Author: Kava Source: medium

In 2025, U.S. policymakers are increasingly interested in cryptocurrency regulation. The signing of the GENIUS Act has laid the modern blueprint for stablecoin regulation. Meanwhile, the CLARITY Act passed by the House promises to clarify the government regulatory responsibilities between the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Together, these two pieces of legislation create a fresh and vibrant development environment for domestic cryptocurrency entrepreneurs in the United States.

In this emerging, crypto-friendly environment in the United States, a core and forward-looking narrative is gradually unfolding — that is, the full effort to build a strong and resilient decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) system. This upgrade and reshaping of local infrastructure has epoch-making significance, as it marks a powerful challenge by decentralized technology against the centralized telecommunications and cloud computing architectures dominated by large tech companies that have supported the U.S. economy for two decades, opening a new era of technological competition and integration.

To delve into this emerging trend, we will analyze it according to the following logic: First, we will examine the actual development status of the American tech giants that currently dominate the field; next, we will briefly review the work we have conducted in the area of AI-enabled DePIN; then, through three representative case studies, we will elaborate on how American DePIN has had a disruptive impact on the cloud monopoly landscape, the wireless communication sector, and traditional financial models; in addition, we will explore the key role Kava plays in integrating real-world assets (RWA) with these American-built DePIN; finally, we will provide a forward-looking outlook on the future development trends of this trend.

Reshaping American Digital Sovereignty

Traditional cloud computing and telecommunications technology monopolies, once hailed as modern economic disruptors, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure, now hold over 67% of the global cloud computing market. Ironically, what these extremely successful companies represent today is the centralization that stifled American innovation and competition at the time of their founding.

Cloud computing infrastructure is particularly effective in the Web2 information-sharing era. This technology enables these tech giants to centralize information into cloud storage centers while developing one-stop platforms to achieve profitability.

The revival of DePIN projects in the United States has resonated with policymakers who have been seeking to limit the power of large tech companies. Leaving political rhetoric aside, DePIN offers objective benefits to American citizens and businesses. They support anyone in owning and operating infrastructure and provide rewards through shared participation, with costs reduced by up to 80% compared to traditional providers.

Decentralized edge computing also has unique advantages due to its ability to leverage advancements in AI and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. Companies developing in these areas can not only benefit from a decentralized open market, but the technology itself can also operate more efficiently. Decentralization can save energy and reduce latency, which is crucial for critical dynamic response times, such as emergency shutdowns and fully autonomous vehicles.

Akash Network: Breaking the Cloud Monopoly

Akash Network is a project headquartered in San Francisco that has become a leader in challenging AWS's global dominance in the United States. In an era where countries are competing for AI supremacy, the network provides a strategic alternative to centralized providers. It has established a public bidding market for buying and selling unused computing power on decentralized infrastructure in the United States. Its GPU capacity has grown by 147% year-on-year, demonstrating its appeal to developers seeking to leverage critical computing resources in the United States.

The "Akash at Home" program launched by Akash Network best represents the DePIN innovation in the United States. This program is designed specifically for local use in the U.S., helping American homemakers establish small AI computing clusters using rooftop solar panels. Unlike concentrating computing power in a few massive centralized data centers, the "Akash at Home" program allows anyone to turn their home into a potential data center by simply installing a 35 kW data center device. This creates new income opportunities for homemakers and strengthens the overall capability of Akash Network, providing more security for user data.

Helium Network: Build a Wireless Independent

Helium Network is a DePIN project founded in the United States, aimed at building a wireless infrastructure that runs parallel to the existing system, which is the most successful challenge to telecom monopolies in the past 150 years. As the world steadily moves towards an enhanced economic era deeply empowered by the Internet of Things, this network provides a key strategic alternative layer for U.S. infrastructure. Helium Network no longer relies on centralized or foreign suppliers, but instead builds a robust distributed network for wireless and cellular providers across the United States.

The Helium Network has brought technological innovation to an industry that was once stagnant, highly centralized, and over-exploited. In April 2025, in response to regulatory rulings from the SEC, the Helium Network set a precedent for continued expansion in the DePIN industry, paving the way for Helium's ongoing promotion in the United States. The technology essentially enables anyone to deploy a local hotspot, allowing users to earn rewards by sharing the network and connecting to a larger national infrastructure.

Zebec Protocol: Modernizing Financial Infrastructure in the United States

The Zebec Protocol is an innovative solution in the fields of payroll management and financial operations, challenging traditional U.S. financial institutions with its unique advantages of real-time settlement and dynamic payroll flow. Founded in San Francisco and operating on the Solana blockchain, Zebec is leading the modernization of employee compensation and enterprise-level financial applications in the U.S., which is crucial for maintaining America's competitiveness in the global market.

Zebec's cross-chain application of cryptocurrency to fiat currency, such as the Zebec Card, is creating a seamless onboarding and integration experience for non-cryptocurrency users. The protocol also employs AI technology to maximize routing efficiency and risk analysis. The Zebec protocol drives payment innovation through real-time settlement and payroll flow, while challenging traditional banking infrastructure and leading a new trend in global fintech.

Kava: Integrating US RWA with Local DePIN

American DeFi platforms have a unique and unmatched advantage in accelerating the emerging DePIN development process by integrating real-world assets (RWA). Kava has taken a key step in exploring AI-enhanced RWA tokenization, successfully overcoming a series of core challenges faced during the process of bringing traditional American assets on-chain. This includes creating special purpose vehicles (SPVs) that comply with American regulatory requirements, thereby establishing a complete and compliant legal framework. When DePIN deeply integrates with Kava's multi-chain architecture, they build a directly connected bridge. Through this bridge, traditional American assets can seamlessly integrate into the emerging domestic DePIN network, allowing for full development and utilization, thereby unleashing tremendous growth potential.

Future Outlook on DePIN in the United States

The significance of DePIN in the United States goes far beyond leading the next wave of technological infrastructure development. It re-establishes a new paradigm of digital ownership, building a positive ecosystem centered around rewarding participants and eliminating exploitation. At the same time, DePIN also helps the United States achieve domestic autonomy over crucial sectors and systems, which is of vital strategic importance for the continuous and stable advancement of technological innovation in the AI era.