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Frequently Asked Questions
Everything we get asked about DePIN, our directory, and how to start. Use the table of contents to jump to a section.
DePIN basics
What is DePIN?
DePIN stands for Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks. It is a category of crypto project that pays independent operators in tokens for contributing real-world resources like internet bandwidth, hard-drive storage, GPU compute, sensor data, wireless coverage, or location data. Instead of a single company owning the infrastructure, a token-incentivized network of individuals does. Examples include Filecoin (storage), Helium (wireless), Hivemapper (location data), and Render Network (GPU compute). PassivePin currently tracks 36 active DePIN projects across these categories.
Is DePIN the same as a regular crypto airdrop?
No. An airdrop is a one-time distribution of tokens, often to existing holders. DePIN involves ongoing work: you provide bandwidth, storage, or compute, and you receive tokens in return. Some DePIN projects have airdropped tokens to early users (Render, Helium, and Hivemapper all did), but the day-to-day operation is closer to running a small business than to claiming free money.
How much money can I realistically make?
For a beginner running zero-capital bandwidth projects like Grass, BlockMesh, or EarnFM, $5-$50 per month is realistic. For a hobbyist with a $1,500 GPU running Render Network, $50-$300 per month is realistic in a bull market, near zero in a bear market. For a serious operator with multiple GPUs and a stable internet connection running compute, storage, and bandwidth projects in parallel, $1,000-$3,000 per month is the upper end we have seen. Every project card on the directory lists a current rate estimate; treat it as a peak-case number, not a steady state.
Do I need to be technical to start?
For bandwidth projects, no. You install a browser extension or a desktop app, create an account, and leave it running. For storage and compute projects, yes, you need to be comfortable with command-line basics, Docker, and editing a config file. Each setup guide in the guides section includes a beginner checklist and a copy-pasteable command list. If you are not technical, stick to bandwidth projects for your first month.
Is DePIN legal?
In most jurisdictions, operating a DePIN node is legal. The legal gray area is in three places: (1) running a wireless hotspot without the local radio license, (2) running a peer-to-peer energy trading node in a regulated market, and (3) earning tokens that may be classified as securities. We flag regulatory exposure on each project card. We are not lawyers; consult one in your jurisdiction if you have specific concerns.
Earning and getting started
Which project should I start with?
If you have zero capital and zero technical background, start with one bandwidth project. We recommend Grass for the simplest onboarding, or EarnFM if you want a more transparent earnings dashboard. If you have a gaming GPU and a few hours to spare, Render Network is the highest-earning GPU project for individual operators. If you have $1,000+ to deploy and want exposure to multiple categories, split it across two compute projects and one storage project. Avoid anything promising 100%+ monthly returns; those are paying you with future buyers' money and the math rarely works out.
How long until I see my first earnings?
Bandwidth projects: minutes to hours. Compute projects: usually within a day once your machine is online and a job routes to you. Storage projects: 30-90 days, because the network has to commit data to you and verify your storage. Airdrop-style projects: anywhere from 30 days to 12 months, depending on the season. The first-payout time is listed on each project card.
Do I need a special wallet?
You need a self-custodial wallet that supports the project's chain. MetaMask works for EVM chains (Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum, Base, Optimism). Phantom works for Solana. Keplr works for Cosmos chains. Rabby is a MetaMask fork with better UX. Avoid keeping large balances on a CEX or in a hot wallet on the same machine that runs DePIN nodes; if a node software has a vulnerability, your wallet is exposed.
Why do I have to use a referral link?
You do not have to. Every project on PassivePin can be signed up for directly without using our referral link. Using our link may give you a small bonus (typically 5-10% extra points) and costs you nothing; the project pays us a commission. If you would rather not support the directory, click the project name without using the link, or open the project in a new incognito window after browsing the card. We list both URLs on each card where applicable.
Can I run multiple projects on the same machine?
Yes, and you should, as long as you monitor resource usage. A typical home machine can run one bandwidth project, one storage project, and one compute project simultaneously without contention. Watch your CPU, RAM, disk I/O, and network bandwidth. The setup guides in the guides section include sample multi-project stacks.
When should I cash out?
There is no single right answer. A common approach is to cash out 50% of every payout into a stablecoin to recover your initial capital, and let the remaining 50% ride the token for upside. If the project has a known token unlock or airdrop in the next 6 months, accumulate rather than sell. If you are running multiple projects, pay yourself a weekly or monthly amount from a single wallet and move it to cold storage.
Risk, taxes, and regulation
What's the biggest risk in DePIN?
Token price risk. A project that paid you 5 GRASS per day when GRASS was $3 can be paying you 5 GRASS per day when GRASS is $0.30, and your real earnings drop 90% with no change in effort. The second-biggest risk is the project shutting down or rug-pulling, in which case you usually lose all unreleased earnings. The third is regulatory: a government in your country deciding that running a particular kind of node requires a license or is outright banned. We publish a risk score per project and the dominant risk factor on each card.
Are my DePIN earnings taxable?
In most jurisdictions, yes. Earning tokens in exchange for providing a service is treated as ordinary income at the fair market value of the tokens at the time of receipt. When you later sell or swap those tokens, you owe capital gains (or losses) on the difference. We are not tax advisors; consult one in your jurisdiction. We publish a yearly export of your activity via the dashboard if you have created a free account, which can be used as a starting point for your tax filings.
Can I get rug-pulled?
Yes, and it has happened. The two most common DePIN rug patterns are: (1) the team stops paying rewards, the token dumps, the project goes silent, and the unreleased tokens stay locked; (2) a contract vulnerability is exploited and the treasury is drained, taking future payouts with it. We mitigate by removing projects that miss two consecutive payout cycles and flagging projects with unaudited contracts. The directory has a "Removed" section in the comparisons page so you can see which projects failed.
What happens if a project gets hacked?
If a project on PassivePin is exploited or hacked, we update the project card within 24 hours with the nature of the incident, the user's exposure, and whether the team has communicated a remediation plan. The project may be temporarily downgraded or removed from the directory depending on severity. Past incidents are listed in the changelog at the bottom of the homepage. We do not re-list a project that does not pay back its users within 90 days of a confirmed exploit.
Is my personal data at risk when I sign up?
When you sign up for a project through PassivePin, you provide data to that project, not to us. Most DePIN projects only require a wallet address and an email; some require KYC for payouts over a certain threshold. We never see the data you provide to a project. PassivePin itself is a no-login site; we do not have your wallet address unless you choose to link it via the favorites feature, in which case it stays in your browser's local storage and is not sent to a server.
About PassivePin itself
Who runs this site?
PassivePin is operated by Jordan, an individual based in Australia. The site is supported by a combination of referral commissions, display advertising, and out-of-pocket costs. There is no corporate parent and no investor that reviews content before publication. Our editorial policy and methodology page document the wall between editorial decisions and commercial relationships.
Why do you use referral links?
Operating a directory costs time and money: hosting, monitoring 36 projects weekly, paying contributors, fixing bugs. Referral commissions are how we cover those costs without charging users a subscription. The commissions are paid by the projects, not by you, and do not change the project's terms or your experience. If a project does not pay a referral, it is not penalized in our rankings; if a project does pay, it is not boosted. See our methodology page for the full rubric.
How do you decide which projects to list?
A project is added when it (a) is past testnet and on a public mainnet, (b) has at least 1,000 active node operators or equivalent, and (c) has paid out at least once to external operators. We add new projects on a rolling basis as we review them. We remove a project when it (a) misses two consecutive monthly payout cycles without explanation, (b) is the subject of a credible exploit disclosure we cannot verify, or (c) the operating team goes silent for 30+ days. The current count is 36; it goes up and down as projects are added and removed.
Can I suggest a project for the directory?
Yes. Email hello@passivepin.xyz with the project name, the chain, the URL, and a one-paragraph reason it should be listed. We aim to evaluate new submissions within two weeks. Note that meeting our minimum criteria (mainnet, 1,000+ nodes, has paid out) is necessary but not sufficient; we also consider whether the project is a good fit for the categories we cover.
Did we miss a question? Email us and we will add it. See also: about · methodology · editorial policy · privacy · terms.