This year, the crypto market has seen a revival of older tokens as utility-based narratives gained renewed traction. Despite this momentum, DePIN has struggled to keep pace, slipping out of the spotlight.
BeInCrypto spoke with several experts to understand why one of crypto’s most fundamentally useful sectors still can’t capture sustained market attention, and what might come next for it.
Understanding DePIN
DePIN, short for Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks, refers to blockchain-based systems that coordinate, fund, and operate real-world infrastructure through decentralized incentives.
Instead of relying on traditional companies to build networks like wireless coverage, storage, sensors, or energy grids, DePIN distributes the work across individuals and small operators who contribute hardware and earn tokens in return.
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This model reduces upfront costs, expands global access, and unlocks previously difficult-to-scale infrastructure. By aligning incentives with actual demand, DePIN aims to build more resilient and efficient systems.
Why is DePIN Still Struggling in 2025?
Nonetheless, the space has continued to face challenges. According to Artemis data, it ranks among the top 10 worst-performing sectors this year. The DePIN market has declined by over 74% in 2025.
Crypto Sectors’ Performance. Source: ArtemisBut why is this happening? Sami Kassab, Managing Partner at Unsupervised Capital, told BeInCrypto that the weakness across the altcoin market has naturally affected DePIN as well.
According to him, macro conditions explain part of the sector’s slowdown, but not all of it. The deeper issue, he said, is that there has not been a “breakout DePIN yet.”
Leo Fan, Co-Founder of Cysic, revealed that DePIN’s main obstacle is the mismatch between infrastructure build cycles and the crypto market’s short attention span. While non-fungible tokens (NFTs), meme coins, and major altcoins thrive on culture, identity, and hype, DePIN functions as an infrastructure layer that most users struggle to connect with emotionally.
Its value grows quietly through hardware deployments and real compute capacity — progress that isn’t immediately visible or profitable. Fan noted that,
Maria Carola, CEO of StealthEx, shared a similar outlook. She stated that most investors remain drawn to assets they can quickly trade rather than sectors that require deeper understanding.
However, Vinayak Kurup, Investment and Research Partner at Escape Velocity Crypto (EV3), pointed out that DePIN’s slowdown isn’t just about market perception — it’s the difficulty of building real-world networks that require hardware, manufacturing, and physical deployment.
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Usage Surges, Prices Sink: Experts Explain DePIN’s Widening Fundamentals Gap
Despite the sector’s underperformance, usage metrics are painting a different picture. Fees surged to a record high in October even as the broader market continued to decline.
This suggests a growing disconnect between falling token prices and rising real-world usage. According to Kassab,
Carola said this disconnect is typical of emerging infrastructure sectors, where fundamentals can strengthen long before prices. She explained that sentiment often swings independently of utility: investors may rotate out of risk during uncertain markets, even while real activity continues to grow.
Fan also emphasized that speculation and actual usage have clearly decoupled. He said the price action largely reflects investor mood — what he called “Wall Street sentiment” — while fee growth captures genuine demand for the networks. When fees increase in a bearish environment, it signals that DePIN’s core services are gaining traction regardless of market cycles.
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Could DePIN Be the Next Sector to Break Out After Privacy Coins?
It’s clear that DePIN is seeing real market demand, which raises an important question: could the sector finally experience a breakout similar to the one privacy coins saw this year?
Carola believes the answer leans toward yes. She noted that crypto cycles tend to shift from narrative-driven speculation to phases where utility and real adoption take center stage.
According to her, if privacy coins reflected a push toward digital sovereignty this year, DePIN may be positioned for a similar rise — one grounded in measurable output. She commented,
Fan echoed this outlook. He suggested that once the market rotates back toward sectors with clear utility, DePIN stands out as a natural beneficiary. He pointed to concrete on-chain indicators that are already trending upward.
Kurup offered a broader perspective. While acknowledging the uncertainty of broader market conditions, he said investor preferences are gradually shifting toward projects with recurring cash flows and strong fundamentals — an environment that plays directly to DePIN’s strengths.
“But it’s also likely a tailwind from other shifts in the market. 2026 will be the year of DePIN’s resurgence,” he declared.
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Why Enterprises Could Unlock DePIN’s Next Phase
Experts also pointed to several catalysts that could spark a major shift for the sector, with both Carola and Fan agreeing that enterprise adoption may be the key driver.
Kurup stressed that multiple factors will likely converge to drive a turnaround. Investor psychology remains critical, he said, but growing visibility and mainstream presence could accelerate that shift.
What Role Will DePIN Play in Crypto’s Future?
As optimism for the sector’s trajectory remains strong, it’s still worth wondering where DePIN truly fits in the broader crypto ecosystem. Will DePIN remain a niche bet, or is it poised to become crypto’s bridge to the real economy once markets catch up?
The StealthEx CEO argued that DePIN already functions as that bridge — the market just hasn’t fully recognized it yet. As blockchain shifts from abstract financial experimentation to practical, real-world use cases, she believes DePIN will anchor many of those transitions.
Fan pointed to developments in 2025, especially the rise of real-world asset (RWA) tokenization and increasing institutional adoption, as signs that the real economy already sees value in decentralized systems. In his view, DePIN is well-positioned to become the infrastructure layer connecting DeFi to enterprise use cases.
Whether the market realizes it now or years from now, the experts agree on one point: DePIN’s long-term value lies not in speculation, but in becoming the invisible infrastructure powering crypto’s real-world impact.
Source: https://beincrypto.com/depin-struggles-2025-but-real-use-signals-breakout/
