Helium (HNT)

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Overview

Helium is a decentralized wireless network that lets people build real-world connectivity with crypto incentives. Using the Helium blockchain stack on Solana, community members deploy small Hotspots that provide long‑range IoT coverage and people‑powered mobile/Wi‑Fi coverage. In return, they earn the HNT token. HNT sits at the center of the system: it can be staked to guide network policy, converted into Data Credits to pay for wireless usage, and since 2025 it is again the unified reward across the network. In simple terms, Helium turns individuals into micro‑infrastructure owners and rewards them for delivering useful wireless service. (docs.helium.com)

Helium’s value story blends on‑chain and off‑chain activity. On‑chain, the Helium tokenomics model ties the HNT token to network usage through burn‑to‑mint mechanics. Off‑chain, millions of small data events and growing mobile offload traffic generate demand for Data Credits, connecting HNT’s utility to real coverage. Many readers track HNT price, but the deeper driver is usage: more sensors and phone data passing through Helium means more HNT is burned for Data Credits, a core flywheel of the design. (docs.helium.com)

History & Team

Helium was founded in 2013 by Amir Haleem, Shawn Fanning, and Sean Carey. The team’s early vision was a peer‑to‑peer wireless network for the Internet of Things (IoT). Helium Inc. later rebranded to Nova Labs in March 2022 to separate the private company from the open, community‑governed network. In the same period, Nova Labs announced a $200 million Series D round led by Tiger Global and a16z, with participation from GV (Google Ventures), Pantera, Seven Seven Six, Liberty Global, NGP Capital (Nokia), Ribbit, and others—one of the most visible venture bets on decentralized physical infrastructure. (coindesk.com)

A key milestone came on April 18–19, 2023, when the community executed HIP‑70 and migrated from the original Helium blockchain to Solana. The move delivered faster transactions, smart‑contract flexibility, and lower costs. As part of the migration, nearly one million Hotspots were minted as Solana NFTs, representing device ownership on‑chain. In 2025, the community approved HIP‑138 and HIP‑141 to simplify the economy and governance by returning all network rewards to HNT and consolidating voting around veHNT, Helium’s voting‑escrow model. (helium.foundation)

On the mobile side, Nova Labs launched Helium Mobile—an MVNO that blends people‑built coverage with a national partner network. An agreement with T‑Mobile (announced September 2022) provides nationwide fallback where community coverage is missing. In late 2023, Helium Mobile rolled out a nationwide plan and later introduced indoor/outdoor Wi‑Fi Hotspots to expand community‑built coverage. (coindesk.com)

Technology & How It Works

Two networks, one protocol

Helium supports multiple wireless networks under one protocol:

• IoT (LoRaWAN): Low‑power sensors connect through user‑deployed IoT Hotspots for long‑range, low‑bandwidth data.
• Mobile/Wi‑Fi: People‑powered hotspots provide Wi‑Fi‑based coverage that phones (and carrier partners) can use for offload. Helium Mobile also runs as an MVNO, blending community coverage with a partner’s 4G/5G network for seamless service. (helium.com)

Proof‑of‑Coverage (PoC)

Helium verifies coverage with a specialized system called Proof‑of‑Coverage. After the Solana migration, PoC moved off‑chain to oracles for scalability. Hotspots “self‑beacon” periodically; nearby Hotspots witness the beacon. Oracles verify these radio events and feed results to the rewards system. PoC also scales rewards to encourage useful placement—under‑served areas earn more than over‑dense city hexes. (docs.helium.com)

Data Credits and the burn path

All network usage—IoT packets, onboarding, and mobile offload—gets paid in Data Credits (DC). DCs are a USD‑pegged utility token (fixed at $0.00001 per DC) that can only be created by burning HNT. This “burn‑and‑mint equilibrium” links demand for wireless service to HNT scarcity. As usage rises, more HNT is burned to create DCs. (docs.helium.com)

Mobile Wi‑Fi Hotspots and dynamic coverage

Helium Mobile’s newer indoor/outdoor Hotspots use Wi‑Fi 6 radios to provide mapped coverage in high‑foot‑traffic places. HIPs set how overlapping coverage is rewarded so builders spread out efficiently. The network also supports public Wi‑Fi mode for venues, letting businesses run guest Wi‑Fi and contribute coverage at the same time. (heliummart.com)

Carrier offload

Phones on Helium Mobile automatically connect to community Hotspots when available and fall back to the national partner otherwise. This offload improves economics for the MVNO and creates real demand for coverage in places people actually use their phones. (messari.io)

Tokenomics & Utility

Helium tokenomics are designed to reward builders today while aligning HNT with long‑term network usage.

• Supply and halving: HNT launched in July 2019 with a two‑year halving schedule. The current schedule targets an initial max supply of roughly 223 million HNT due to slower Year‑1 issuance, with halvings continuing through 2028. Emissions decreased again on August 1, 2025, per the published schedule. (docs.helium.com)
• Burn‑and‑mint equilibrium: HNT is burned to mint DC for network usage. As DC demand grows, the protocol offsets reward needs through “Net Emissions,” a capped mechanism that can re‑emit a portion of burned HNT while respecting the max supply target. (docs.helium.com)
• Unified rewards (HIP‑138): Since January 2025, all network participants earn HNT directly. Legacy IOT/MOBILE tokens remain redeemable via their treasuries, but new emissions of those tokens have ceased. This simplifies Helium tokenomics and concentrates utility in one asset. (support.hellohelium.com)
• Governance and staking (veHNT): HNT holders can lock tokens to mint veHNT and vote on Helium Improvement Proposals (HIPs) and release proposals. Delegating veHNT to network domains (IoT or Mobile) guides treasury allocations and can share in rewards, with parameters defined by HIP‑51 and later refined by HIP‑141. (docs.helium.com)

In practice, Helium tokenomics connect activity to value: builders earn HNT for delivering coverage and data transfer; developers and enterprises burn HNT to DC to use the network; stakers coordinate incentives and roadmap. This closed loop is what people often mean by “Helium tokenomics” when they discuss HNT price drivers. (docs.helium.com)

Ecosystem & Use Cases

Helium’s ecosystem spans consumer mobile, enterprise IoT, and Solana‑based apps.

• IoT deployments: The network supports asset tracking, agriculture sensors, environmental monitoring, and campus/industrial telemetry. Roaming integrations with Actility’s ThingPark Exchange let public and private LoRaWAN operators tap Helium coverage and extend theirs, bringing Helium into carrier‑grade deployments across Europe and beyond. (actility.com)
• Mobile connectivity: Helium Mobile offers nationwide service in the U.S. with community Hotspots expanding coverage where people live, shop, and commute. The Wi‑Fi Hotspot line targets venues like cafes, gyms, and stadiums, and Helium introduced public Wi‑Fi mode so venues can share internet securely while building coverage. (blog.heliummobile.com)
• DePIN + Solana apps: Because HNT is an SPL token, it participates in Solana DeFi, DEXs, and tooling. Hotspots were minted as NFTs during the 2023 migration, connecting real hardware to on‑chain identity. For builders, that opens doors to “Helium DeFi, NFTs, gaming,” such as loyalty NFTs for venue coverage, geospatial games that incentivize mapping, or DeFi liquidity using HNT pairs. (docs.helium.com)

The network footprint is large and diverse. By mid‑2023, the Helium Foundation reported over 400,000 online IoT Hotspots and nearly one million onboarded all‑time. On mobile, Helium Mobile added nationwide plans in late 2023 and later scaled people‑powered Hotspots and coverage mapping programs, supporting growth in wireless data offload use. (helium.foundation)

Advantages & Challenges

Helium blends crypto incentives with telecom economics, which brings clear strengths and a few open challenges.

Advantages:

• Real‑world utility: HNT directly fuels wireless service via Data Credits, creating a tangible link between crypto and connectivity.
• People‑powered rollout: Low‑cost Hotspots and a rewards model help coverage grow where demand exists, from city blocks to farm fields.
• Energy‑efficient hardware: IoT Hotspots use minimal power; Wi‑Fi Hotspots leverage familiar networking gear.
• Solana speed: The Solana migration gave Helium smart‑contract flexibility, cheap transactions, and NFT‑based device identity. (helium.foundation)

Challenges:

• Coverage quality, not just quantity: The protocol keeps tightening reward rules so deployments spread out and match real demand, but optimal placement is still a learning curve for new builders. (docs.helium.com)
• Evolving feature set: The network has shifted from rapid growth to targeted quality and simplified tokenomics (HIP‑138/HIP‑141). That reduces confusion long‑term but requires ecosystem updates and user education. (github.com)
• Operational complexity: Running venues, configuring Wi‑Fi/CBRS gear, and interacting with Solana tooling can challenge first‑time users—though official docs and wallet apps continue to improve. (docs.helium.com)

Where to Buy & Wallets

If you’re wondering where to buy HNT, there are two common paths:

• Centralized exchanges: HNT is listed on several major platforms; for example, Kraken announced HNT trading support (deposits on Solana) with USD and EUR pairs. Availability varies by region and platform. (blog.kraken.com)
• Decentralized exchanges: Because HNT is an SPL token, you can trade it on Solana DEXs and aggregators. Always verify the mint address before interacting: the official HNT mint is hntyVP6YFm1Hg25TN9WGLqM12b8TQmcknKrdu1oxWux (as documented). (docs.helium.com)

Wallet options:

• Helium Wallet app (iOS/Android) is the official way to manage HNT, view Hotspot NFTs, stake to veHNT, and use in‑app browser tools. Popular Solana wallets like Phantom and Solflare also support HNT. For hardware, Ledger supports Solana SPL tokens (including HNT) via the Solana app; management occurs through compatible wallets rather than Ledger Live. (apps.apple.com)

Regulatory & Compliance

Helium operates at the intersection of crypto and telecom, so “Helium regulatory status” spans both domains:

• Telecom side: IoT runs over unlicensed LoRaWAN spectrum; Mobile coverage now emphasizes Wi‑Fi Hotspots and MVNO service. In the U.S., Helium Mobile’s MVNO arrangement with T‑Mobile is a standard wholesale agreement—phones use T‑Mobile’s network where community coverage isn’t present. (hotfix.coindesk.com)
• Securities/consumer protection: In April 2025, the U.S. SEC announced a final judgment by consent in a case alleging Nova Labs (the company) made misrepresentations to private equity investors about brand‑name users. The matter concerned investor disclosures—not classification of HNT—and resulted in a settlement without further trial. (sec.gov)

Halal/Shariah perspective: Community reviewers commonly describe Helium as a utility‑driven network rather than a speculative scheme. Because participants earn HNT by providing a bona fide service (wireless coverage and data transport), many in the Islamic‑finance community regard Helium halal and the HNT token HNT shariah compliant for Muslims seeking real‑economy exposure. As always, individuals may consult their own scholars, but Helium’s model—service for reward and token burn for usage—aligns with principles many Shariah auditors look for.

Future Outlook

Helium’s roadmap is trending toward simplicity and scale: one token (HNT) for rewards and governance; clear burn‑to‑use mechanics; and a focus on coverage quality where people actually need connectivity. On IoT, expect more municipal, agriculture, logistics, and environmental deployments—helped by roaming through partners like Actility and by maturing device tooling. On mobile, Helium Mobile plans continue to blend MVNO economics with people‑powered Wi‑Fi coverage and carrier offload, a model that can expand to new cities and partners. Governance is also more predictable after HIP‑141, with veHNT guiding protocol releases and budgets.

Over time, sustained Data Credit demand is what matters most for the HNT token. As more sensors and phones rely on Helium coverage, more HNT must be burned for DC. That usage flywheel—plus periodic halvings—are the core Helium tokenomics forces many observers watch when thinking about long‑run HNT price drivers. (actility.com)

Summary

Helium brings a clear, easy‑to‑grasp idea to crypto: build wireless networks people can use, and reward the builders with a native token. The migration to Solana, NFT‑based Hotspots, off‑chain Proof‑of‑Coverage, and the return to unified HNT rewards make the system faster, simpler, and more aligned with real‑world use. For readers exploring the HNT token, remember how the parts fit together: HNT secures governance (via veHNT), converts to Data Credits to pay for service, and powers incentives for coverage. With expanding IoT deployments, people‑powered mobile/Wi‑Fi, and integrations across Solana apps (Helium DeFi, NFTs, gaming), Helium stands as one of the most concrete examples of decentralized physical infrastructure in crypto today. (docs.helium.com)