Our weekly updates are put together by folks deep in the crypto scene, giving you a clear picture of what's happening without overwhelming you.
To Watch This Week
AIRDROPS + ALPHADec 18, 2023
Markets
Helium Tokens Surge Amid Network Expansion, Solana Saga BONK Mania
Tokens for the decentralized mobile network Helium have boomed in the past day, with protocol token MOBILE leading the pack. MOBILE, a governance token mined by 5G-CBRS and Wi-Fi hotspots, is up over 60% on the day and a massive 821% on the week, currently trading at $0.00632984 per CoinGecko data. Helium's native cryptocurrency HNT is up 2.4%, trading at $7.39, while its IOT token, which underpins Helium's Internet of Things subnetworks, is up 11% over the past 24 hours. The surge in Helium Net...
Nov 29, 2023
Business
Crypto Sponsorships Are Back? University of Miami Strikes Deal With Helium Mobile
Helium Mobile, a wireless phone service built on the decentralized, crypto-powered Helium network, has been named the Official Wireless Sponsor of University of Miami Athletics, the company and school announced Wednesday. As part of the collaboration, Helium Mobile will host promotions and fan experiences at Miami Hurricanes home games across sports, including as yet unannounced deals for students. The sponsorship will launch at the Miami vs. Notre Dame men's basketball game on December 2, with...
Aug 15, 2023
Business
Helium Mobile Debuts Crypto Wireless Network in Miami—For $5 a Month
Helium Mobile, the hybrid wireless carrier that combines service from the decentralized, crypto-powered Helium 5G network and T-Mobile’s nationwide 5G network, has opened up to the public in Miami, Florida as the first stop in its rollout. And it’s priced at just $5 per month. That $5 monthly fee unlocks unlimited talk, text, and data, Helium Mobile announced Tuesday and does not require a contract commitment. The offering is available to anyone who lives in Miami with an eligible zip code, alon...
Feb 20, 2023
Coins
Solana Soars Double-Digits as Helium Network Announces Merge Date
Solana bulls are back in action. SOL, the native token powering the layer-1 blockchain Solana, has gained over 11% overnight and is the largest gainer among the top 50 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization, according to data from Coingecko. At press time, SOL trades at around $26.09, retreating from its new 90-day high of $26.96 earlier today. On a weekly note, the so-called Ethereum killer has gained a whopping 21% and is now the 12th-largest cryptocurrency in market capitalization. Last w...
Feb 2, 2023
Business
Is Anyone Using Helium? Nova Labs’ New IoT Push May Provide Answers
Crypto wireless network Helium was once the poster child for tangible crypto utility—but growing skepticism of the model, plus major brands distancing themselves from the project, has cast doubt on whether the distributed network is actually serving much purpose. Nova Labs, which created and now supports the decentralized Helium network, now has a plan to bring more high-profile brands and large companies into the fray. The company calls it "1663"—a new integration arm to help large-scale enterp...
Nov 21, 2022
Business
Billionaire Bill Ackman Does U-Turn on Crypto, Becomes 'Small Direct Investor'
Update: The article previously said that Mr Ackman was an investor in Helium. However, a subsequent tweet made it clear that he is "uninvolved in Helium." The article has been updated to reflect this. Billionaire investor Bill Ackman has performed an about-face on his previously icy attitude towards crypto, saying that it is “here to stay.” The founder and CEO of hedge fund management company Pershing Square revealed that he is now a “small direct investor” in several crypto projects, including...
Nov 5, 2022
Technology
Crypto Wireless Carrier Helium Mobile Will Power Solana’s Saga Smartphone
Decentralized, crypto-fueled wireless network Helium recently voted to move from its own platform to Solana, a leading layer-1 blockchain network. Now that alliance is set to get even stronger, with Helium and Solana bringing their respective mobile initiatives together. At Solana’s Breakpoint conference in Lisbon today, Helium and Solana Labs announced a partnership to bring the upcoming Helium Mobile service—a smartphone carrier powered in part by T-Mobile—to Solana’s crypto-centric Saga smart...
Sep 20, 2022
Business
Helium Founders, T-Mobile Launch Crypto-Powered 5G Mobile Service
Crypto-fueled wireless network Helium will soon be able to introduce its mobile 5G vision to many more users. Today, Helium network founder Nova Labs announced that it has partnered with T-Mobile to create a new 5G wireless service called Helium Mobile. Helium Mobile will be a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) service and will tap both the T-Mobile and Helium networks for customers in the United States. Set to launch in the first quarter of 2023, the service will rely both on T-Mobile’s nat...
Sep 13, 2022
Markets
Solana Jumps 7% as Crypto 'Hotspot' Project Helium Eyes Merge
It’s been a big day for Solana. The ninth-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization has risen by around 7% over the past day. SOL, Solana’s native token, jumped from $35.2 to $38.87 early Tuesday morning. It has since retraced to $38.27 at press time. Solana is a speedy, proof-of-stake (PoS) blockchain network that allows many of the same operations as Ethereum, including decentralized finance (DeFi) applications and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The most recent bullish action is suppor...
Aug 1, 2022
Business
Helium Pledges ‘Much More Rigorous’ Process After Salesforce, Lime Deny Partnerships
Helium is developing one of the more unique blockchain use cases out there, with its user-powered wireless networks incentivized by crypto tokens. The buzzy project received blowback last week, however, when a pair of prominent companies that it listed as partners denied that they were working together. Helium’s founders now say that they're changing how they handle and market such alliances. On Friday, scooter rideshare startup Lime told Mashable that it does not have an active partnership with...
Jun 11, 2022
Technology
Helium Crypto Wireless Network to Launch New Tokens Amid Expansion
Helium's novel concept—standing up a wireless network for sensors and trackers that is powered by token-rewarded node operators—has earned significant support. Nova Labs, the recently-renamed startup that represents Helium’s founders, announced today that the network will launch new crypto tokens tied to individual networks. The shift to a new model comes as Helium attempts to expand its offerings with 5G connectivity and more. The existing HNT token will continue to exist and serve as somethin...
Mar 30, 2022
Business
Helium Crypto Wireless Network Founders Raise $200M, Rebrand to Nova Labs
Helium provides a unique use case for crypto tokens as a decentralized wireless network powered by token incentives—and the platform has surged in size over the last year. Now the founders and core contributors behind the network have raised significant new funding to keep building, albeit under a new name. Today, Helium Inc. announced a $200 million Series D funding round performed at a pre-money valuation of $1 billion, bringing the firm’s updated valuation to $1.2 billion. The round was co-le...
Mar 15, 2022
Technology
Samsung, Qualcomm Back FreedomFi, Helium’s 5G Crypto Network Partner
Helium’s bet on building a decentralized wireless network to power Internet of Things (IoT) devices appears to be paying off, with over 640,000 active nodes earning tokens around the world. Now the project is expanding into 5G connectivity—and its partner FreedomFi has just added allies like tech giants Samsung and Qualcomm in a new funding round. FreedomFi announced today that it's raised $9.5 million in Series A round to continue building its decentralized 5G network alongside Helium. Samsung’...
Oct 26, 2021
Technology
Helium Taps Dish Network for Crypto-Powered 5G Rollout
Crypto startup Helium showed that a user-run wireless network can be bootstrapped with token rewards, with its original Internet of Things (IoT) network now boasting more than a quarter of a million active nodes. Now it aims to do the same thing with 5G connectivity in partnership with infrastructure provider FreedomFi, and mobile service and TV provider Dish Network has signed up to help. Today, Dish Network announced a deal with Helium, enabling Dish wireless customers to share 5G wireless ser...
Sep 29, 2021
Technology
San Jose to Fund Low-Income Internet Access With Helium Crypto Mining
Helium is a crypto startup with an inventive approach to wireless connectivity: rather than rely on major wireless carriers, it uses a network of user-operated nodes distributed around the world to power Internet of Things (IoT) devices. That kind of out-of-the-box thinking is now being used to fund a public-benefit project as well. Today, Helium and the City of San Jose, California, announced a public-private partnership to help fund internet access for low-income households within the city. Mo...
Aug 10, 2021
Business
Andreessen-Backed Helium Raises $111 Million to Grow Crypto Wireless Network
Helium’s LongFi wireless network isn’t powered by big mobile carriers, but rather distributed node operators creating a blanket of coverage for Internet of things (IoT) devices in locations around the world. And they’re earning crypto token rewards all the while. Now the crypto-powered network has some major backers onboard as part of a new $111 million funding round announced today. Venture capital giant Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto fund led the funding round, which also featured participation...