Wicrypt Network, a decentralized mobile Internet sharing and monetization network, announces expanding its integration with pea`q, the go-to blockchain for real-world applications. The first Wicrypt WiFi hotspots are already live on krest, peaq’s sister blockchain, outfitted with their unique peaq `IDs. The new version of the Wicrypt operating system makes the devices compatible with peaq off-the-shelf, making it easier for people purchasing them to connect them with the network.
Unequal access to the internet, also known simply as the digital d`ivide, still looms large over the world, with some 2.7 billion people — about one-third of the global population — lacking access to the World Wide Web. Asia and Africa, the world’s two most populous continents, are also the most affected, with their respective internet penetration standing at 61% and 40%. And it’s usually the most vulnerable communities, those who’d stand a lot to gain from the access to online education, earning, and banking opportunities, that end up left behind most often.
Wicrypt, an innovative startup from Nigeria, is working to make the Web more accessible globally through its decentralized physical infrastructure network (DePIN) of WiFi hotspots. The hotspots enable people and businesses to share their Web connection with others, thus solving the last-mile delivery challenge, and earn tokens based on their usage stats. Currently, Wicrypt’s DePIN counts more than 1,100 hotspots and stretches across 30+ countries, with some 45,000 accounts using more than 895TB of data.
As part of its integration with peaq, first announced back in April 2023, Wicrypt has now connected several hotspots with krest, peaq’s sister chain for testing dApps and DePINs, which went live in June. The hotspots now have their unique peaq IDs, which enable them to interact with the network, and can be found on Subscan — the blockchain explorer compatible with krest — here, here, and here. The devices are now able to register their transactions on krest, which is a crucial step for further development, and will be able to earn rewards from krest’s network fee distribution with future updates.
Furthermore, Wicrypt has released a new version of its operating system for the devices, which makes them compatible with peaq off-the-shelf. New users joining the network will have the option to purchase a device that’s been connected with krest in advance. The owners of existing devices will be able to switch to this operating system manually.
“We are thrilled to be moving ahead with this integration and bringing the first hotspots live on krest,” says Ugochukwu Aronu, the CEO at Wicrypt. “As a production-grade network, krest gives us a perfect testing environment for everything we build on peaq, and in the longer term, it will boost the rewards users earn on our DePIN ecosystem. It’s the perfect incentivisation mechanism to power connecting the disconnected.”
“The digital divide is the plague of today’s world,” says Till Wendler, co-founder of peaq. “It’s exciting to see krest work as a testing ground for a project working to cure it. The launch of Wicrypt hotspots on krest is just the beginning as this DePIN takes on the global crisis with top-notch Web3 tools and a desire to make the world a better place.”
