DePEN

DePEN, short for decentralized physical edge network, is a label used for crypto networks in which many independent participants run small devices at the "edge" of the internet, close to where data is produced or used, and are paid in tokens for doing so. Typical devices include wireless and cellular hotspots, environmental and mapping sensors, dashcams and small servers that store or process data locally rather than in a distant data centre. The term is a narrower variant of DePIN, which covers all decentralized physical infrastructure, and it overlaps with the idea of edge nodes. Supporters argue that edge networks can be built faster and more cheaply by crowds than by a single company; sceptics point to weak paying demand, reliance on token rewards and uneven device quality. Also see the Internet of Things.