Key takeaways

• DePIN replaces centralized cloud providers with distributed, user-operated nodes,

making compute power more accessible for immersive technologies.

• Mawari Network uses spatial streaming to deliver 3D metaverse environments more efficiently. In select demos, it has reduced bandwidth usage by up to 80%, though results may vary depending on deployment conditions.
• YOM decentralizes cloud gaming by distributing GPU rendering across global nodes. Under optimal network conditions, it has achieved sub-20ms latency — though real-world performance may differ based on geography and infrastructure.
• The direction of metaverse infrastructure may depend on which priority dominates: visual fidelity (Mawari) or low-latency responsiveness (YOM).
• The race is on: will visual fidelity (Mawari) or real-time responsiveness (YOM) define the future? The metaverse market is projected to exceed $490 billion by 2030.

DePIN’s Emerging Role In Digital Content Delivery

Digital content is starting to move away from centralized cloud giants and toward decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePIN). 

Instead of relying on platforms like AWS or Google Cloud, DePIN distributes bandwidth, storage, and compute tasks across a global network of user-operated nodes. This setup reduces lag, boosts reliability during high-demand events like VR concerts or online gaming, and eliminates single points of failure.

By rewarding contributors with tokens, DePIN also builds a new kind of digital economy around shared infrastructure.

Leading this shift are platforms like:

• Mawari, which delivers high-quality 3D metaverse content using spatial streaming optimized for decentralized nodes.
• YOM (Your Open Metaverse), which decentralizes game rendering to offer ultra-low latency, ideal for competitive, real-time gameplay.

Mawari’s $10.8M funding (Q4 2024) and partnerships with KDDI, T-Mobile, and Netflix bolster its DePIN for spatial streaming. YOM’s migration to the peaq blockchain, partnerships with NVIDIA and Google for Startups, and node rewards up to 480% APY drive its gaming ecosystem. YOM also prioritizes sustainability by leveraging idle GPUs, reducing the environmental impact of traditional data centers.

But the road ahead isn’t frictionless. DePIN still has to prove it can meet—or outperform—centralized leaders like NVIDIA GeForce NOW and Amazon EC2, especially when it comes to performance and user experience

Mawari Network: Streaming The Metaverse In 3D

Mawari Network is at the forefront of spatial streaming—a method that renders only the parts of a 3D environment a user is actively viewing. This targeted rendering dramatically reduces bandwidth demands while maintaining high visual quality. Instead of streaming entire scenes, Mawari delivers just what’s needed in real time.

How does it work?

• Adaptive bitrate streaming: Adjusts quality on the fly based on device and network conditions, delivering smooth AR/VR experiences even on 5G or lower-speed broadband.
• DePIN experimentation: Mawari has explored the use of decentralized GPU networks for rendering to reduce dependence on centralized cloud providers. While Render Network is one such example cited in discussions, a full integration or production-scale deployment has not been publicly confirmed as of Q2 2025.
• Enterprise adoption: BMW has tested Mawari’s technology for virtual factory training with 40% cost savings. While some reports mention reduced prototyping costs, the 40% figure has not been independently verified through a public case study or official statement.

Mawari’s Digital Entertainment City Namba, launched with Nankai Electric Railway and Meta Osaka, showcases AI-driven XR avatars for tourism and customer service, proving real-world scalability. Their Q4 2024 node sale, offering Guardian, Spatial Streamer, and Pulse nodes, enhances network resilience, supported by a Solana Foundation grant. Enterprises like BMW benefit from virtual training and prototyping, though specific cost savings (e.g., 40%) remain unverified.

Tokenomics & Incentives

Mawari runs on its native token, $MWR, which fuels its decentralized economy:

• GPU providers earn tokens for contributing unused hardware (e.g., a PC in Toronto streaming 3D assets to Tokyo).
• Content creators are rewarded for uploading models, which adapt automatically to spatial streaming formats.
• Validators maintain performance standards by verifying render quality and uptime.

Challenges

• Hardware requirements – High-end GPUs like the RTX 4090 are needed for complex rendering, limiting who can join the network.
• Content fragmentation – Competing 3D formats such as USDZ and glTF make interoperability a challenge.

YOM: Decentralizing Cloud Gaming, One Frame at a Time

YOM (Your Open Metaverse) is reimagining cloud gaming by distributing rendering across its DePIN. Instead of depending on centralized data centers, YOM breaks games into individual frames and processes them across nearby GPU nodes. This edge-first approach dramatically lowers latency, targeting performance that rivals local hardware.

How does it work?

• Distributed rendering – Games are split into individual frames, rendered by DePIN nodes to reduce reliance on traditional infrastructure.
• Edge computing – Nodes are selected based on proximity to players, cutting data travel time and improving responsiveness.
• Dynamic load balancing – Tasks are automatically shifted during peak hours to avoid congestion and keep performance stable.

YOM’s migration to the peaq blockchain and Q4 2024 Genesis Node Series sale, offering up to 480% APY, expand its DePIN ecosystem. Their completed Unreal Engine 5 SDK powers games like Domenation, with alpha testing underway, and Telegram integration enables browser-based streaming. By using idle GPUs, YOM reduces the environmental impact of traditional data centers, enhancing sustainability.

Tokenomics & Incentives

YOM is powered by its native token, $YOM, which drives activity across its ecosystem:

• Node operators contribute idle GPUs and earn $YOM, expanding the network’s rendering capacity.
• Developers deploy games at lower costs than traditional cloud providers, sharing revenue with hardware contributors.
• Streamers can stake tokens to unlock high-resolution features like 4K or 120fps streaming.

Challenges

• Node consistency – Not all GPUs perform equally, which can lead to uneven frame rates in graphics-heavy titles.
• Bandwidth gaps – Limited internet infrastructure in some regions still makes high-quality streaming a challenge.

Comparing Models: Latency, Infrastructure, and Tokenomics

Mawari Network and YOM take two different paths toward decentralized content delivery, each tailored to specific needs in the immersive tech space. One prioritizes visual fidelity; the other is built for speed. The table below breaks down how their architectures, incentives, and trade-offs stack up side by side:

Latency: Quality vs. Speed

Mawari trades a bit of speed for visual precision—its higher latency is a fair compromise when the focus is high-fidelity 3D rendering. That’s especially important in industrial use cases, like when an architect needs to inspect a smart factory layout in photo-realistic detail. A short delay is acceptable if the visuals are exact.

YOM, on the other hand, is all about speed. Its sub-20ms latency is critical for esports, where every millisecond matters. Thanks to edge-based rendering, fast-paced titles like Valorant or Rocket League run with minimal lag, even on mid-tier GPUs.

Infrastructure: Power vs. Accessibility

Mawari’s architecture prioritizes high-end GPU performance, reportedly testing with setups like the RTX 4090 to enable photorealistic streaming in immersive environments. While this delivers cinematic quality, it may also narrow participation, as such hardware is limited to premium contributors and enterprise nodes.

YOM, on the other hand, emphasizes broader access. It supports contributors running consumer-grade GPUs such as the RTX 3060, enabling more decentralized participation. However, maintaining consistent performance—especially in graphics-heavy titles like Starfield or Cyberpunk 2077—may depend on the quality of individual nodes and regional network conditions.

Tokenomics: Creators vs. Gamers

• Mawari targets enterprise users and creative professionals. A 3D artist can earn $MWR for uploading assets to its decentralized model repository, which is auto-optimized for spatial streaming.
• YOM focuses on mass adoption and user participation. For instance, a Rocket League player in Manila can earn $YOM by renting idle GPU cycles during off-hours, creating a passive income stream.

The DePIN Advantage: Why Decentralized Infrastructure Matters for XR and Gaming

DePIN represents a transformative shift in how immersive technologies like Extended Reality (XR) and cloud gaming are delivered. By redistributing computational power from centralized data centers to user-operated nodes, DePIN addresses several limitations inherent in traditional infrastructure models.

• Censorship resistance: Centralized platforms can restrict content access. DePIN avoids this by using a distributed network of nodes, keeping data accessible even under regulatory pressure.
• Cost efficiency: DePIN cuts costs by replacing expensive cloud services with community-run nodes. Platforms like YOM let developers launch games more affordably while rewarding contributors with tokens.
• Scalability: Centralized servers often buckle under peak demand. DePIN scales dynamically by tapping into idle hardware, maintaining performance even during traffic spikes.

XR & Gaming Applications

• XR: Mawari’s spatial streaming technology enables high-fidelity industrial simulations, allowing engineers to interact with complex 3D models in real-time.
  Gaming: YOM’s low-latency infrastructure supports competitive cloud gaming experiences, providing players with responsiveness comparable to local hardware setups.

Mawari’s partnerships with T-Mobile, Qualcomm, and Netflix enhance XR scalability for enterprise and consumer applications. YOM’s Telegram integration and peaq migration make gaming accessible via browsers, driving adoption. Both platforms could benefit from bandwidth partnerships, such as with Starlink, to address connectivity gaps in underserved regions.

Challenges Ahead: Bandwidth, Adoption, and Real-World Use

While DePIN offers promising solutions for immersive technologies, several challenges must be addressed to achieve mainstream adoption.

• Bandwidth limitations: High-res streaming, like 8K/120fps, still demands internet speeds over 1 Gbps. While Mawari cuts bandwidth needs by up to 80%, most regions lack this level of connectivity. In the U.S., only 18% of plans reach 1 Gbps, and rural areas in India or Sub-Saharan Africa often fall below 50 Mbps. Platforms like YOM also struggle with performance in areas where broadband is unstable.
• Adoption barriers: Shifting from mainstream platforms like AWS or PlayStation Plus to DePIN alternatives isn’t just about offering token rewards. Gamers used to polished interfaces may hesitate with early-stage platforms like YOM, while enterprises may distrust decentralized nodes for critical operations. Developers also face challenges, as tools and SDKs for bringing AAA games to DePIN environments are still maturing.

Despite the above challenges, YOM’s participation in the Outlier Ventures/Borderless Capital DePIN incubator provides grants and resources to developers, fostering ecosystem growth. Mawari’s Nodi AI assistant simplifies node setup, lowering adoption barriers for non-technical users. Bandwidth partnerships, such as with Starlink, remain speculative but could address connectivity gaps in regions with sub-50 Mbps speeds.

Real-World Viability

Demonstrating the tangible benefits of DePIN in real-world scenarios remains a challenge:

• Enterprise hesitation: While companies like Boeing have explored digital manufacturing simulations, concerns about node consistency and reliability in decentralized networks may impede widespread adoption.
• Gamer skepticism: Early users of cloud gaming platforms have reported performance inconsistencies in graphically intensive games like Elden Ring, attributing issues to variability in node hardware.

Potential solutions

• Bandwidth partnerships: Collaborate with satellite internet providers like Starlink to enhance connectivity in underserved regions.
• Developer incentives: Offer grants and resources to studios developing DePIN-native games, fostering a robust ecosystem.
• Enterprise pilots: Initiate pilot programs with Fortune 500 companies to demonstrate the return on investment (ROI) in training and prototyping applications.

Which Vision Has More ‘Play’ in the Long Term?

Mawari Network and YOM represent divergent paths for DePIN’s future—one prioritizing immersive quality, the other competitive speed. Yet their success isn’t mutually exclusive. Instead, they highlight DePIN’s versatility in reshaping digital content delivery across industries.

Mawari’s Edge: The Industrial Metaverse

Mawari’s spatial streaming is poised to dominate enterprise applications where precision matters most. Industries like automotive, aerospace, and architecture already leverage its tech for virtual prototyping and training, saving millions in physical costs. As 5G/6G networks expand, Mawari’s bandwidth-efficient model could become the backbone of smart factories and IoT-integrated simulations.

YOM’s Play: Democratizing Cloud Gaming

YOM leverages decentralized infrastructure to deliver sub-20ms latency, ideal for esports and indie titles. As per Coherent market insights, while AAA complexity remains a hurdle, its model offers affordable, scalable access, especially in mobile-first regions like Southeast Asia.

The Real Winner? DePIN Itself

The true “alpha” lies not in picking a side but in recognizing DePIN’s disruptive potential. Imagine a hybrid future:

• Mawari-YOM collaborations: Combining spatial streaming’s detail with YOM’s speed for hybrid XR/gaming platforms.
• Decentralized super apps: DePIN-powered hubs where users earn tokens for streaming games, rendering 3D assets, or hosting AR content.

As DePIN redefines digital infrastructure, Mawari and YOM are paving the way for a metaverse that’s both visually stunning and instantly responsive. Their distinct approaches—spatial streaming for immersive fidelity and edge rendering for real-time gaming—complement each other, unlocking a spectrum of possibilities from enterprise XR to esports. 

By empowering users to contribute compute power and earn rewards, DePIN fosters a collaborative economy that challenges centralized giants. As 5G/6G and satellite internet expand, and developer tools mature, this decentralized vision will reshape how one creates, plays, and connects, building a metaverse where innovation and accessibility thrive together.