What if your next WiFi signal didn’t come from a corporate tower in your neighborhood, but from a crowdsourced, community-funded satellite zipping around Earth at 28,000 km/h? hat if your next WiFi signal didn’t come from a corporate tower in your neighborhood, but from a crowdsourced, community-funded satellite zipping around Earth at 28,000 km/h? Many a time, I often ask myself, "What does true network decentralization mean?" true network decentralization Where I grew up, there wasn't really much you could do about the network. The way other people from other regions could easily just call their ISP agents the second there was a network issue didn't really apply to me back then. In other words, it yielded very little or no success (and that's me putting it very mildly). I remember one time vividly where my signal was blocked out for like virtually the whole day - (A WHOLE freaking 24-HOURS!). And it wasn't just me. Every other civilian in that particular area using the same ISP as I suffered similar fate. And I can't say this happened only once (again, that'll be me putting it mildly). Those days, I often wondered, "Isn't there a permanent way out of this?" Your ISP will Fail You, Outer Space DePINs won't Picture this: You live out in the sticks. Or in the mountains. Or anywhere your local internet provider still treats you like it’s 1995. Picture this You’re stuck on the world’s sketchiest 3G hotspot that barely loads memes, let alone your Netflix backlog. You call your ISP. They upsell you to an “unlimited” plan — that mysteriously throttles you after you dare to watch more than two cat videos in 4K. Meanwhile, your city-dwelling cousin brags to you about fiber speeds so fast they download entire seasons of Black Mirror in seconds (hype intended). Black Mirror Well, if you had no trouble picturing this, then we're probably eating from the same plate, coz this happened to me just last weekend. But... just think about it, what if you didn’t have to beg a telecom giant for mercy? what if you didn’t have to beg a telecom giant for mercy? What if you could beam your memes directly from orbit — on a network you helped build, own, and maintain? you Welcome to the wild idea of Cosmic DePIN — where Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks take the final step: going interstellar (or maybe orbital… for now). Cosmic DePIN Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks Wait, What’s DePIN Again? Wait, What’s DePIN Again? Before we blast off, just a quick mind refresher... DePIN stands for Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks. It’s a big fancy term for building real-world hardware networks owned and operated by people — not megacorps. DePIN Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks people The most famous example? Helium. Helium If we all think back to 2019, a company named Helium convinced people to stick low-power radio hotspots in their windows to create a global IoT network. Instead of paying one company, millions of individuals run nodes and earn tokens for relaying their data. Then, there’s also Filecoin, which pays people to store files on their spare hard drive space. Akash does something similar, where they swap cash for computing power. Render also does it for graphics processing. Filecoin Akash Render In each case, you contribute hardware → you earn tokens → the network grows → everyone benefits. you contribute hardware → you earn tokens → the network grows → everyone benefits Simple in theory. Chaotic, and sometimes meme-worthy in practice. But Why Stop at Routers Though - What happened to the Stars? But Why Stop at Routers Though - What happened to the Stars? It's one thing to be a part of a decentralized network, but it becomes something totally different when you put space in the mix. space Here’s the pitch: Satellites don’t care about borders: We'll be breaking grounds and reaching a whole lot more people at onceOne satellite in Low Earth Orbit can cover half the planet at once - say bye-bye to those lost network times in the woodsNo middlemen who can unplug the cables or bulldoze your tower - hello decentralization!Harder for governments to censor or shut down.Cheaper than ever to launch, thanks to reusable rockets and rideshare programs. If we can crowdfund hotspots on windowsills, why not crowdfund hotspots in space? Just like I explained in my previous article on monetizing space satellites. Satellites don’t care about borders: We'll be breaking grounds and reaching a whole lot more people at once One satellite in Low Earth Orbit can cover half the planet at once - say bye-bye to those lost network times in the woods No middlemen who can unplug the cables or bulldoze your tower - hello decentralization! Harder for governments to censor or shut down. Cheaper than ever to launch, thanks to reusable rockets and rideshare programs. If we can crowdfund hotspots on windowsills, why not crowdfund hotspots in space? Just like I explained in my previous article on monetizing space satellites. hotspots in space So, in essence, adding space-orbiting saucers into the mix rounds it all up. It becomes the ultimate problem-solver. We've taken power away from those lazy over-feeding ISPs and made it even better for ourselves. Real-world examples can be seen in Blockstream Satellite. They beam Bitcoin’s blockchain from orbit and hardcore BTC nodes stay synced without an internet connection. Other startups like Planet & Swarm provide commercial smallsat constellations, mostly for Earth observation & IoT. A decentralized spin is the logical next step. Blockstream Satellite. Planet & Swarm How Would a Cosmic DePIN Actually Work? How Would a Cosmic DePIN Actually Work? Alright, let’s break this cosmic sci-fi daydream down to Earth logic. 1) The Hardware: Tiny Satellites, Big Dreams 1) The Hardware: Tiny Satellites, Big Dreams First, you need the satellites. We’re not talking giant TV satellites from the 70s — we’re talking CubeSats and smallsats. CubeSats smallsats For those asking, these are microwave-sized, standardized, modular spacecraft. Think IKEA furniture — but for space. One rocket launch can send dozens into orbit at once. How do we pay for them? With crypto, of course. DAOs raise funds to build and launch them. DAOs raise funds to build and launch them. Members vote on mission specs: coverage zones, frequency bands, and onboard storage. Members vote on mission specs: coverage zones, frequency bands, and onboard storage. The same DAO negotiates launch slots with SpaceX, Rocket Lab, or whoever’s next to undercut Elon’s launch monopoly. The same DAO negotiates launch slots with SpaceX, Rocket Lab, or whoever’s next to undercut Elon’s launch monopoly. For the most part, launching those satellites into space is key. Getting the rockets to launch them is also key - which is where Elon comes in. "Why can't we just launch them ourselves?" you say. Well... there's the rockets, then there's the launching permit (oh, you thought you didn't need one?), then there's also the FAA, because no one's just gonna let you acquire rockets and ship off flying saucers into outer space just like that. 2) The Ground Stations: Your Backyard is Now a Spaceport 2) The Ground Stations: Your Backyard is Now a Spaceport Satellites don’t just beam data straight to your phone — they need ground stations. Big companies use huge dishes in deserts. But in a Cosmic DePIN, you could run a mini ground station from your shed. ground stations you Got a clear view of the sky? Slap a dish on your roof, plug it into your router, and you’re now part of the orbital relay club. For every packet you relay — bandwidth in, bandwidth out — you earn a slice of token rewards. 3) The Tokenomics: Sweet, Sweet Passive Income 3) The Tokenomics: Sweet, Sweet Passive Income This is where the DePIN magic happens. Launch Pool: Crowdfunders stake tokens to fund satellite builds. Launch Pool: Crowdfunders stake tokens to fund satellite builds. Launch Pool: Maintenance Pool: Node operators (ground stations) stake to participate — keeps bad actors out. Maintenance Pool: Node operators (ground stations) stake to participate — keeps bad actors out. Maintenance Pool: Usage Pool: Users pay tokens to access bandwidth, relay data, or store files on the satellites. Usage Pool: Users pay tokens to access bandwidth, relay data, or store files on the satellites. Usage Pool: Rewards Pool: Revenue flows back to stakers and operators. Rewards Pool: Revenue flows back to stakers and operators. Rewards Pool: Example: You stake $100 worth of tokens → helps pay for launch + hardware.You run a ground station → your dish relays encrypted packets to/from the satellite.Users in rural areas connect → pay for usage → you get your cut. You stake $100 worth of tokens → helps pay for launch + hardware. You run a ground station → your dish relays encrypted packets to/from the satellite. Users in rural areas connect → pay for usage → you get your cut. And viola... you’ve officially become a space landlord — no house maintenance, no grumpy tenants. Just packets. space landlord What Could a Cosmic DePIN Actually Do? What Could a Cosmic DePIN Actually Do? So what if you’ve got a bunch of crowdfunded mini-satellites zipping overhead around the planet 24/7 - What’s the point? Well, here’s what these orbiting nodes actually unlock for you: actually actually 1)  Disaster-Proof Connectivity 1)  Disaster-Proof Connectivity When Mother Nature goes full rage mode — earthquakes, tsunamis, wildfires, hurricanes — local cell towers often get wiped out instant and fast. Imagine instead: Emergency responders drop in a rugged, portable ground station — think a suitcase-sized dish.It links to your orbital mesh net to instantly restore comms for search & rescue, medical teams, and families trying to contact loved ones.No waiting days for some telecom giant to drag in mobile towers on trucks. Emergency responders drop in a rugged, portable ground station — think a suitcase-sized dish. It links to your orbital mesh net to instantly restore comms for search & rescue, medical teams, and families trying to contact loved ones. No waiting days for some telecom giant to drag in mobile towers on trucks. Bonus: First responders could even push critical data — maps, medical records, supply manifests — via encrypted satellite links when terrestrial cables are fried. Bonus 2)  Censorship Resistance & Free Speech Lifeline 2)  Censorship Resistance & Free Speech Lifeline Authoritarian regimes love “internet kill switches.” Protests get too spicy? Boom — blackout. Independent journalists start leaking uncomfortable truths? Good luck uploading that file when your ISP “mysteriously” blocks everything. A Cosmic DePIN can sidestep these choke points: Local relays link directly to orbit, bypassing state-controlled backbones.Journalists and activists can push data to a satellite node — then beam it down elsewhere.If you pair this with a decentralized storage network (like IPFS or Arweave), that data is also practically impossible to scrub once it’s up there. Local relays link directly to orbit, bypassing state-controlled backbones. Journalists and activists can push data to a satellite node — then beam it down elsewhere. If you pair this with a decentralized storage network (like IPFS or Arweave), that data is also practically impossible to scrub once it’s up there. So next time someone tries to muzzle a region, your orbital network quietly says, “Try again, buddy.” “Try again, buddy.” 3)  Global IoT Supercharger 3)  Global IoT Supercharger The Internet of Things doesn’t just mean smart fridges that order milk while you’re asleep. It’s: Precision agriculture: moisture sensors in remote farms.Wildlife tracking collars in vast national parks.Oil rigs and wind turbines out at sea that need real-time data.Autonomous ships crossing oceans — uploading diagnostics to HQ via your orbital relay. Precision agriculture: moisture sensors in remote farms. Wildlife tracking collars in vast national parks. Oil rigs and wind turbines out at sea that need real-time data. Autonomous ships crossing oceans — uploading diagnostics to HQ via your orbital relay. A Cosmic DePIN gives these far-flung sensors an always-on, decentralized uplink — no waiting for overpriced satellite monopolies, no sketchy connectivity gaps. Just pay-per-byte, community-owned bandwidth. 4)  Orbital Backups & the Space Permaweb 4)  Orbital Backups & the Space Permaweb Right now, your data lives on Earth — vulnerable to blackouts, floods, hackers, or governments with a backhoe and no chill. But what if your backups literally orbited the planet? literally Combine satellites with distributed storage protocols like IPFS, Arweave, or Filecoin, and you've got a whole Library of Congress circling above you like a crib mobile. 5)  Science & Open Research 5)  Science & Open Research Decentralized satellites could also share spare bandwidth or onboard compute power with researchers: Climate monitoring, remote sensing, and open weather data.Crowdsourced Earth observation data for anyone - not just big governments.Community-driven projects: Imagine citizen scientists renting orbital time to study deforestation, ocean pollution, or animal migration in real time. Climate monitoring, remote sensing, and open weather data. Crowdsourced Earth observation data for anyone - not just big governments. Community-driven projects: Imagine citizen scientists renting orbital time to study deforestation, ocean pollution, or animal migration in real time. Your backyard dish isn’t just a passive router — it’s a window into real, useful science that the whole planet can tap into, and of course, you'll get paid while you're at it. 6)  Future: Edge Computing in Orbit 6)  Future: Edge Computing in Orbit Here’s the spicy moonshot: combine storage + compute nodes in orbit. Satellites don’t just relay packets — they process data before it ever hits the ground.Local edge compute nodes do AI tasks, data filtering, or blockchain verifications off-planet.Reduces load on congested Earth infrastructure. Satellites don’t just relay packets — they process data before it ever hits the ground. Local edge compute nodes do AI tasks, data filtering, or blockchain verifications off-planet. Reduces load on congested Earth infrastructure. It’s not tomorrow — but hey, so wasn’t crowdfunding your satellite 10 years ago. And the best part? It pays you back — because you co-own it. It pays you back you co-own it. What Needs to Happen Next? What Needs to Happen Next? If we want to see Cosmic DePIN happen, here's what we need (in a nutshell): Affordable, modular satellite kits → DIY space, just like Raspberry Pi made DIY computing cheap. Affordable, modular satellite kits → DIY space, just like Raspberry Pi made DIY computing cheap. Affordable, modular satellite kits Open-source software stacks → Routing, storage, encryption all need robust open standards. Open-source software stacks → Routing, storage, encryption all need robust open standards. Open-source software stacks User-friendly staking & governance → Nobody wants to go through 20 whitepapers before funding a satellite. User-friendly staking & governance → Nobody wants to go through 20 whitepapers before funding a satellite. User-friendly staking & governance Insurance & sustainability → Funds for deorbiting old hardware safely. Insurance & sustainability → Funds for deorbiting old hardware safely. Insurance & sustainability International co-op frameworks → The orbit is a commons — coordination beats clutter. International co-op frameworks → The orbit is a commons — coordination beats clutter. International co-op frameworks The Big Dream: Borderless Internet for All The Big Dream: Borderless Internet for All Imagine a kid in a remote village connecting to the web, not through some extractive monopoly, but via a satellite network partially owned by her own community. Imagine journalists live-streaming truth in countries where censors can’t yank the plug. Imagine your shed-mounted ground station paying your electricity bill while you sleep. It’s not fully here yet. But neither was Helium five years ago — now it’s got millions of nodes. The next hop? Just aim your eyes a little higher. … … Next time, when your ISP sends you a bill that makes you choke on your coffee, remember... Next time There’s a version of the future where your next WiFi router is a tiny star in the night sky, quietly earning you tokens while beaming nodes down from the heavens. All you have to do is help build it. So… Are You Ready to Look Up? So… Are You Ready to Look Up? Not financial advice. Just cosmic optimism. 🚀✨ Not financial advice. Just cosmic optimism. 🚀✨ Not financial advice. Just cosmic optimism. 🚀✨

The is an opinion piece based on the author’s POV and does not necessarily reflect the views of HackerNoon.

Filecoin

Render

Arweave

Every

Helium

Pool

What If Your Next Passive Income Stream Came From Space?

Read My Stories

Marketing Associate

Too Long; Didn't Read

Cosmic DePIN: How Space‑Based Decentralized Networks Will Redefine Connectivity 

Cosmic DePIN: How Space‑Based Decentralized Networks Will Redefine Connectivity

About Author

Comments

TOPICS

THIS ARTICLE WAS FEATURED IN

Related Stories

Borderless Banking - What is It, and What's in it for You and I?

HackerNoon Partners with AIESEC in Nigeria to Empower the Next Generation of Thought Leaders

Decentralization Won't Save Us From Ourselves

Can You Own a Star?

The Future of the Internet is Community Driven

Censorship, Surveillance, and the Splinternet: Why We Need a Decentralized Web

Borderless Banking - What is It, and What's in it for You and I?

HackerNoon Partners with AIESEC in Nigeria to Empower the Next Generation of Thought Leaders

Decentralization Won't Save Us From Ourselves

Can You Own a Star?

The Future of the Internet is Community Driven

Censorship, Surveillance, and the Splinternet: Why We Need a Decentralized Web

Light-Mode

Classic

Newspaper

Minty

Dark-Mode

Neon Noir

Minty

HN StartUps