A Taxonomy for Blockchain-based Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN)
Mark C. Ballandies, Hongyang Wang, Andrew Chung Chee Law, Joshua C., Yang, Christophe G\"osken, Michael Andrew

TL;DR
This paper presents a comprehensive taxonomy for blockchain-based decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePINs), categorizing their components and relationships to aid understanding, research, and standardization in this emerging field.
Contribution
It introduces the first systematic taxonomy of DePIN systems based on a literature review and conceptual analysis, covering key dimensions and component interactions.
Findings
Identifies three key dimensions: distributed ledger technology, cryptoeconomic design, and physical infrastructure.
Defines components and attributes within each dimension, establishing a hierarchical structure.
Highlights relationships and dependencies among governance, hardware, protocols, and token mechanisms.
Abstract
As digitalization and technological advancements continue to shape the infrastructure landscape, the emergence of blockchain-based decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePINs) has gained prominence. However, a systematic categorization of DePIN components and their interrelationships is still missing. To address this gap, we conduct a literature review and analysis of existing frameworks and derived a taxonomy of DePIN systems from a conceptual architecture. Our taxonomy encompasses three key dimensions: distributed ledger technology, cryptoeconomic design and physicial infrastructure network. Within each dimension, we identify and define relevant components and attributes, establishing a clear hierarchical structure. Moreover, we illustrate the relationships and dependencies among the identified components, highlighting the interplay between governance models, hardware…
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