What’s New in DePin? Borderless VC Launches $100 Million Fund, Aethir Partners with Filecoin, and More

Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePin) are transforming the tech by enabling decentralized projects in real-world infrastructure.

Recently in the DePIN sector, Borderless Capital launched a $100 million fund aimed at supporting decentralized physical infrastructure networks. Meanwhile, Filecoin partnered with Aethir to offer decentralized infrastructure solutions for businesses in AI, machine learning, and Web3. Additionally, Fluence introduced a new staking program for its decentralized computing platform, enabling token holders to secure the network and earn rewards.

Borderless VC Launches $100 Million DePin Fund

Borderless Capital, a leading Web3 investment manager, has launched its third fund focused on decentralized physical infrastructure networks, with $100 million dedicated to boosting the growth of this emerging sector. Known as the DePIN Fund III, it is backed by major investors, including peaq, Solana Foundation, Jump Crypto, IoTeX, GSR, Anfield, Wormhole Foundation, Sonic Boom Ventures, and Movement Labs.

“We are making a bold bet on DePIN because we believe it’s one of the most revolutionary innovations in the Web3 space. DePIN will become the global standard for deploying physical infrastructure, coordinating human resources, and generating billions in passive income while at the same time providing easy access and lower cost for the users,” Borderless Capital partner Álvaro Gracia said.

Read more: What Is DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks)?

Sean Carey, co-founder of Helium, has joined Gracia as a partner in this fund. DePIN Fund III will focus on investments at the protocol level, particularly in Commodity DePINs and Web 2.5 DePINs. Commodity DePINs use everyday hardware like smartphones and laptops, providing scalability and inclusivity, while Web 2.5 DePINs combine decentralized networks with traditional Web2 payment systems.

“DePIN is a game-changer, especially in underserved areas. It meets real-world needs and has the potential to bring a billion new users into Web3,” Sean Carey stated.

Filecoin and Aethir Partner to Deliver Decentralized GPU and Storage Solutions for AI and Web3

Aethir and Filecoin Foundation have formed an alliance to provide decentralized infrastructure solutions for businesses in AI, machine learning, and Web3. Aethir, with its network of over 43,000 high-grade GPUs, will offer GPU leasing to Filecoin’s storage providers, enabling them to borrow additional processing power for sealing data on the Filecoin network.

This partnership creates a scalable, decentralized solution for both data storage and computation. Aethir’s decentralized GPU cloud powers demanding AI tasks, while Filecoin offers affordable, decentralized storage for logs and training data. Together, they support transparent and open-source AI systems by ensuring that no single entity controls both storage and computation.

“Filecoin is well-suited to host machine learning data and is already home to major datasets from governments, universities, research centers, and more. As more enterprises realize the benefits of decentralized storage, including immutability, transparency, scale, resilience, flexibility, and energy efficiency, we hope to bring these benefits to the AI industry,” Filecoin Foundation President Marta Belcher told BeInCrypto.

Read more: How To Invest in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Cryptocurrencies?

Filecoin, the largest peer-to-peer storage network, preserves important information and promotes decentralized infrastructure. Aethir complements this with its efficient use of underutilized GPU resources, offering affordable cloud computing services. Their collaboration fosters innovation and economic growth by creating a shared, community-driven ecosystem where developers and users benefit from decentralized resources.

Fluence Launches Staking Program for Decentralized Compute Network

Fluence, a decentralized compute platform, has launched a staking program, enabling FLT holders to secure the network and earn rewards. Unlike many decentralized infrastructure projects, Fluence’s staking model allows not just hardware providers but all FLT holders to participate by delegating tokens to compute providers.

The program operates on Arbitrum Orbit, with support from Gelato’s Rollup-as-a-Service, and offers USD-denominated rewards, paid in FLT.

“By addressing the limitations of centralized systems, including high costs, single source of failure, homogeneous hardware, censorship risk, and data-sharing restrictions, Fluence provides a more resilient and flexible alternative. Our delegated stake model opens up staking to the community, who can participate in securing our DePIN compute platform,” Fluence CEO and Co-Founder Tom Trowbridge said.

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Fluence provides a more flexible and cost-effective alternative to traditional cloud computing, particularly for sectors like Web3, AI, and decentralized physical infrastructure networks. Its delegated staking mechanism ensures network reliability, while participants can earn rewards based on $10 per month per CPU core. Fluence’s top-tier data centers, including some running on renewable energy, support a growing ecosystem of decentralized applications.

While DePIN is still in its early stages and has some flaws, it allows for the exchange of tokens between synthetic and real-world assets. This supports traditional infrastructure by providing last-mile coverage in areas where conventional models are not economically feasible.