetaBlox has achieved an infrastructure scale of over 3 million OpenRoaming nodes and 29,009 proprietary MetaBlox nodes.
With such rapid infrastructure expansion, MetaBlox is poised to emerge as another major DePIN wireless network provider following Helium, offering new options for both WiFi providers and users. More importantly, the DePIN paradigm for WiFi provisioning will promote more equitable wireless resource distribution, serving global internet users—especially those in regions lacking adequate wireless infrastructure.
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