TechFlow News, March 11: According to a CoinDesk report, investment firm Multicoin Capital has introduced the concept of “Internet Labor Markets” (ILM), arguing that the next wave of user growth in cryptocurrency will come from earning tokens through work—not from direct purchases. Sengupta, a partner at the firm, stated that people’s first exposure to cryptocurrency in the future will likely be through labor, not purchase.
The ILM model enables users to earn token rewards by contributing work, resources, or expertise—including tasks such as data labeling, bandwidth sharing, and energy optimization. This concept builds upon Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) but places greater emphasis on active labor contributions. Blockchain infrastructure makes work verification and instant settlement possible—eliminating the need for traditional invoicing and approval processes.
Sengupta noted that this model could integrate deeply with artificial intelligence, with humans collaborating with AI systems in areas requiring human judgment—such as data labeling and quality assessment.
