For the DePIN Community
If you've participated in Helium, Geodnet, Hivemapper, Wingbits, or other DePIN networks, you already understand the model. This page is for you. It covers what makes FliteGrid different, why the opportunity is compelling, and how it compares to projects you already know.
The Short Version
FliteGrid is a drone tracking sensor network built on top of SkySafe, a company that has been operating for nearly a decade with real revenue, real customers, and proven technology. The FAA mandated that all drones broadcast Remote ID as of March 2024, but no nationwide receiver infrastructure exists. FliteGrid builds that infrastructure through community-deployed sensors, with data sold through SkySafe's existing enterprise sales channels. Revenue from data sales flows back to the token through a buyback mechanism.
What's Different Here
Most DePIN projects launch with a whitepaper, a token, and a promise to build both supply and demand simultaneously. FliteGrid is launching with something that's hard to find in this space: an existing business with paying customers.
SkySafe has been operating since 2015. The company has raised just under $50M from investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Founder Collective, and SVAngel. It generates millions in annual revenue from enterprise and government customers who pay for drone tracking data and airspace intelligence.
The technology is already built. SkySafe has fully validated receiver software for all Remote ID protocols and a production cloud platform that has processed over 1 million tracked flights. FliteGrid sensors run this same proven software. You're not betting on whether the tech will work. It already does.
The customers are already buying. SkySafe's existing customer base includes military, border security, law enforcement, airports, critical infrastructure operators, stadiums, and universities. FliteGrid data feeds directly into the same platform these customers already pay for. New coverage from community sensors immediately expands the product these customers are purchasing.
Regulatory demand is mandated, not speculative. The FAA requires every drone in the US to broadcast Remote ID. The FAA's Part 146 rulemaking explicitly creates a certified role for Automated Data Service Providers in the national airspace system. This isn't a bet on whether the market will develop. The government has mandated both the data source (Remote ID broadcasts) and the infrastructure role (ADSPs) that FliteGrid fills.
How This Compares
If you've looked at or participated in other sensor DePIN networks, here are the key differences:
vs. Wingbits: Wingbits tracks manned aircraft via ADS-B. FliteGrid tracks drones via Remote ID, which is a new regulatory requirement with no established competition for nationwide data collection. Both use H3 hex grids and Solana, and both have similar reward structures.
vs. Geodnet: Geodnet provides RTK/GPS correction data through community-deployed GNSS receivers. It's one of the strongest DePIN projects by revenue metrics, with consistent quarterly growth and a clear customer base. FliteGrid shares some structural similarities (sensor deployment, enterprise data sales, hex-based coverage), but operates in an entirely different data category. The playbook Geodnet has proven, steady revenue growth with verifiable customer spend, is the same playbook FliteGrid is following with drone tracking data.
vs. Helium: Helium proved that DePIN could build real infrastructure at scale, deploying hundreds of thousands of hotspots worldwide. FliteGrid is a much more targeted network: the addressable deployment is measured in tens of thousands of sensors covering specific airspace, not millions of hotspots blanketing cities. The comparison is less about model similarity and more about what Helium proved is possible with community-deployed hardware.
vs. Hivemapper: Hivemapper built a mapping network where drivers contribute dashcam imagery. It's a good example of a DePIN project where the data has enterprise value (mapping for autonomous vehicles, logistics, real estate). FliteGrid operates similarly in that the data generated by participants has direct enterprise value, but the data type (drone tracking vs. street-level imagery) and deployment model (stationary sensors vs. mobile dashcams) are different.
Miner Economics
The FliteGrid sensor costs $949, similar to other sensor-based DePIN hardware.
Rewards scale with the value of the airspace your sensor covers. Sensors deployed near airports, critical infrastructure, correctional facilities, stadiums, military installations, borders, and other high-value locations earn more. The H3 hex grid maps these values across the country, and hex values will adjust over time to reflect changing airspace needs and customer demand.
During the preorder phase, early participants receive bonus reward points on a tiered basis. The first 1,000 sensors purchased earn the highest bonus allocation.
SkySafe's existing revenue base means that data from FliteGrid sensors has an immediate path to monetization. This isn't a situation where you're deploying hardware and hoping demand shows up later. SkySafe is already selling this data to customers. More coverage means more value in the product, which means more revenue, which flows back to token holders.
The Revenue Flywheel
Here's how value flows through the system:
You deploy a sensor that collects real-time drone tracking data.
That data feeds into SkySafe's cloud platform alongside data from all other FliteGrid sensors.
SkySafe sells access to this data to government and enterprise customers.
Revenue generated from FliteGrid data goes to buying $FLITE tokens.
SkySafe publishes quarterly revenue reports so the community can track performance.
This is the same buyback model that's becoming standard across successful DePIN projects (Geodnet, Wingbits, and others use similar mechanisms). The difference is that FliteGrid has an established sales organization and existing customer relationships generating revenue from day one of network operation.
Why Now
The first 1,000 preorders receive the highest tier of bonus reward points. Early participants in successful DePIN networks have historically seen the best returns, and FliteGrid's early participant rewards are designed with that dynamic in mind. Sensors ship and the network goes live Q3 2026, and the token launches Q1 2027.
The window for early participation is open now.
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