In recent years, decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN) have rapidly transformed digital connectivity, promising to bridge critical infrastructure gaps by leveraging blockchain-based incentives and community participation. Amid an ever-increasing demand for affordable and accessible WiFi, global data reveals that over 3 billion people remain unconnected to high-quality internet.
With the world’s digital economy projected to surpass $20 trillion by 2030 and internet-enabled services forming the backbone of financial inclusion and economic growth, the case for radically new ways to deliver connectivity is stronger than ever.
Pioneering this revolution is Dabba, a DePIN-native WiFi provider on a mission to onboard the next billion users to decentralized networks.
Key Players in the DePIN Wireless Sector: Current State and Mechanisms
The DePIN wireless sector is characterized by diverse operational models, each targeting specific market segments and leveraging unique strengths. This diversity indicates a healthy, evolving ecosystem where different projects are carving out niches and addressing varied connectivity needs, from low-power IoT to high-bandwidth WiFi.
As of mid-2025, global DePIN WiFi networks have grown to cover over 1,200 cities, boasting an aggregate network of 700,000+ nodes. Annual transaction volumes across the DePIN WiFi sector have exceeded $540 million, reflecting robust engagement from both retail participants and institutional backers.
❍ Helium Network
Helium is a blockchain-powered wireless network supporting IoT and mobile connectivity via user-deployed "Hotspots" operating on LoRaWAN. In 2023, it migrated to Solana to boost scalability, cut transaction costs, and better integrate with Solana’s DePIN ecosystem. It uses a Proof of Coverage (PoC) system to verify and reward accurate Hotspot deployment, especially in underserved areas.
Hotspots support Passpoint and RadSec protocols and offer low-latency “Local Breakout” for internet access. With over 1 million hotspots in 190 countries, Helium Mobile offers $20/month plans in the U.S. and has reached 176,000+ subscribers. By April 2025, it led Solana DePIN projects with $60,000 weekly revenue and held 60% market share, with 69,449 nodes and $2.29 million total on-chain revenue.
Despite early profitability, rewards have dropped (from thousands of HNT to ~2 HNT/month), deterring new participants. Helium also faced regulatory scrutiny, settling a lawsuit with the SEC in April 2025, which boosted HNT’s price. Technical complexity and slow hardware ROI remain adoption barriers.
❍ Roam Network
Roam is a decentralized WiFi platform that rewards users for connecting to OpenRoaming hotspots and for hosting “Roam Miners” specialized routers acting as blockchain nodes. It uses blockchain and Decentralized Identity (DID) for secure, password-free access.
Roam claims 3 million hotspots and 2 million users across 190 countries. In March 2025, it saw 254 million check-ins, a 26% month-over-month increase. By mid-2024, Roam grew from 100,000 nodes and 50,000 app users to 1.1 million nodes and 1.8 million users. As of March 2025, it had issued 3.134 billion Roam Points, logged 2.38 million app downloads, and mapped 2.079 million WiFi spots.
❍ WiFi Map
Initially built to help users find nearby hotspots, WiFi Map is now the world’s largest crowdsourced WiFi platform. With 14 million contributors, it supports travel eSIMs in 90+ countries and offers offline connectivity maps—ideal for travelers and remote regions.
WiFi Map rewards users for verifying and improving hotspot data, expanding the network without hardware investments. It has 196 million users, 14 million active contributors, 16.6 million hotspots, and over 2.4 billion connections to date.
Other Notable DePIN Wireless Projects
Dawn Networks: Demonstrated significant real-world impact with a single NYC deployment providing high-speed wireless coverage to over 7,500 surrounding buildings, reaching more than 800,000 people. Many households using Dawn's system can offset a large portion of their internet bill by sharing excess bandwidth.
Chirp: Supports 14 communication protocols, utilizes LoRa 2.4GHz for global, hardware-agnostic infrastructure, and integrates blockchain for security. Over 490 users are actively staking with Chirp's Walrus node.
XNET: Actively expanding its decentralized network using advanced technologies like WiFi 6+ and Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS), operating on the Solana blockchain. XNET has also secured a WiFi roaming agreement with AT&T.
Wicrypt: Engaged in Nigeria and Ghana, enabling users to monetize their idle bandwidth.
▨ Challenges in the DePIN Sector
Despite significant progress, scalability for mass adoption and navigating complex regulatory landscapes remain persistent challenges across the DePIN sector. While projects like Helium have achieved impressive scale (over 1 million hotspots), the observed decline in token rewards for later participants and technical/adoption barriers highlight the ongoing struggle for sustainable economic models that can attract and retain a broad user base.
Furthermore, the regulatory uncertainties, exemplified by Helium's SEC lawsuit, are a pervasive risk for crypto-infrastructure projects. This indicates that while DePIN offers immense potential, overcoming these hurdles is critical for widespread, long-term success beyond early adopters.
Dabba Network: Bridging India’s Broadband Gap
Dabba Network was originally founded in 2016 as "Wifi Dabba" by Shubhendu Sharma and Karam Lakshman in Bengaluru, India. In its early years, Wifi Dabba pioneered low-cost internet access by deploying custom-built routers in local public spaces like tea stalls and small shops, offering prepaid Wi-Fi vouchers for as little as ₹2 for 100 MB. The company's foundational work included powering segments of Google's public Wi-Fi programs and contributing to the shaping of national telecom policy in India.
However, operating as a centralized ISP, Wifi Dabba encountered significant regulatory hurdles, logistical bottlenecks, and challenges in scaling its operations. This led to a strategic pivot in 2023, rebranding to Dabba Network and transitioning to a decentralized, blockchain-powered DePIN model. This marked a clear shift from a centralized service provider to a decentralized platform, from local Wi-Fi access to national infrastructure, and from selling data sachets to utilizing tokenized incentives.
Dabba’s Competitive Advantage
Dabba's unique evolution from a traditional ISP provides a distinct competitive advantage in the DePIN space. Unlike many DePIN projects that originate purely from a blockchain or crypto perspective, Dabba Network possesses over seven years of direct, real-world operational experience in India's complex broadband sector. This extensive background, encompassing the navigation of regulatory frameworks and a deep understanding of local market dynamics and consumer needs, equips them with invaluable practical knowledge.
This practical foundation significantly enhances their ability to effectively deploy physical infrastructure and achieve genuine, widespread real-world adoption, setting them apart from more theoretical or nascent DePIN models.
Addressing India’s Broadband Gap
Karam Lakshman, Dabba Network's CEO, emphasizes that India's rapid digital growth has outpaced its broadband infrastructure, leaving hundreds of millions without stable internet access. Strikingly, only 5% of India's population has broadband internet. Compared to other populous nations, India significantly lags, with only 30 million broadband connections for 1.4 billion people, whereas the US has 112 million for 350 million, and China has 612 million for 1.4 billion. This alarming disparity reveals a massive, underserved market.
Dabba's strategy is to aggregate and empower India's vast network of over 150,000 Local Cable Operators (LCOs). These LCOs are on-field experts who traditionally face significant capital expenditure challenges for each new subscriber, including the cost of optical fiber, labor, routers, tools, and transport. Dabba provides them with essential hardware, software, marketing support, customer care, and access to low-cost capital to scale their existing micro-ISP networks.
Dabba's innovative "managed deployment" model leverages these LCOs to strategically deploy hotspots in high-demand areas, ensuring efficient network expansion. By directly addressing this critical gap and integrating with the pre-existing, extensive network of LCOs, Dabba is implementing a highly targeted and efficient solution.
This demand-driven deployment model minimizes wasted infrastructure and maximizes the social and economic impact by connecting populations that traditional ISPs have largely ignored due to high CapEx and low Average Revenue Per User (ARPU).
▨ Dabba Network Plans
Dabba Network offers highly competitive pricing, providing high-speed broadband for as low as $0.01 per GB per day. Alternatively, it offers an unlimited monthly plan for just $10. This pricing is reported to be 8-10 times cheaper than existing competition in India. In comparison, traditional Indian ISPs like Airtel offer 100GB at Rs. 999 (approximately $12 USD), equating to around $0.12 per GB, while Jio offers 1GB at slightly lower price.
Dabba Lite hotspots are designed to be affordable, priced at $299 including onboarding fees, significantly lowering the barrier to entry for hotspot owners. The company has developed proprietary hardware and software, enabling them to manufacture Dabba routers for approximately Rs. 4,000 (around $48 USD), a substantial reduction compared to commercial Wi-Fi hotspot infrastructure that typically costs Rs. 30,000 (around $360 USD) or more.
Dabba's aggressive pricing strategy, enabled by its decentralized model and proprietary hardware, is a significant market disruptor tailored for the Indian market. The ability to offer internet at $0.01/GB/day or $10/month for unlimited data positions Dabba as an extremely affordable alternative to traditional ISPs. This "sachet pricing" model is culturally and economically resonant in India, making internet access attainable for hundreds of millions who currently lack it due to cost barriers.
This affordability, underpinned by Dabba's low-cost hardware and decentralized deployment, is a powerful competitive advantage that directly addresses a massive unmet need and drives rapid adoption
▨ Dabba Network Architecture
❍ Node Composition
Dabba nodes consist of low-cost hardware devices that can be easily installed in homes, shops, or public spaces.
❍ Onboarding Process
Dabba partners with local entrepreneurs, dubbed Dabba “operators” to rapidly distribute nodes and bootstrap new coverage areas.
❍ Blockchain Layer
Dabba uses a combination of:
On-chain smart contracts for rewards and reputation tracking.
Off-chain protocols for real-time network performance monitoring.
❍ Data & Governance
Real-time network analytics feed into an open dashboard.
Community stakeholders vote on protocol changes using $DBT tokens.
▨ How Dabba Works
Deployment:
Anyone can purchase and set up a Dabba node, connecting their existing broadband to share internet securely.
Incentives:
Node operators earn $DBT tokens proportional to data served and user ratings.
Access Model:
End-users access WiFi via pay-as-you-go, paying micro-fees in fiat or crypto.
Compliance:
Integrated KYC/AML features ensure regulatory compliance across jurisdictions.
Open APIs:
Developers can build on Dabba’s infrastructure using programmatic APIs.
The $DBT Tokenomics: Incentivizing Growth & Sustainability
Mint & Burn Model:
Tokens are minted to reward network providers.
Tokens are burned when users consume data (deflationary pressure).
1GB of data consumed = $0.012 worth of $DBT burned.
Each new hotspot deployment burns ~$80 worth of $DBT.
Token Allocation:
64% to "Owners" (30% Universal Basic Income, 70% data consumption-based).
20% to Service Providers.
5% to Hosts, 4% to Validators, 5% to Stakers, 2% to Mappers.
Real-World Impact & Future Opportunities
Dabba is focused on connecting the vast unserved population in India, where over 95% still lack reliable internet access. By deploying low-cost community hotspots, each capable of onboarding three or more new users, Dabba helps drive grassroots digital inclusion and stimulate local economic activity in underserved regions.
Dabba has partnered with the BONK community to launch 10,000 dedicated hotspots. Each activation burns $20 worth of BONK tokens, followed by a $2 monthly contribution for 18 months. Which Creates a long-term, token-based incentive structure that strengthens both communities while expanding wireless access.
Dabba’s mission aligns with India’s National Telecom Policy 2030, which targets 100 million new broadband connections. Recognition under this national initiative enhances Dabba’s credibility and opens potential pathways for public-private collaboration in scaling connectivity nationwide.
Current Growth Metrics (2025)
10,606 hotspots reserved.
11,051 TB bandwidth consumed.
$318,180 in simulated activation fees burned.
60TB daily data transmission.
Dabba is one of the rare crypto projects with massive usage and mass utility. Even going with conservative progress prediction the opportunities are huge. DePin is a hot narrative coming Years and Decentralised Network Providers will Rule the sector.