Helium: The decentralized network that's revolutionizing global connectivity

For years, telecommunications giants have controlled the global wireless infrastructure. But there is a project that is changing this dynamic: Helium. With nearly one million access points distributed across 192 countries and almost 78,000 cities, Helium has established itself as the largest LoRaWAN network in the world, demonstrating that decentralized connectivity is not just a vision but an operational reality.

Why did Helium break with its own blockchain?

Helium was founded in 2013 under the leadership of Amir Haleem, Shawn Fanning, and Sean Carey, but faced a crucial dilemma. Its original layer 1 blockchain had critical limitations: efficiently managing Proof of Coverage (PoC) with millions of hotspots became complex, and reliable data transfer required faster processing than it could provide.

Therefore, on April 18, 2023, Helium made a bold strategic decision: to fully migrate to Solana. This was not a surrender but an evolution. By adopting Solana’s infrastructure, Helium gained:

• Radical reduction in fees: From $0.35 per transaction to just $0.00025, making the network accessible for massive IoT devices
• Uncompromising scalability: Solana processes thousands of transactions per second, resolving bottlenecks that limited Helium’s growth
• Integration with DeFi ecosystem: The HNT tokens, now priced at $1.37 with a -3.29% drop in 24h, gained access to platforms like Orca and Kamino
• Advanced smart contracts: Opening possibilities for sophisticated decentralized applications

From hotspots to NFTs: how Helium reinvented its infrastructure

After the migration, physical Hotspots were minted as NFTs on Solana. This change is not superficial. Compressed NFTs significantly reduced storage costs, allowing more users to participate without prohibitive financial burdens.

The governance model also evolved: shifting from rewards based solely on token quantity to a veToken system where voting power is determined by both the amount of tokens locked and the locking duration. It’s an incentive for long-term participation rather than short-term speculation.

Two networks, two missions: IoT and 5G Mobile

The IoT network powering smart devices

Helium deploys sensors from pet collars to smart refrigeration systems. With over 100,000 active connected devices, the IoT network charges $0.0001 (1 Data Credit) per 24-byte packet transmitted.

Real-world implementations demonstrate the potential:

• Roof Tec avoided a $40,000 repair by detecting a faulty fan through Helium’s LoRaWAN sensors
• Greenmetrics optimized golf course irrigation achieving 14-28% cost savings via connected weather stations
• Owen Equipment reduced logistics costs by 47% and protected $2 millions in assets with tracking solutions

Helium Mobile: 5G connectivity from the community

Helium Mobile introduces 5G CBRS and WiFi hotspots that anyone can deploy. Users earn MOBILE tokens for contributing to coverage and can use rewards to pay for up to three months of phone service.

With unlimited plans in Miami and expansion to Broward and Palm Beach, Helium is challenging traditional operator pricing models.

The token ecosystem: beyond HNT

HNT $5 current price: $1.37, max supply: 223 million( is the native token. It is burned to generate Data Credits )DC( that pay for transactions, creating a deflationary mechanism that links network demand to price.

IOT is the reward token for LoRaWAN miners. With a maximum supply of 200 billion, it also serves as a governance token for specific IoT network decisions.

MOBILE )max supply: 230 billion( rewards 5G expansion and participates in mobile network governance.

SOL is needed to pay fees on Solana )current price: $143.39, down -2.25%(. Every action on Helium—from transfers to reward claims—requires a small fraction of SOL.

Autonomous governance with decentralized power

Each network )Helium main, IoT, Mobile( has its own governance model. Participants lock tokens to gain voting power via the veToken model:

• Locking HNT generates veHNT to govern the Helium network
• Locking IOT generates veIOT for IoT subnet decisions
• Locking MOBILE generates veMOBILE for 5G network matters

The longer the lock-up period, the greater the voting power. This design incentivizes constructive long-term participation.

The future: collaborative connectivity in everyone’s hands

What makes Helium unique is its commitment to democratization. While traditional operators centralize infrastructure, Helium distributes it among ordinary citizens driven by real economic incentives.

With developers who previously worked in obscure languages now accessing the global Solana ecosystem, and the Helium Foundation’s grant program funding open-source projects, the initiative is attracting innovation toward decentralized wireless connectivity applications ranging from asset tracking to air quality monitoring and wildfire detection.

Helium is not just a network. It’s an ongoing experiment in how critical infrastructure can function when controlled by the community.