Helium (HNT) in 2026: a DePIN giant, Helium Mobile, and an honest price forecast

Helium is the largest operating DePIN project in the world. These are not “paper promises,” but a real decentralized mobile network built by users: 376,000 hotspots across 170+ countries, 500,000+ Helium Mobile subscribers in the US, and partnerships with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Telefonica. In 2023, the project migrated to Solana; in August 2025, it underwent a halving (issuance fell from 15M to 7.5M HNT/year), and 100% of Helium Mobile revenue is burned in HNT, creating real deflation. The main intrigue of 2026: the HNT token is trading around $0.72-0.95 — that is -98% from its ATH of $55.17 — while network activity is at an all-time high. This gap creates both risk and potential upside. Full review: how it works, how to earn, the forecast, and the risks.

Disclaimer: This material is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. HNT is a volatile asset. Make any investments only with funds you can afford to lose.

What’s New in Helium by 2026

If you read guides about Helium 2–3 years ago, the picture has changed dramatically. This is no longer “mining on a hotspot” like it was in 2021. It is a full-fledged mobile carrier infrastructure:

• Helium Mobile has surpassed 500,000 subscribers in the U.S. — real customers paying $20–30/month
• 1.2 million daily users on the Helium network
• Partnerships with AT&T and T-Mobile for traffic offloading
• Migration to Solana completed — Helium now operates within the Solana ecosystem
• August 2025 halving — HNT issuance reduced from 15M to 7.5M per year
• 100% of Helium Mobile revenue is burned in HNT — real deflation
• Grayscale added HNT to “Assets Under Consideration” — an institutional signal
• 376,000 hotspots in 170+ countries (as of the end of 2025)
• 37,000 TB of data offload in February 2026 alone — a record

At the same time, the price of HNT in May 2026 is around $0.72-0.95, which is -98% below its all-time high of $55.17 in 2021. And this contradiction is the main story of Helium in 2026.

The main intrigue of 2026: “The network is growing, the token is a zombie.” Real usage metrics are at all-time highs. Real revenue. Real clients. And the price is deeply in the red. This is either the best asymmetric bet in DePIN, or a lesson in the gap between utility and value. Let’s break it down honestly.

What Is Helium in Simple Terms

Helium is “The People’s Network”: a decentralized wireless infrastructure built and maintained by ordinary people, who earn cryptocurrency for doing so.

A Simple Everyday Analogy

Imagine that mobile service is provided not by one large operator (AT&T, MTS, Vodafone), but by a million ordinary people, each of whom has a small “tower” (hotspot) at home. When someone’s phone or IoT device (a smart sensor, GPS tracker) connects to that “tower,” its owner receives HNT tokens as a reward.

That is Helium — Airbnb for mobile connectivity. Only instead of apartments, it offers wireless coverage.

Where the Idea Came From

Helium was founded in 2013 by Shawn Fanning (creator of Napster), Sean Carey, and Amir Haleem. The original idea was an IoT network for millions of “smart” devices: sensors, GPS trackers, and meters. In 2019, the mainnet launched; in 2023, it migrated to Solana; and in 2024, it expanded broadly into 5G connectivity for smartphones.

What Helium Does in 2026

The network covers two major subnetworks:

1. Helium IoT (LoRaWAN) — low-power connectivity for IoT devices in 170+ countries. Suitable for sensors, GPS trackers, and equipment monitoring. The reward is the IOT token.
2. Helium Mobile (CBRS 5G) — high-speed cellular connectivity, primarily in the United States. Real mobile plans for smartphones. The reward for hotspot operators is the MOBILE token.

Both tokens are converted into HNT through the protocol treasury mechanism.

Who uses Helium

• Major operators: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Telefonica use Helium for traffic offloading in congested locations (stadiums, airports, city centers)
• Retail customers: 500,000+ Helium Mobile subscribers in the U.S.
• Business: global enterprises for IoT applications
• Local businesses: shops and cafés with Helium routers
• Ordinary people: buy hotspots and earn HNT for providing connectivity to their neighbors

DePIN — the main narrative of 2026

DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks, decentralized physical infrastructure networks) is the main crypto narrative of 2024–2026, and Helium is its flagship.

What is DePIN

This is a category of crypto projects that build real physical infrastructure through decentralized incentives:

• Helium — connectivity (IoT + Mobile)
• Hivemapper — maps (like Waze, but with crypto rewards for drivers)
• DIMO — data from cars
• Filecoin, Akash, Arweave — cloud resources
• WeatherXM — weather data

Why DePIN Matters

DePIN breaks the model where “the corporation owns everything.” Instead of AT&T owning its own towers, there is a network of people who own their own hotspots. Instead of Google Maps, there is a network of drivers mapping roads for rewards.

This is a direct real-world application of blockchain, unlike purely financial crypto projects. And in 2026, this is a segment with real revenue:

• Helium Mobile: $2.2M in monthly revenue
• DePIN overall on Solana: $2.4-2.8M in monthly revenue
• VanEck estimates the DePIN market potential at $3.5 trillion by 2028

Why this matters for Helium: the project is the most mature and largest-scale DePIN. This gives it an advantage in institutional adoption (Grayscale, VanEck) and a bullish narrative scenario when the sector starts to rally.

How the IoT and Mobile Network Works

Helium IoT (LoRaWAN)

This is the first and foundational Helium network, launched in 2019.

How it works:

• Hotspots use LoRaWAN — a low-power long-range communication standard
• Ideal for devices that transmit small data packets infrequently: temperature sensors, GPS trackers, meters
• The range of a single hotspot is up to 10–15 km in open areas
• In 170+ countries, hundreds of thousands of hotspots

Who uses it:

• Industrial monitoring systems
• Logistics (cargo tracking)
• Precision agriculture (moisture sensors)
• Smart city (parking and waste meters)
• Livestock tracking (GPS on cows, cats, bicycles)

Reward: IOT token for transmitting data through your hotspot.

Helium Mobile (5G)

This is a newer, more commercial network that was rolled out at scale in 2023–2024.

How it works:

• CBRS radios (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) are used — unlicensed cellular spectrum in the U.S.
• Hybrid model: your hotspot covers a local area, while Helium Mobile is integrated with T-Mobile for nationwide roaming
• The end user gets 5G connectivity with nationwide coverage for $20–30/month (versus $40–60 with traditional carriers)
• As of the end of 2025 — 115,000+ mobile hotspots

How Helium Mobile works for the customer:

1. You purchase a Helium Mobile SIM/eSIM
2. You activate a plan ($20/month unlimited or $30 for extra features)
3. If Helium coverage is available nearby, you use it (as a priority)
4. If not, you automatically switch to T-Mobile
5. For using Helium coverage, you additionally receive MOBILE tokens (cashback)

Hotspot operator reward: the MOBILE token for transmitting mobile traffic.

Network comparison table

Parameter	Helium IoT	Helium Mobile
Technology	LoRaWAN	CBRS 5G
Countries	170+	USA (expanding)
Hotspots	250,000+	115,000+
Range	10-15 km	100-500 m
Data transmitted	Small packets	Full 5G
Reward	IOT	MOBILE
Hotspot cost	$100-400	$200-1000
Monthly income (average)	$0-10	$0-50

Helium Mobile: a real mobile carrier

This is Helium’s main achievement in 2023-2026 and the reason the project moved from the “niche IoT” category into the real mass-market product category.

What this means for the end customer

Helium Mobile is a full-fledged mobile carrier in the USA with $20-30/month unlimited plans. Calls, SMS, unlimited data. Nationwide coverage through integration with T-Mobile.

How it differs from a regular carrier:

• 2x cheaper: $20 vs. $40-60 at Verizon/AT&T
• Crypto cashback: for using Helium coverage, you receive MOBILE tokens
• Community-powered coverage — where there are more Helium hotspots, speed and quality are better
• No long-term contracts — join and leave freely

Real Metrics 2025–2026

• 500,000+ registered subscribers (up from 311,000 in Q3 2025)
• $2.2M in monthly revenue (stable for the second month in a row)
• 37,000 TB of data offload per month (+12% in January–February 2026)
• Partnerships: AT&T, T-Mobile, and Telefonica joined for offload in the US
• 100% of revenue goes to HNT burning — real deflation

Why AT&T and T-Mobile Work with Helium

The leading U.S. carriers face a network congestion problem in places with large crowds (stadiums, airports, city centers). Building new towers there is expensive. Helium hotspots solve this cheaply — carriers pay Helium for offloading their customers’ traffic through local hotspots.

This is not a “partnership for PR” — it is a real B2B contract that generates revenue for Helium.

This is the Helium bull thesis for 2026: a real product, real customers, real revenue. A very rare combination in crypto.

Migration to Solana

In April 2023, Helium made a major move — it migrated its own blockchain network to Solana L1. It was a complex technological decision, but it proved to be the right one.

Why they migrated

Limitations of its own L1:

• High operating costs to support a separate blockchain
• Less developed infrastructure (wallets, exchanges, DeFi)
• Isolation from the broader ecosystem

What the transition brought:

• High Solana performance — up to 65,000 TPS, ideal for millions of hotspots and microtransactions
• Integration into the Solana ecosystem — wallets (Phantom), DEXs (Jupiter), DeFi capabilities
• Reduced infrastructure costs
• Strengthening Solana’s position as a DePIN hub — Helium is the flagship of this ecosystem

Technology Stack 2026

• Blockchain: Solana (since 2023)
• IoT network: LoRaWAN
• Mobile network: CBRS 5G + T-Mobile roaming
• Governance: Helium Foundation + DAO
• Wallets: Phantom, Solflare, Helium Wallet App

HIP-13: token restructuring

In 2024, HIP-13 was adopted — the main tokenomics update. What changed:

• All hotspots have migrated to a unified structure
• Token separation by subnetworks: HNT (main), IOT (IoT network), MOBILE (5G network)
• Burn mechanism — revenue from Helium Mobile burns HNT
• Dynamic issuance — adjusted based on actual usage

Important nuance: in June 2025, Coinbase suspended MOBILE trading after the HIP-13 migration, which created confusion among retail holders. MOBILE fell 87% from its December 2024 ATH. This is a painful chapter, but HNT was not affected — these are different tokens.

HNT MOBILE IOT Tokenomics

Basic HNT Parameters

Parameter	Value
Ticker	HNT
Blockchain	Solana
Max supply	223 000 000 HNT
Circulating supply (2026)	~186 000 000 HNT
Market cap (May 2026)	~$130-180M
ATH	$55.17 (November 2021)
Current price	~$0.72-0.95
Decline from ATH	-98%
Halving	every 2 years (latest — August 2025)

Issuance and Halvings

Helium uses a Bitcoin-like halving: HNT issuance is cut in half every 2 years.

• 2019-2021: 60M HNT/year
• 2021-2023: 30M HNT/year
• 2023-2025: 15M HNT/year
• 2025-2027: 7.5M HNT/year (current issuance)
• 2027-2029: 3.75M HNT/year

Issuance is low and declining — this is a bullish factor. Out of the max supply of 223M, 186M are already in circulation, with only ~37M remaining to be unlocked through 2060+. In other words, inflation pressure is weakening.

Burn mechanism — the main highlight of 2026

This is the most important part of the tokenomics that is often overlooked in reviews:

100% of Helium Mobile revenue is converted into HNT and burned.

What this means in practice:

• Each subscriber pays $20–30/month
• This money is used to buy HNT from the market
• The purchased HNT is burned permanently
• This creates deflationary pressure as the number of subscribers grows

With 500,000 subscribers at $20/month = $10M in potential revenue. Part of it goes to infrastructure, but a significant share goes toward burning HNT. This creates constant buying pressure on the token.

Three tokens in the ecosystem

Token	Purpose	Feature
HNT	Main token	Buy/trade, secures the network
IOT	Reward for IoT operators	Converted into HNT through the treasury
MOBILE	Reward for mobile operators	Converted into HNT through the treasury

For most investors, only HNT matters. IOT and MOBILE are “salary” tokens for hotspot operators, which they convert into HNT.

How to Make Money with Helium in 2026

There are 5 ways to earn income through Helium. Let’s review each one honestly.

1. Mining via an IoT hotspot

The classic way to earn — it was extremely popular in 2021.

What you need:

• Buy an IoT hotspot ($100-400): Sensecap M2, RAK Wireless, MNTD
• Install it at home/in the office with an antenna
• Connect it to the internet and register it on the Helium network
• Receive IOT tokens for data transmission

Real income in 2026: $0-10/month in most regions. In areas with a high density of IoT devices (industrial zones, smart cities) — more.

The reality of 2026: the “golden age” of Helium mining is over. In 2021, a good hotspot could earn $50–500/month. Today, it is much less due to the growing number of hotspots and the lower IOT price. ROI for a new hotspot: 1–3 years at best.

2. Mining via a mobile hotspot

A more promising method for 2026 — Helium Mobile hotspots.

What you need:

• Buy a CBRS radio station ($500-1500): FreedomFi, Bobcat 500, MNTD Goldfinch
• Install it in an area with real Helium Mobile subscribers (USA)
• Connect it to the internet
• Receive MOBILE tokens for transmitting mobile traffic

Real income in 2026: $0–50/month. In densely populated areas of the U.S. (New York, San Francisco, Miami) — higher.

Limitations: works only in the USA. You need Helium Mobile subscribers nearby (or heavy tourist traffic). ROI: 1–2 years.

3. Speculative Purchase of HNT

The simplest way is to buy and hold HNT, hoping for growth.

The logic of the bullish scenario:

• The DePIN sector is growing
• The 2025 halving reduced issuance
• The burn mechanism creates deflation
• Real revenue of $2M+ per month
• Price is -98% from ATH = significant upside

Bearish scenario logic:

• The real product is not reflected in the token price
• Altcoin season may not arrive
• Competition with traditional operators

4. Helium Mobile Cashback

The most practical option for the USA is to become a Helium Mobile customer.

You get:

• Cheap mobile service ($20/month unlimited)
• MOBILE tokens as cashback for using Helium coverage
• You can convert MOBILE to HNT and sell it on an exchange

Monthly earnings: $5–30 in MOBILE tokens, depending on activity.

5. LP / Staking / DeFi on Solana

For advanced users:

• LP on Jupiter, Orca — providing liquidity to HNT/SOL and HNT/USDC pairs
• Staking via delegation in Helium DAO
• Yield farming in DePIN protocols on Solana

Income: 5-30% APY depending on the protocol and risk.

Main takeaway: in 2026, the most sensible way to participate in Helium is either to become a Helium Mobile customer (if you are in the U.S.) or to buy HNT as a speculative play. Mining via a hotspot is for enthusiasts, not for income.

HNT Price Forecast

Current Situation (May 2026)

• HNT Price: $0.72-0.95
• Market cap: ~$130-180M
• Rank: ~#100-200 on CoinMarketCap
• Trend: sideways consolidation
• RSI-14: ~43 (neutral-bearish)
• MACD: -0.0256 (bearish divergence)

Forecasts from Top Sources for 2026

Source	Minimum	Average	Maximum	Condition
CoinMarketCap AI	$0.65	$1.10	$1.85	Current momentum
CrypBlock	$0.80	$2.50	$4.00-10.00	Bull case with a DePIN rally
DigitalCoinPrice	$0.85	$1.30	$1.95	Neutral
Gate.io Research	$1.00	$2.00	$3.50	Halving + adoption
VanEck (qualitative)	—	—	—	The DePIN sector could grow by 10-100x

Scenario Analysis

Conservative (40%)

Conditions:

• Sideways movement continues
• Helium Mobile is growing, but slowly
• Altcoin season is not arriving

Price by the end of 2026: $0.60-1.20

Base case (35%)

Conditions:

• The DePIN narrative is gaining momentum
• Helium Mobile reaches 1M subscribers
• BTC consolidation above $100K

Price by the end of 2026: $1.50-3.00

Bullish (20%)

Conditions:

• A full DePIN rally (like AI in 2024)
• 1.5M+ Helium Mobile subscribers
• Grayscale launches an HNT fund
• BTC new ATH $150-200K

Price by the end of 2026: $4-8

Moonshot (5%)

Conditions:

• Helium Becomes the De Facto Operator for DePIN
• Partnership with Apple/Google
• Return to 50% of ATH

Price by the end of 2026: $10-25

Long-Term Forecasts

Year	Minimum	Average	Maximum
2027	$1.50	$3.50	$6.00
2028	$2.00	$5.00	$10.00
2029	$3.00	$7.00	$15.00
2030	$5.00	$10.00	$20-50

Main Growth Catalysts

Bullish catalysts:

• 📱 Helium Mobile is growing toward 1M+ subscribers
• 🏛 Grayscale will launch an HNT fund
• 🌍 Helium Mobile is launching in Europe/Latin America
• 🔥 The burn mechanism creates real deflation
• 📊 The DePIN sector is becoming mainstream

Bearish risks:

• Network activity is growing, but the price is not (the main problem)
• Competition with T-Mobile and Verizon
• CBRS regulation in the US
• The altcoin winter continues
• Sell-offs by early investors on every rise

Where to Buy and Store HNT

Top Exchanges for HNT in 2026

Exchange	Pairs	Feature
Binance	HNT/USDT, HNT/BTC	Main liquidity
KuCoin	HNT/USDT	Convenient for Russian-speaking users
Kraken	HNT/USD	Fully regulated in the US
Gate.io	HNT/USDT	High liquidity
Bybit	HNT/USDT (spot + perps)	Derivatives
Bitfinex	HNT/USD	Institutional traders

Important: in June 2025, Coinbase suspended MOBILE trading (but not HNT). This created confusion — some people still think that HNT cannot be bought either. HNT is traded on all major exchanges.

How to Buy HNT — Step by Step

1. Register on an exchange (KuCoin — convenient for Russian-speaking users)
2. Complete verification and deposit USDT
3. Find the HNT/USDT pair in spot trading
4. Buy using a market or limit order
5. Withdraw to a wallet or keep it for trading

Where to Store HNT in 2026

Since HNT runs on Solana, the wallet options are accordingly:

• Phantom Wallet — the best Solana wallet, supports HNT, MOBILE, IOT
• Solflare — an alternative to Phantom with a desktop version
• Helium Wallet App — the project’s native wallet
• Ledger / Trezor — cold storage via Phantom integration
• Exchange wallet — for trading

Learn more in the article “Top 10 Crypto Wallets of 2025”.

Tip: Keep HNT holdings (for long-term storage) in a cold wallet. Keep active amounts for trading on an exchange.

Helium vs Dent vs Telcoin

All three projects operate in the telecom crypto niche, but differ significantly.

Comparison Table

Parameter	Helium (HNT)	Dent (DENT)	Telcoin (TEL)
Focus	DePIN: IoT + 5G	eSIM + mobile data	Crypto bank + transfers
Blockchain	Solana	Ethereum + DENTNet	Polygon + Telcoin Network
Real users	500K+ (Helium Mobile)	7M+ (eSIM users)	Growing
Real revenue	$2.2M/month	Low	Growing (the bank is new)
Regulation	DePIN (lightly regulated)	EMI Singapore	US Bank charter
Partners	AT&T, T-Mobile, Telefonica	Tier-2 operators	Telecom operators
Market cap	~$130-180M	~$4.5M	~$50-100M
From ATH	-98%	-99.96%	holding up well
Uniqueness	The largest DePIN	eSIM + 17 cryptocurrencies	Regulated crypto bank
Main risk	The price is not rising	The project is in decline	Just launched

Comparison Conclusions

• Helium — the most mature and largest-scale of the three. Real revenue, real clients, real partners. But the price is down.
• Dent — a project in decline. The technology is alive, but the market voted against it. Learn more.
• Telcoin — a new player with unique positioning (banking license). Bullish potential, but also high risk. Learn more.

If choosing a single investment in telecom crypto: Helium offers the most balanced bet — it has a real network and product that is undervalued in price. Telcoin is more speculative, but with a unique banking angle. Dent is only for those willing to take the highest risk.

Strengths and Risks

Helium’s Strengths

• ✅ The world’s largest DePIN project — 376K hotspots, 170+ countries
• ✅ Real revenue — $2.2M/month from Helium Mobile
• ✅ 500K+ real paying customers (Helium Mobile)
• ✅ Tier-1 partnerships — AT&T, T-Mobile, Telefonica
• ✅ Mature infrastructure — 13 years of development (since 2013)
• ✅ Migration to Solana was successful
• ✅ Halving 2025 cut issuance in half
• ✅ Burn mechanism — 100% of Helium Mobile revenue is burned into HNT
• ✅ Grayscale attention — institutional interest
• ✅ VanEck is bullish on the DePIN sector
• ✅ DePIN narrative is gaining momentum

Main risks

• 🔴 The main paradox of 2026: the network is growing — the price is not
• 🔴 -98% from ATH — psychological pressure on holders
• 🔴 Competition with T-Mobile/Verizon/AT&T — giants could “eat up” the niche
• 🔴 Helium Mobile only in the US — a geographic limitation
• 🔴 CBRS regulation in the US may change
• 🔴 The MOBILE token fell by 87% — it could psychologically drag down HNT
• 🔴 Dependence on Solana — if Solana falls, HNT will too
• 🔴 Hardware costs have become unprofitable for miners
• 🔴 Competition in DePIN — Hivemapper, DIMO, Render

The investor’s main question: will the gap between network usage and the token price close? If yes, HNT could deliver significant upside. If not, it may continue to be a “zombie token.” That is the asymmetric bet.

Frequently Asked Questions FAQ

What is Helium in simple terms?

Helium is “The People’s Network,” a decentralized wireless infrastructure built by ordinary people who earn cryptocurrency (HNT) as a reward. It is the largest DePIN project in the world: 376,000 hotspots across 170+ countries, and 500,000+ Helium Mobile subscribers in the US. The network consists of two subnets: Helium IoT (LoRaWAN for IoT devices) and Helium Mobile (5G for smartphones in partnership with T-Mobile).

How much is HNT worth in 2026?

As of May 2026, HNT is trading around $0.72-0.95 with a market cap of ~$130-180M. That is -98% from its all-time high of $55.17 reached in November 2021. The main paradox of 2026 is that network activity is at its peak (500K+ Helium Mobile subscribers, 37,000 TB of data offload per month, $2.2M in revenue), while the token price remains deeply down.

What is DePIN and why is Helium its flagship?

DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks) is a category of crypto projects that build real physical infrastructure through decentralized incentives. Helium is the largest and most mature DePIN project with real revenue and real customers. VanEck estimates the DePIN market potential at $3.5 trillion by 2028. Other DePIN projects include Hivemapper (maps), DIMO (cars), Filecoin (cloud), and WeatherXM (weather).

Is HNT worth investing in during 2026?

HNT is an asymmetric bet with significant upside potential and real risks. Strengths include real revenue of $2.2M/month, the 2025 halving, a burn mechanism, partnerships with AT&T and T-Mobile, and Grayscale interest. The main risk is the gap between network activity (growing) and token price (stagnating). If a DePIN rally happens, HNT could deliver 5-10x. If not, it may continue moving sideways. Do not invest more than you are prepared to lose.

Where can you buy HNT in 2026?

HNT is traded on major exchanges: Binance (largest liquidity), KuCoin (convenient for Russian-speaking users), Kraken, Gate.io, Bybit, and Bitfinex. Important: in June 2025, Coinbase suspended trading of the MOBILE token, but this did not affect HNT — Helium’s main token continues trading as usual. For Russian-speaking audiences, KuCoin is the most convenient option.

How do you mine HNT in 2026?

Buy a hotspot ($100-1500 depending on the type), install it at home or in an office with an antenna, connect it to the internet, and register it on the Helium network. For IoT: Sensecap M2, RAK Wireless, MNTD. For Mobile (US only): FreedomFi, Bobcat 500. Real income in 2026: $0-10/month for IoT, $0-50/month for Mobile. Helium mining’s “golden era” of 2021 is over — ROI on a new hotspot is 1-3 years.

What is Helium Mobile and where can it be used?

Helium Mobile is a full-fledged mobile carrier in the US with $20/month unlimited plans (calls, SMS, data). Coverage is nationwide through T-Mobile plus local coverage through Helium hotspots. Customers receive MOBILE tokens as cashback for using Helium coverage. As of May 2026, it has 500,000+ subscribers. It is available only in the US. Expansion to other countries is planned, but has not yet been implemented.

What is the HNT price forecast for 2026 and 2030?

Forecasts for 2026 vary: conservative $0.60-1.20, base case $1.50-3.00, bullish $4-8, moonshot $10-25. Longer term, by 2030 analysts project a range from $5 (conservative) to $20-50 (bullish scenario with mass DePIN adoption). The main growth catalysts are Helium Mobile growing to 1M+ subscribers, a Grayscale fund, expansion into Europe, and a DePIN rally.

What is HIP-13 and why is it needed?

HIP-13 is a major upgrade to Helium’s tokenomics introduced in 2024. What changed: all hotspots were migrated under a unified structure, tokens were split by subnet (HNT as the main token, IOT for the IoT network, MOBILE for 5G), a burn mechanism was introduced (Helium Mobile revenue is burned into HNT), and issuance became dynamic. Unfortunately, after HIP-13 Coinbase suspended MOBILE trading, which caused confusion among retail holders.

Why did Helium migrate to Solana?

In April 2023, Helium migrated its L1 network to Solana for several reasons: Solana’s high performance (up to 65,000 TPS, ideal for millions of hotspots), lower operating costs compared with maintaining its own infrastructure, integration into the Solana ecosystem (Phantom, Jupiter, DeFi), and strengthening Solana as a DePIN hub. The decision proved correct — Helium is now fully integrated into one of the largest crypto ecosystems.

How does Helium make money?

Helium’s main revenue sources are: 1) Helium Mobile subscriptions — $20-30/month from 500K+ customers = ~$2.2M/month, 2) data offload contracts with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Telefonica — carriers pay Helium to reroute traffic through hotspots in congested areas, 3) enterprise IoT contracts — large companies use the network for asset tracking, 4) partnerships with device manufacturers (Sensecap, RAK). Total revenue is growing by ~65% month over month.

Can you buy a Helium hotspot from Ukraine?

Yes, you can buy an IoT hotspot to participate in the Helium network from any country. Popular models include Sensecap M2 ($150-200) and RAK Wireless ($150-300). They work in 170+ countries, including Ukraine. However, real income in Ukraine will be minimal due to the low density of IoT devices. Helium Mobile hotspots work only in the US. If you are outside the US, it is more reasonable to buy HNT on an exchange as an investment than to invest in hardware.

Who are Helium’s competitors?

In the DePIN sector: Hivemapper (maps), DIMO (car data), WeatherXM (weather), Render (GPU), Filecoin/Akash (cloud). In the telecom niche: Telcoin (crypto bank), Dent (eSIM). In traditional telecom: T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon — Helium does not “compete” with them, but rather complements them through offload partnerships. Helium is the largest and most mature DePIN project, which gives it an advantage.

Is it safe to invest in HNT?

HNT is a speculative high-risk asset, like most altcoins. Strengths include 13 years of project history, a real product, real revenue, integration into Solana, and Tier-1 partnerships. The main risks are volatility, the gap between network activity and price, competition, and regulation. Do not allocate more than 5-10% of your crypto portfolio to HNT. For long-term storage, use a cold wallet (Ledger via Phantom).

Conclusion

In 2026, Helium is the largest, most mature, and genuinely functioning DePIN project in the world. This is not a “paper cryptocurrency” — it is real mobile infrastructure with 500,000+ paying customers and partnerships with AT&T, T-Mobile, and Telefonica.

Main takeaways:

✅ Helium = the largest DePIN — 376K hotspots, 170+ countries
✅ Real revenue — $2.2M/month from Helium Mobile
✅ 2025 halving cut issuance in half
✅ Burn mechanism — 100% of Mobile revenue is burned into HNT
✅ Tier-1 partnerships — AT&T, T-Mobile
✅ DePIN narrative for 2026 — a potential mega-catalyst
⚠️ The paradox of 2026 — the network is growing, the price is -98% from ATH
⚠️ US only for Helium Mobile (for now)

What investors should do: treat HNT as an asymmetric bet — large upside potential, but with real risks. If you believe in the DePIN narrative and the long-term growth of Helium Mobile, HNT offers one of the best entry points in the project’s history (-98% from ATH while network activity is at an all-time high). If you want a more stable position in telecom crypto, consider Telcoin with its banking license.

Do not forget: the main lesson of 2026 in crypto is that a real network does not guarantee token growth. Helium is the best example of this truth, but also potentially the best example of its resolution if the DePIN rally truly arrives.