DePIN terminology glossary
Cross-project definitions used throughout our library. Terms link concepts between wireless, compute, storage, and mapping networks on Solana.
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- DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network)
- A network where independent operators deploy physical hardware — antennas, GPUs, sensors, storage — and earn token rewards for provable contributions like coverage, compute cycles, or mapped imagery.
- Proof-of-Coverage (PoC)
- A challenge-response test verifying that a wireless hotspot honestly reports its location and radio parameters. Failed challenges reduce rewards or trigger penalties depending on protocol rules.
- Geospatial mining
- Earning tokens by collecting and submitting location-tagged data — typically street imagery or sensor readings — where reward weight depends on area freshness and route uniqueness.
- Emission schedule
- The time-based release of new tokens to operators, often declining over years. Readers use it to model when rewards may no longer cover electricity and hardware depreciation.
- Bandwidth credit
- A unit representing paid data transfer on a decentralized CDN or relay network. Credits may be purchased by app developers and routed to node operators supplying egress capacity.
- Freshness window
- The period during which mapped or sensed data counts as current for rewards. After expiry, operators must revisit routes to remain competitive in high-demand tiles.
- Hex / tile
- A fixed geographic cell used to allocate demand and prevent oversaturation. Protocols differ in cell size (H3 hexes, square tiles) and density limits per cell.
- Oracle attestation
- Third-party or on-chain verification that off-chain work occurred — for example, confirming a GPU job finished or a sensor reading matches signed telemetry.
- Slashing
- Reduction or forfeiture of staked tokens when an operator is caught cheating, offline beyond tolerance, or submitting fraudulent data.
- Migration (chain migration)
- Moving a DePIN project's settlement layer to Solana — often involving token mapping, new wallet formats, and revised reward contracts. Requires careful reading of conversion ratios.
- BOM (Bill of Materials)
- Official list of approved hardware — antenna models, cameras, GPU tiers — eligible for rewards. Using off-list gear may yield zero earnings even if physically functional.
- Density threshold
- Maximum profitable or allowed nodes per geographic unit. Past threshold, marginal rewards drop sharply, affecting ROI calculations for new entrants.