Helium has achieved new all-time highs and significant protocol milestones recently. This growth has been driven by the decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN), which enable real-world infrastructure building via crypto incentives and community coordination. DePIN projects, including Helium, are designed to provide adequate coverage through community-run networks, diverging from traditional centralized telecom models. Recently, Helium expanded its 5G coverage to over 4,500 radios across more than 2,000 US cities and launched a $20/month unlimited plan available in 3,000 Walmart stores. This indicates actual phones are using Helium’s crypto-backed network. Despite its successes, Helium faces challenges, including financial instability and competition from other decentralized networks. The platform's move from low-data IoT sensors to 5G mobile services marks a significant shift toward broader application legitimacy. Other emerging projects in the DePIN space, like Hivemapper and WeatherXM, also share similar market participation and tokenized incentive mechanisms. These innovations suggest a potential shift in decentralized infrastructure as users engage actively in utility projects while benefiting from token rewards.

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