{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "FAQPage",
  "mainEntity": [
    {"@type": "Question", "name": "What is DePIN?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "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 bandwidth, storage, GPU compute, sensor data, or wireless coverage. PassivePin tracks 36 active DePIN projects."}},
    {"@type": "Question", "name": "Is DePIN the same as a regular crypto airdrop?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "No. DePIN involves ongoing work (providing bandwidth, storage, or compute) in exchange for tokens. Some DePIN projects have airdropped tokens to early users, but the day-to-day operation is closer to running a small business than claiming free money."}},
    {"@type": "Question", "name": "How much money can I realistically make?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "For a beginner running zero-capital bandwidth projects, $5-$50 per month is realistic. For a hobbyist with a $1,500 GPU running Render, $50-$300 per month. For a serious multi-project operator, $1,000-$3,000 per month is the upper end we have seen. Every project card on PassivePin lists a current rate estimate; treat it as a peak-case number, not a steady state."}},
    {"@type": "Question", "name": "Do I need to be technical to start?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "For bandwidth projects, no. For storage and compute projects, yes. You need to be comfortable with command-line basics, Docker, and editing config files. Each setup guide in our guides section includes a beginner checklist."}},
    {"@type": "Question", "name": "Is DePIN legal?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "In most jurisdictions, operating a DePIN node is legal. The legal gray areas are: running a wireless hotspot without the local radio license, running peer-to-peer energy trading in a regulated market, and earning tokens that may be classified as securities."}},
    {"@type": "Question", "name": "Which project should I start with?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "Zero capital: start with a bandwidth project like Grass or EarnFM. Have a gaming GPU: Render Network. Have $1,000+ to deploy: split across two compute projects and one storage project. Avoid anything promising 100%+ monthly returns."}},
    {"@type": "Question", "name": "How long until I see my first earnings?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "Bandwidth: minutes to hours. Compute: usually within a day. Storage: 30-90 days. Airdrop-style: 30 days to 12 months. The first-payout time is listed on each project card."}},
    {"@type": "Question", "name": "Do I need a special wallet?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "You need a self-custodial wallet that supports the project's chain: MetaMask for EVM, Phantom for Solana, Keplr for Cosmos. Avoid keeping large balances on a CEX or in a hot wallet on the same machine that runs DePIN nodes."}},
    {"@type": "Question", "name": "Why do I have to use a referral link?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "You don't 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 and costs you nothing; the project pays us a commission. Both URLs are on each card."}},
    {"@type": "Question", "name": "Can I run multiple projects on the same machine?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, and you should. A typical home machine can run one bandwidth, one storage, and one compute project simultaneously. Watch CPU, RAM, disk I/O, and network bandwidth."}},
    {"@type": "Question", "name": "When should I cash out?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "A common approach: cash out 50% of every payout into a stablecoin to recover initial capital, and let the remaining 50% ride the token. If the project has a known token unlock in the next 6 months, accumulate rather than sell."}},
    {"@type": "Question", "name": "What is the biggest risk in DePIN?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "Token price risk. A project paying 5 GRASS per day at $3 is the same 5 GRASS per day at $0.30, but your real earnings drop 90% with no change in effort. The second-biggest risk is the project shutting down or rug-pulling. The third is regulatory."}},
    {"@type": "Question", "name": "Are my DePIN earnings taxable?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "In most jurisdictions, yes. Earning tokens is treated as ordinary income at the fair market value at the time of receipt. When you sell, you owe capital gains on the difference. We are not tax advisors; consult one in your jurisdiction."}},
    {"@type": "Question", "name": "Can I get rug-pulled?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, and it has happened. The two common DePIN rug patterns are: the team stops paying rewards and the token dumps, or a contract vulnerability is exploited and the treasury is drained. We mitigate by removing projects that miss two consecutive payout cycles."}},
    {"@type": "Question", "name": "What happens if a project gets hacked?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "If a project on PassivePin is exploited, 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. Past incidents are listed in the changelog at the bottom of the homepage."}},
    {"@type": "Question", "name": "Is my personal data at risk when I sign up?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "When you sign up for a project through PassivePin, you provide data to that project, not to us. PassivePin itself is a no-login site; we do not have your wallet address unless you choose to link it via the favorites feature."}},
    {"@type": "Question", "name": "Who runs this site?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "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."}},
    {"@type": "Question", "name": "Why do you use referral links?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "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. They do not change rankings."}},
    {"@type": "Question", "name": "How do you decide which projects to list?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "A project is added when it is past testnet and on a public mainnet, has at least 1,000 active node operators or equivalent, and has paid out at least once. A project is removed when it misses two consecutive monthly payout cycles or the team goes silent for 30+ days."}},
    {"@type": "Question", "name": "Can I suggest a project for the directory?", "acceptedAnswer": {"@type": "Answer", "text": "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."}}
  ]
}