Helium Network: How a Decentralized Wireless Network Reshapes the IoT Industry

From Theoretical Concept to Practical Reality: Helium’s Dominance in IoT Connectivity

In 2013, Amir Haleem, Shawn Fanning, and Sean Carey launched an ambitious project: a global wireless network not managed by traditional telecom companies but by thousands of participants actively contributing. This became Helium, and today the ecosystem serves nearly one million hotspots spread across 192 countries and 77,000 cities. With over 100,000 connected devices (excluding roaming partners) and 25 different hotspot manufacturers, Helium proves that decentralized connectivity is more than just a theoretical concept.

The current market value of HNT stands at $1.35 (as of January 2026), indicating that investors continue to believe in the potential of this project despite market volatility.

Why Roof Tec, Greenmetrics, and Owen Equipment Chose Helium

The true value of a network is not determined by the number of hotspots but by the applications it enables. Take Roof Tec, a roofing company from Washington. By monitoring real-time sensors via Helium Hotspots, the company detected a loose fan before it could cause millions in damage—and saved approximately $40,000 in replacement costs.

Or look at Greenmetrics in Portugal. This climate technology company utilizes Helium’s LoRaWAN network (Long-Range Wide-Area Network) to optimize irrigation systems on golf courses. The result: 14-28% savings on irrigation costs and 5-10 times lower hardware costs. This is not only more efficient but also more environmentally friendly.

Owen Equipment, based in the US, transitioned from unreliable 3G connections to Helium’s LoRaWAN network via LoneStar Tracking. The results speak for themselves: 47% cost savings, protection of over $2 million in assets, and a doubling of battery life.

The IoT Network: Small in Reach, Huge in Possibilities

Helium’s IoT network combines Low-Power Wide-Area Network (LPWAN) technology with LoRaWAN protocols. This means sensors and devices can transmit data over long distances with minimal energy consumption. Users pay only 1 Data Credit (DC) per 24-byte packet, with DCs generated by burning HNT tokens.

This economic model ensures that network costs are directly tied to network usage—no unexpected bills, no hidden fees.

From Own Blockchain to Solana: The 2023 Transformation

On April 18, 2023, Helium made a strategic choice that surprised many observers: migrating from its own Helium Layer-1 blockchain to Solana. This was not due to failure but ambition. The original blockchain faced two critical challenges:

Proof of Coverage (PoC) Verification: As more hotspots contributed to the network, verifying the quality of wireless coverage accurately and rewarding it became increasingly difficult. The algorithm needed to validate all claims of network coverage and do so at scale.

Reliable Data Transmission: With increasing volume, ensuring data was transmitted securely, accurately, and in real-time became more complex.

Solana offered the solution: a blockchain with truly high throughput (up to 65,000 transactions per second) and minimal costs. For comparison: on Helium’s old blockchain, transaction fees were $0.35, whereas on Solana they are now $0.00025.

What Helium Miner Earnings in 2023 and Beyond Mean

After migrating to Solana, the reward system changed fundamentally. This has direct implications for helium miner earnings in 2023 and the years to come:

Previously (on Helium L1): LoRaWAN hotspot hosts earned HNT tokens directly via the PoC mechanism.

After Migration: LoRaWAN hotspot hosts now mine IOT tokens instead of HNT. IOT serves as:

• Reward Token: Hosts earn IOT for providing network coverage and verifying wireless coverage
• Governance Token: Participants can stake IOT to obtain veIOT and vote on IoT network decisions
• Exchange Token: IOT can be exchanged for HNT via the Helium Wallet app

The current price of IOT is very low, but the token has a maximum supply of 200 billion—much larger than HNT’s 223 million. This indicates how differently the two tokens are economically designed.

Hotspots like Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) are now minted on Solana using compressed NFT technology, further reducing storage and transaction costs.

The Mobile 5G Network: Consumer Focus

Helium Mobile, developed by Nova Labs, offers a radically different operating model. This network supports 5G CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) and WiFi hotspots. With 8,000 5G CBRS radios deployed in just one year, Helium demonstrated the feasibility of decentralized mobile infrastructure.

Helium Mobile users pay $0.50 per gigabyte (GB) of data. The recently launched unlimited plan for $5 in Miami and expansion to Broward and Palm Beach County show how the project is targeting real consumer adoption.

MOBILE tokens, similar to IOT tokens, are earned by mobile hotspot hosts and can be used as a form of payment. The maximum supply is 230 billion tokens.

The Token Economy: HNT, IOT, MOBILE, and DC

The ecosystem runs on four main tokens with different functions:

HNT ($1.35 current price): The protocol token of the Helium Network itself. Max supply: 223 million tokens. HNT is:

• Converted into Data Credits (DCs) for network usage
• Used for governance (veHNT model)
• Staked for rewards
• Burned to fund DCs

IOT and MOBILE: Subnetwork tokens with different purposes but similar structure—both serve governance and rewards within their respective networks.

Data Credits (DCs): Utility tokens pegged to USD, generated by burning HNT. This mechanism ensures price stability of network services regardless of volatile token prices.

SOL ($141.49 current price): Necessary for all on-chain interactions on the Solana blockchain—sending tokens, staking, minting NFTs, claiming hotspot rewards.

Governance: From Tokens to Escrow System

The migration to Solana also refined the governance model. Helium transitioned from a token-based approach to an escrow-driven voting mechanism. Now, your voting power depends on two factors:

• Amount of staked tokens
• Duration of staking

This mechanism, inspired by Curve’s veToken model, encourages long-term participation rather than short-term speculation.

Smart Contracts and DeFi Access: What Solana Added

The migration opened the door for smart contract functionality, something Helium’s Erlang-based L1 struggled to scale. Suddenly, developers could build decentralized applications (DApps) running on Helium.

Additionally, HNT, IOT, and MOBILE holders now have direct access to Solana’s decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem. Platforms like Orca and Kamino offer liquidity pools and reward mechanisms.

The Subsidy Program: Facilitating Innovation

The Helium Foundation reopened its grant program for open-source hardware development and software applications. This supports projects ranging from physical asset tracking to air quality monitoring, forest fire detection, and pedestrian surveillance.

In Conclusion: An Architectural Shift in Wireless Networks

Helium represents more than a technical project—it is an architectural shift. Instead of centrally managed telecom infrastructure, a global community of participants manages the network. Economic incentives ensure this decentralized model functions and scales.

The migration to Solana in 2023, the rise of mobile services, and the evolution of the reward system suggest Helium is preparing for mass adoption. For helium miner earnings in 2023 and beyond, more is at stake than just token value—it’s about proving that decentralized wireless connectivity is a viable alternative to traditional models.

This could not only redefine the industry but also change how people think about global connectivity.