IoTeX CEO Raullen Chai pushes for DePIN token adoption in national digital reserves, backed by U.S. and Czech pilot programs. Recent partnerships with Helium Network and EU regulatory shifts highlight blockchain’s role in decentralized infrastructure.
Raullen Chai, CEO of blockchain platform IoTeX, urged governments on 11 July 2024 to prioritize decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) tokens in strategic reserves, citing their use in U.S. energy grid proposals and a new Česko-Slovak water management initiative.
DePIN Gains Traction in National Policy Arenas
Chai’s campaign aligns with concrete developments: The U.S. Department of Energy’s 5 July report explicitly endorsed blockchain for creating ‘attack-resistant energy grids,’ name-checking DePIN’s ability to coordinate distributed solar arrays. Meanwhile, Czechia’s Ministry of Industry revealed an 8 July agreement with Slovakia to deploy IoT sensors across 15 shared water reservoirs, funded by a €2 million EU grant.
Helium Partnership Expands Decentralized Wireless Reach
IoTeX’s 10 July integration with Helium Network marks a strategic play, embedding DePIN tokens into 1.2 million global hotspots. This merger could enable communities to own and monetize wireless infrastructure – a direct challenge to telecom giants’ 5G dominance.
WEF Backs DePIN’s Economic Efficiency Claims
A 6 July World Economic Forum analysis quantified DePIN’s potential, estimating 30% cost reductions in smart city projects through crowd-sourced sensors. The report highlighted Rio de Janeiro’s flood monitoring system, where residents’ devices provide 40% of data previously collected by corporate contractors.
EU Regulatory Shift Signals Mainstream Acceptance
Brussels’ draft Digital Asset Reserve Bill, updated 9 July, now classifies DePIN tokens as ‘Tier 2 strategic reserves’ alongside AI training data repositories. This follows Germany’s 2023 move to hold Bitcoin in national reserves, establishing a precedent for non-traditional asset classes.
Historical Precedents: From Mobile Payments to DePIN
The current infrastructure shift mirrors China’s 2010s mobile payment revolution, where Alipay and WeChat Pay achieved 89% market penetration by 2022. Just as those platforms bypassed traditional banks, DePIN networks could displace corporate infrastructure monopolies through decentralized ownership models.
Blockchain’s Evolving Role in Government Tech Stacks
Governments have cautiously embraced blockchain since Estonia’s 2008 e-residency program. However, DePIN represents a qualitative leap – rather than just digitizing records, it enables citizens to physically build and maintain infrastructure. This aligns with the EU’s Green Deal objectives, which require €500 billion in annual sustainable infrastructure investments through 2030.
