Helium

In the fourth quarter, Helium's native token, HNT, experienced a significant decline, with its circulating market capitalization dropping from $1.3 billion to $1.0 billion, marking a 20% quarter-over-quarter decrease. The token's price also fell by 22%, decreasing from $7.54 to $5.88. Despite this downturn in the market, the Helium network continued to expand, particularly in the area of hotspot adoption. According to a report from Messari, Helium Mobile's number of hotspots grew by 14% QoQ, reaching 24,800 from 21,800. The service's unlimited plans remain competitively priced compared to traditional telecom providers in the US, and the introduction of the Discovery Mapping feature has incentivized users to share location data, although rewards have recently shifted from HNT to Cloud Points. During the recent Hurricane Helene in North Carolina, Helium Mobile showcased its utility by maintaining operational hotspots that provided 5G coverage while many were left without electricity or water. The team also took proactive measures by distributing emergency kits, including Starlink devices, to assist affected communities. In addition to Helium Mobile, the IoT network also saw a 20% increase in hotspots during Q4, with a total of over 375,000 hotspots onboarded since migrating to Solana in early 2023. However, despite rapid infrastructure growth, demand has not yet caught up, as evidenced by low daily data credits (DC) usage. Helium has faced controversies in the past, including allegations that its founders hoarded a significant portion of early token rewards, with insiders reportedly mining millions of HNT tokens worth $250 million at their peak. Additionally, Helium faced criticism for overstating partnerships, such as with Lime, the rideshare company, which clarified that their relationship was limited to a 2019 test. Similar issues arose with Salesforce, which denied any partnership, leading Helium to remove their logos from promotional materials. These controversies have raised questions about the company's transparency and the sustainability of its growth strategies.

In February, the decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) associated with Solana [SOL] experienced a notable rebound, driven by significant user growth in key projects such as Helium and Hivemapper. Helium Mobile reported a remarkable ninefold increase in users, reaching 145,000, marking its highest growth in a year. Hivemapper, a community-driven alternative to Google Maps, also saw its demand triple due to the introduction of new mapping devices. Collectively, these projects maintained steady revenues of approximately $350,000, indicating a stabilization in the DePIN sector for 2025. The resurgence of DePIN could potentially serve as a catalyst for SOL's value, especially following a significant decline in meme-coin activity that adversely affected Solana's decentralized exchange (DEX) volumes. In January, during the peak of DEX activity, SOL reached a record high of $295, largely fueled by the excitement surrounding the TRUMP memecoin. However, a subsequent 60% drop in DEX volumes led to a decline in SOL's value, which has since stabilized above the $120 support level. The question remains whether DePIN can fill the void left by meme coins and bolster SOL's value moving forward. Despite the resurgence of DePIN, the overall network activity within the Solana ecosystem remains heavily influenced by meme coins. Active addresses surged to 5.7 million during the TRUMP meme-coin craze in mid-January but saw a decline throughout February. Although there was a slight increase in active addresses to 4.4 million, this was followed by a drop to 2.7 million by the end of the month. By mid-March, the number of active addresses stabilized at 3.11 million, reflecting a 45% decrease from January's peak. As of now, SOL is valued at $130, maintaining its position above the critical 2024 support zone, leaving uncertainty about whether it can avoid further corrections.

Messari, a prominent crypto research firm, has released its latest report titled "State of Helium Q4 2024," which provides an in-depth analysis of the Helium Network's growth, adoption, and operational advancements during the last quarter of 2024. The report highlights significant metrics, including a staggering 555% increase in offloaded data, totaling over 576 TB. This growth is attributed to the expansion of the DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks) project, particularly in mobile and IoT network capabilities, showcasing Helium's robust performance in a competitive landscape. In Q4 2024, Helium Mobile experienced a 7% growth in subscribers, reaching over 124,000 users for its unlimited talk and text messaging service, with recent updates indicating this number has surpassed 150,000. The network also saw a 14% increase in mobile hotspots, totaling 24,800, while IoT hotspots grew by 20% to 32,900 following its migration to the Solana blockchain. Notably, partnerships with major telecom companies, such as Telefonica in Mexico, and the integration of Ameriband’s 100,000+ Data-Only Hotspots, have significantly enhanced Helium's coverage and operational capabilities across the U.S. The report also discusses Helium's strategic implementation of HIP 138, which aims to simplify its token structure by unifying under HNT. This change is designed to lower barriers for new participants by redistributing HNT emissions, with 70% directed to the MOBILE subnetwork and 30% to the IOT subnetwork. Furthermore, Helium's inclusion in Coinbase’s COIN50 index and a case study at Harvard Business School underscore its growing relevance in the DePIN sector. As Helium continues to innovate and collaborate, its role as a leader in facilitating global connectivity and supporting other DePIN projects solidifies its position in the blockchain ecosystem.

Helium Expands into Latin America After Successful Pilot In a tremendous step forward for Solana DePIN, Helium has announced a strategic partnership with Movistar, one of Mexico’s largest telecommunications providers. With over 300 additional Mexico-based sites, the Helium Network will enable over 2.3M Movistar Mexico subscribers to access and contribute to the world’s fastest growing decentralized mobile network. As part of the collaboration, Helium Network hotspots will be distributed in Movistar retail stores, boosting the DePIN providers credibility in Latin American markets. Movistar will also be able to resell Helium Network coverage to other local MVNOs (Mobile Virtual Network Operators). Helium X Movistar Pilot Success After spreading like wildfire across the United States, Helium Network begins global expansion in Latin America. In 2024, Helium and Movistar operated a pilot program in Mexico City and Oaxaca facilitating mobile data offloading. On top of expanding Helium Network’s reach and adoption the pilot also enabled Movistar to reduce operating costs. This allowed the collaboration to deliver more affordable and efficient mobile internet access to millions of Movistar subscribers across the country.

Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePINs) are revolutionizing the management of both digital and physical infrastructure by enabling individuals to contribute and monetize various resources, such as wireless coverage, mapping data, GPS positioning, and IoT device data. This innovative approach leverages blockchain technology and cryptoeconomic incentives, allowing participants to earn rewards for their contributions. The article highlights four key projects within the DePIN space: Helium, Hivemapper, GEODNET, and AYDO, each focusing on different aspects of decentralized infrastructure, including wireless communication, mapping, positioning, and IoT data-sharing. While all these projects share the DePIN framework, their participation models and hardware requirements vary significantly. Helium allows users to deploy hotspots for decentralized wireless networks, while Hivemapper incentivizes the installation of dashcams for real-time mapping data. GEODNET enhances GPS accuracy through rooftop satellite miners, and AYDO stands out by enabling users to connect existing IoT devices to blockchain networks without the need for proprietary hardware. This flexibility positions AYDO as a unique player in the DePIN landscape, catering to a broader audience by supporting widely used IoT protocols. Despite the promise of DePINs, several challenges remain. Issues such as hardware accessibility, market demand for data, security, and regulatory uncertainty could hinder the widespread adoption of these models. The success of IoT-focused DePINs will depend on their ability to ensure interoperability, economic sustainability, and compliance with privacy regulations. As the DePIN ecosystem continues to evolve, it is evident that different models may cater to various sectors, offering a compelling alternative to traditional corporate-controlled infrastructure, while empowering individuals with greater control over their contributions and rewards.

Helium (HNT) has been experiencing significant price fluctuations, recently needing to close above $4.24 to establish a bullish market structure. After a steep decline of 68.5% from its December resistance level of $9.54, Helium retested the psychological support level of $3 last week. This drastic drop in price over just two months indicates a challenging market environment, with the $3.3 zone now emerging as the next bearish target due to a lack of strong buying momentum and a persistent downtrend since December. Despite a recent bounce to $4.18, Helium has yet to break its downtrend, although there are signs of weakening bearish momentum. A notable bullish divergence occurred in early February, where the price made lower lows while the Relative Strength Index (RSI) recorded higher lows. This divergence led to a bounce from the $3 support level, resulting in a 28.5% price increase within a week. However, this rally was not supported by strong buying volume, as indicated by the Accumulation/Distribution (A/D) indicator, which has been on a downtrend since mid-December. The market has shown a large liquidity cluster around the $3.6 mark, which was tested recently, resulting in a quick price jump to $4.19. Following this spike, volatility has decreased, and HNT has consolidated below the $4 level. Traders should prepare for a potential range formation between $3.3 and $4.2-$4.5 in the coming days, with the $3.6 zone likely acting as a barrier to further bearish movements. Overall, the market remains cautious as it navigates these price levels.