Every significant technological advancement, starting with the introduction of personal computers into homes, followed by cellphones that revolutionized social interaction and information access, the Internet of Things that connected everything, and artificial intelligence that permeated every aspect of life, frequently started with a crucial “expo gathering.”
At this pivotal juncture, when blockchain technology is slowly combining with physical objects, the Web3 world is bringing in its own “expo moment.” This summer, DePIN Expo 2025, a cutting-edge industrial show centered on on-chain hardware and the merging of the physical and digital realms, will make its debut in Hong Kong.
CES: A Global Tech Industry Barometer Spanning Half a Century
The Consumer Electronics Show, or CES, has been a global indicator of the electronics sector since its inception in 1967. Numerous innovative hardware devices have had their global debuts at CES, ranging from wearables, smart homes, autonomous driving, smartphones, tablets, and the Internet of Things to AI voice assistants and wearable technology.
The claim that almost every significant change in human living during the previous 60 years can be linked to a CES demonstration is not hyperbole.
CES is important not just because it showcases new technology but also because it can explain how those innovations will actually change the world. CES is a “real-world showroom” that predicts how we will live in the future, in addition to being the yearly testing ground for the IT sector.
From DePIN to MetaDePIN: Reconstructing the Value of Hardware, Data, and Incentives
In the early stages of Web3, the conversation centered around protocols, assets, and financial logic. Since 2024, however, a new trend has started to gain traction: DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks).
DePIN is emerging as one of the most tangible and impactful sectors within the Web3 landscape. Physical-world devices such as routers, electric vehicles, cameras, home gateways, and logistics trackers are no longer just networked — they are becoming on-chain. These devices serve as “nodes” in blockchain networks, participating in global coordination and generating real-world revenue. DePIN brings the concept of “on-chain” from virtual environments into physical spaces — from lines of code to cities and homes.
The number of DePIN projects worldwide has grown from 650 in 2022 to 1,170 in 2024 — an almost 12-fold increase. More than 13 million devices now participate in DePIN networks daily. According to Messari, the DePIN market is projected to reach a value of $3.5 trillion by 2028.
Today, with the rise of use cases such as RWA (Real World Assets), AI agents, and edge computing, DePIN is moving beyond simple hotspot miners and low-power devices. It is evolving into a broader network of devices, economic systems, and real-world applications: a payment card linked directly to on-chain DeFi networks; an electric vehicle automatically recording carbon credits on-chain and navigating via AI; a network of AI-powered cameras capturing urban traffic data, registering it on-chain, and triggering incentive mechanisms.
This converging trend is what we call MetaDePIN — a new paradigm of DePIN that spans hardware form factors, incentive protocols, AI systems, and real-world assets.
DePIN Expo 2025: The “Web3 CES” Officially Launches in Hong Kong
To showcase the powerful convergence of hardware and blockchain, DePIN Expo 2025 will be held on August 27–28, 2025, at Cyberport, Hong Kong.
This is the world’s first industry-level event dedicated to the DePIN concept, and the first large-scale consumer tech expo in Web3 history centered around on-chain hardware.
Event Highlights:
- Industry First: The world’s first flagship event focused on DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks)
- Top-Level Support: Guided by the Hong Kong SAR government, with collaboration from Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and Barron’s China
- Cross-Industry Integration: Spotlight on DePIN × RWA, AI convergence, machine economy, hardware manufacturing, cross-border logistics, and immersive real-world demos
- Business Enablement: Dedicated zones for bulk trading and private traffic matchmaking to accelerate large-scale deployment and precise conversion for DePIN projects
The goal of DePIN Expo is not merely to showcase “how devices go on-chain,” but to create a Web3 version of CES — a platform that bridges technological breakthroughs and real-world experiences, connects capital markets with manufacturing networks, and links the on-chain world with the physical economy. On-site, the expo will feature dozens of MetaDePIN devicesacross seven key application categories, including compute, network, sensing, identity, energy, logistics, and infrastructure:
- Compute: Home mining rigs, AI companions, smart speakers, gaming render nodes, edge computing terminals
- Wireless: DePIN smartphones, eSIM cards, 5G routers, home WiFi hotspot devices, broadband boxes
- Sensors: Smartwatches, smart rings, cameras, dashcams, video doorbells, air quality monitors
- Identity: Iris scanners, U-cards, hardware wallets, Web3 ID cards, mobile identity tags
- Energy: Residential solar panels, EV charging adapters, home battery storage systems, shared charging stations
- Logistics: Autonomous vehicles, robots, encrypted delivery boxes, cold-chain logistics nodes
- Infrastructure: Public blockchains, oracles, decentralized data storage, smart contract gateways, trusted hardware modules
Event Agenda:
- August 26 (Evening): Official Event
DePIN Power On Night
- August 27 (Morning): Opening Day
Government representatives and industry leaders will discuss the future of DePIN applications. Closed-door sessions and on-site visits will kick off a new chapter in on-chain and real-world integration.
- August 27 (Afternoon): DePIN × Everything
Focus on DePIN’s core role in connecting millions of users, reshaping asset paradigms, and expanding the crypto hardware ecosystem.
- August 27 (Evening): Side Event
DePIN After Dark: Builder & KOL Private Night
- August 28 (Morning): DePIN × AI
Explore how DePIN and AI are redefining the compute value stack, enabling device autonomy, on-chain model deployment, and large-scale machine economy applications.
- August 28 (Afternoon): DePIN × RWA
Deep dive into how DePIN enables the tokenization of real-world assets—reconstructing data ownership, revenue models, and trust layers for global asset allocation.
- August 28 (Evening): Official Event
DePIN Never Offline Night
In addition, DePIN Expo 2025 will host a series of high-level forums in collaboration with Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Barron’s China, Bitcoin Magazine, and others — spotlighting topics like AI × DePIN, RWA asset validation, and global node ecosystems. For the first time, the event will also connect the entire value chain — from design and manufacturing to overseas deployment — creating a comprehensive DePIN industry collaboration platform.
Hong Kong: The Premier Global Hub for DePIN
As one of the few international financial cities actively supporting the convergence of Web3 and the real world, Hong Kong is emerging as the ideal ground for the rise of DePIN. In recent years, the Hong Kong SAR government has introduced a regulatory framework for virtual assets, launched pilot programs for stablecoins and tokenized assets, and sent strong policy signals in support of real-world Web3 applications.
Geographically, Hong Kong is within a one-hour reach of Shenzhen, Dongguan, and Foshan — major hardware manufacturing and OEM hubs in mainland China. This proximity enables a seamless link between on-chain demand and offline factories, creating a new collaborative model of “decentralized orders + physical production lines,” and providing DePIN with unprecedented advantages in manufacturing and deployment.
At the same time, Hong Kong is home to leading exchanges and crypto funds, and serves as a natural gateway to emerging markets such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and the Middle East. Over the past year, the city has hosted a series of major international crypto conferences (such as Consensus Hong Kong and Bitcoin Asia), fueling a powerful convergence of capital and talent and cementing its role as a preferred destination for Web3 entrepreneurship and global exchange.
At DePIN Expo 2025, a dedicated “DePIN Urban Demo Zone” will be unveiled, using Hong Kong as a prototype to showcase how on-chain hardware can be deployed, operated, and settled at a city scale. This marks the first time in Web3 history that DePIN is being presented through a city-wide lens, signifying a shift from “hardware lab” to “infrastructure platform.”
The successful hosting of DePIN Expo 2025 will establish Hong Kong as the global flagship for a “Web3 CES,” further solidifying its position as a leading center of crypto innovation in Asia and beyond. We look forward to it together.
Countdown Begins • Join Us in Shaping the Future
If you are a hardware manufacturer, public blockchain platform, AI developer, RWA project, manufacturing enterprise, supply chain partner, investment institution, tech community, or media outlet focused on or exploring DePIN-related applications — we invite you to join us in witnessing and building this historic moment for the DePIN industry.
