Helium Network protocol
Overview
Helium is a decentralised wireless network in which individuals and businesses host small radios ('Hotspots') that provide LoRaWAN IoT coverage and, more recently, mobile phone coverage, and earn the HNT token for doing so. It was founded as Helium, Inc. in 2013 by Amir Haleem, initially deploying LoRa gateways under conventional paid agreements with building owners. In 2017, facing funding difficulties, the company pivoted to a community-owned model in which node operators buy hotspots (costing up to about $500) and are rewarded in HNT; per Wikipedia, payments to hosts vary with data usage and 'can be as low as $.10 a month'. The network added 5G in August 2022 and migrated from its own proprietary blockchain to Solana in April 2023 for scalability, followed by the consumer Helium Mobile service in 2023. In January 2025 the community consolidated the reward structure back to HNT as the primary token across all sub-networks, simplifying earlier multi-token economics. Helium's own site frames the pitch as rebuilding connectivity as 'a global wireless network owned by people and powered by HNT', and cites deployments including the City of Redondo Beach reaching over 2,000 daily users. Helium, Inc. rebranded to Nova Labs in March 2022 alongside a $200 million raise from investors including Tiger Global and Andreessen Horowitz. In July 2022 press reports alleged the project had falsely claimed partnerships with Lime and Salesforce, which CEO Haleem disputed. In June 2026 Haleem moved to Chairman, Mario Di Dio became CEO, and Helium Mobile was sold to Nobile Mobile.
Within the DeFi Intel graph, Helium Network connects to 8 tracked entities, most strongly to Solana, DePIN Sector, HNT.
Relations
Top connections in the DeFi Intel knowledge graph (confidence-weighted, 8 of 8 total).
| Relation | Connected entity | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
DEPLOYED_ON | Solana | 95% |
MEMBER_OF | DePIN Sector | 95% |
ISSUES_TOKEN | HNT | 95% |
COMPONENT_OF | Helium Mobile | 95% |
ISSUES_TOKEN | IOT | 95% |
ISSUES_TOKEN | MOBILE | 95% |
GOVERNS | Helium Foundation | 95% |
deployed_on | Solana | 85% |
Frequently asked questions
What is Helium Network?
Helium Network is a wireless-iot tracked in the DeFi Intel knowledge graph. It is connected to 8 other tracked entities, most strongly to Solana, DePIN Sector, HNT.
What type of entity is Helium Network?
Helium Network is classified as a wireless-iot (protocol) in the DeFi Intel knowledge graph.
What is Helium Network connected to?
In the DeFi Intel knowledge graph, Helium Network is linked to 8 other tracked entities, most strongly to Solana, DePIN Sector, HNT.
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