DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Network) emerged in 2019 and has developed over the years to reach a certain scale, with a total market capitalization of tokens now reaching the tens of billions of dollars.
However, the DePIN sector still faces many issues, such as a significant misalignment between user needs and products, challenges in large-scale adoption, unsustainable economic models, and the inability to scale infrastructure. This has led to most people being unable to experience the inclusiveness that DePIN projects should offer, resulting in participation limited to token speculation, thus limiting the impact of DePIN.
An excellent DePIN project should typically possess the following characteristics:
- Real application needs;
- User-friendly products that meet those needs;
- Huge market potential;
- Solid data;
- Strong endorsements.
Roam is one of the few DePIN projects that meets all five criteria, especially with its latest launch of the Telecom Data Layer, which builds a telecom data network in a Physical L1 model to handle specific types of data, thereby developing rich and practical applications to serve users. This allows Roam to transcend the typical DePIN project category, becoming the foundational layer of DePIN, greatly expanding Roam's market potential and imaginative scope. This article will explain Roam in simple terms around these points, hoping that all readers interested in the DePIN sector can understand.
Demand and Product
Real needs are often simple. In contemporary society, the demand for internet access is as essential as the need for water and electricity. However, accessing the internet is not as easy as one might think, especially for travelers: poor network signals, high data costs, repeated logins, and lengthy registration processes are common issues. Roam is dedicated to establishing a global decentralized WiFi roaming network. The Roam network utilizes decentralized identity (DID) and verifiable credential (VC) technology to provide users with a secure (information encrypted protection), seamless, and global wireless experience.
The features of Roam are summarized as follows:
Global Free WiFi Roaming: Roam's services are free for end users.
Global Free Data: Roam has launched eSIM, allowing all users to obtain international data for free within the Roam app, even in areas without WiFi coverage, ensuring internet service.
Ease of Use: Users only need to register on the Roam app and click once in the app to connect, without needing to switch locations. Everyone can quickly access global WiFi networks through Roam's multi-chain wallet.
Privacy and Security: DID and VC technology ensure the security of user information, while zero-knowledge proof technology allows users to verify their identity without disclosing any personal information.
Token Incentives: The incentives here are divided into two parts: user incentives and network provider incentives.
Users: Users can download the Roam app on iOS or Android, with the app's basic function being to access the global WiFi network. Each user action in registration, invitation, sharing, etc., is accompanied by corresponding token incentives. Roam also frequently holds various community activities, providing additional incentives for end users.
Network Providers: They can directly share WiFi resources to earn token incentives, and professional users can earn more token incentives by using Roam routers (Rainier MAX60).
Complete Network Infrastructure: In addition to software functions, Roam will also distribute supporting hardware for computing, storage, and connectivity, such as current WiFi routers and AP access points. This hardware forms the backbone of the Roam network.
Telecom Data Layer: Beyond DePIN, Building the First Decentralized Telecom Data Network
In addition to the above features, Roam's latest narrative will provide broader imaginative space for its future development.
Traditional DePIN projects focus on user adoption of current distributed devices, placing more emphasis on the application layer. Roam, however, focuses not only on the application layer but also on the physical layer. A large number of Roam mining nodes (physical layer nodes) have formed a vast network system. Each node not only provides network services to users but also generates precise location and time data through interactions with users, gradually forming a decentralized telecom data layer. The core data of the telecom data layer will be synchronized in real-time on-chain and recorded and stored on Solana and other collaborative blockchains, leading to broader application scenarios and providing users with richer services.
The Roam network focuses not only on the connections between people and devices but also on the connections between devices (Internet of Things), the connections between devices and data, and the connections between devices and AI. Roam utilizes blockchain technology to construct an ecological framework at the digital layer, but is not limited to blockchain data systems; Roam quickly completes infrastructure hardware deployment by leveraging the advantages of DePIN, but its actual service scope has already surpassed that of DePIN. For example, Roam can also support services such as content delivery networks (CDN) and virtual private networks (VPN), which is a more foundational positioning than the application layer.
The Roam Telecom Data Layer is built to create a global decentralized telecom data network through the Physical L1 model, while rooting itself in the foundational layer of DePIN, allowing different project parties to utilize the telecom data network constructed by Roam to build richer services and develop different applications on the Roam platform. The products are not limited to WiFi and data related to Roam; the Roam Telecom Data Layer is a platform that can support various sectors, whether it be information storage, data communication, WiFi networks, AI computing, or edge computing, applications can be built on it, and ecosystems can develop. Here, not only is data interoperable between different projects, but devices from different projects can also interconnect.
The implementation of the data network is more challenging than the development of the application layer, but Roam has already taken a solid step: Roam has built a telecom data layer with 600,000 nodes that synchronize information in real-time. As the number of physical nodes continues to increase and telecom data accumulates, Roam will construct a new type of vast IoT network. Moreover, the data layer of this ecosystem is based on blockchain technology, and the use of DID within it will be even more imaginative. Not only humans can have DID, but devices and AI can also possess DID, which is a step forward based on the Internet of Things, and can be referred to as "Blockchain of Things (BoT)." The Physical Layer 1 model expands Roam's market potential, allowing Roam to evolve from a DePIN project into a platform capable of nurturing a prosperous ecosystem, making new narratives possible.
Solid Data
As of now, Roam has over 760,000 application users distributed across more than 190 countries, covering over 3.5 million OpenRoaming nodes, and its users have added 710,000 self-built network nodes. Roam has become the third-largest DePIN project on Depinscan.io.
Strong Endorsements
WBA: As the global rule-maker for the wireless broadband industry, Roam is the only Web3 IDP (Identity Provider) of the global Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA). Current WBA members include AT&T, BT, Boingo, Cisco, Deutsche Telekom, Korea Telecom, France Orange, True Internet, and TMN/Portugal Telecom.
Software Technology Cooperation: Roam has engaged in deep cooperation with well-known companies and technology platforms such as Samsung, Cisco, Intel, and Solana.
Hardware Manufacturing Cooperation: Roam has collaborated with Chinese hardware giant Xiaomi's supply chain to develop and produce high-quality WiFi routers such as Roam Rainier MAX60 and Roam Baker MAX30.
Investment Institutions: Roam has received two rounds of investment totaling tens of millions of dollars, with investment institutions including Anagram, Volt Capital, Comma3 Ventures, IoTeX, Awesome People Ventures, Crowdcreate, Future Life, Slope, Stratified Capital, JDI Global, ZC Capital, Future3 Campus, ECMC Group, SNZ, DePIN Labs, and received strategic investment from Samsung Next in February 2024.
Roam has developed for over three years, with the team growing from 5 people at the beginning to over 50 now, and the user base is approaching one million. With the future launch of Roam Physical L1's new vision and the introduction of the telecom data layer and Physical L1's new blueprint, Roam may lead a new wave of narrative trends, thereby nurturing a more prosperous ecosystem.
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