New Changes in the DePIN Field: Decentralized Infrastructure in the Age of AI

DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network) once enjoyed great popularity, giving rise to many star projects. With the rapid development of AI technology, the market focus has shifted to the AI sector. However, DePIN has not come to a standstill; instead, it is seeking new development directions, with the most striking being its integration with AI. The Roam project is a representative of this trend.

The Essence and Classification of DePIN

The core of DePIN lies in resource integration, encouraging users to share personal resources through a token incentive mechanism, and building an infrastructure network that includes storage space, communication bandwidth, cloud computing, and energy. Projects in this field are mainly divided into three categories: storage, computing power, and networking.

DePIN has similarities with Bitcoin, both requiring initial investment to purchase physical equipment, followed by continuous "mining". Due to its connection with the real world, DePIN is not a closed system, bringing positive externalities to the entire industry.

Current Status of the DePIN Market

Data shows that DePIN has nearly 4.56 million devices in about 196 countries and regions worldwide, with a market value of 7.1 billion USD. Among them, Roam leads with 1.18 million devices. DePIN devices are mainly distributed in the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia, with particularly high concentration in Southeast Asia, where South Korea is in a leading position.

Roam: Emerging DePIN Leader

Roam is a representative of the DePIN network niche, positioned as a combination of Web3 and WIFI, creating a decentralized wireless network. Roam offers various products, including WIFI hardware and eSIM cards, allowing users to mine for free data by purchasing hardware or completing tasks.

In the technical architecture of Roam, the Roam Telecom Data Layer is a core concept that implements functions through four main ecological modules: Roam Network, Roam Growth, Roam Discovery, and Roam Community.

The Deep Integration of Roam and AI

Roam is deeply integrating with AI technology, leveraging its advantages in communication data to provide high-quality usable data for AI projects. In the era of AI, data is the key bottleneck, and the data held by traditional telecom operators is not open. Roam provides operator services through Web3 means, offering data sources for AI companies while protecting user privacy.

Roam adopts Decentralization Identity (DID), Verifiable Credentials (VC), and Zero-Knowledge Proof (ZK) technologies to ensure that data sharing does not expose user privacy. By collaborating with ecosystem partners from various fields, Roam is building a comprehensive data ecosystem to provide multidimensional data resources for AI model training.

How Ordinary Users Can Participate in DePIN

The rapid development of Roam is attributed to its "free + airdrop" strategy. Users can obtain free traffic by completing tasks and can earn points by sharing WIFI, participating in future airdrops. This low-threshold participation method greatly increases the project's appeal.

For ordinary users, the model of this Web3 project provides opportunities for participation. By attracting users through direct incentive benefits, Roam has maximized the subsidy strategy of the Web2 industry, creating potential profit space for users.