Helium, a wireless network founded in 2013, converted existing Wi-Fi infrastructure into carrier-grade cellular coverage in 2026 without building new towers. The network achieved commercial success while simultaneously increasing token issuance by 9.5 times, shifting from deflation to inflationary economics through protocol changes HIP-149 and HIP-150.
Helium, a wireless network founded in 2013, converts existing Wi-Fi infrastructure into carrier-grade cellular coverage without building new towers. The network achieved commercial success in 2026 with deployments in Texas and Florida, but simultaneously increased token issuance by 9.5 times, shifting from deflation to inflation and reducing token economics despite business improvements.