Bear Market Signs? Why DePINs Like Mawari Are Laughing All the Way to the Bank 🚀

There's no sugarcoating it: storm clouds are gathering in the crypto markets.

Bitcoin's price chart looks like it's trying to draw a particularly ambitious mountain range, trading volumes are shrinking faster than our motivation to lift weights, and macroeconomic uncertainty has investors reaching for their comfort blankets. 🚨

Every crypto subreddit and Twitter space is packed with self-proclaimed "experts" offering contradictory advice that basically amounts to: "Trust me bro, I can totally predict the future!"

But here's what they're not telling you: not all projects are created equal when the bears come out to play.

While speculative tokens often face steep declines in bear markets, DePIN projects like Mawari operate on a fundamentally different model—one that's designed to thrive regardless of whether the market is popping champagne or crying into its ramen.

In this blog post, we're diving into why DePIN represents one of the most resilient investment categories during market downturns, and how projects like Mawari specifically are positioned to not just survive but thrive even when the broader crypto market is having an existential crisis.

And the best part? You still have time to position yourself before the masses realize what DePIN experts already know (we're not saying we told you so... but we totally told you so).

In this blog, you'll discover:

• Why DePIN's utility-driven model creates a protective economic moat during market downturns 🛡️
• How real-world revenue streams separate DePINs from purely speculative tokens 💰
• The $47.1 billion AI Agents market that continues growing regardless of crypto market sentiment 🚀
• Why Mawari's technology and partnerships create resilience against market volatility 🔒
• How to balance your crypto portfolio with infrastructure plays to weather any market storm ⚖️

Market Warning Signs

First, let's address the elephant in the room: yes, there are concerning signs of potential market turbulence ahead.

But here's the key insight that experienced investors understand: bear markets don't affect all projects equally.

The projects that typically suffer most are those built primarily on hype, lacking fundamental value, or depending entirely on continuous market enthusiasm. The projects that weather the storm best are those providing essential infrastructure with real utility and consistent demand.

Looking at historical data, DePIN as a sector has shown remarkable resilience. While the broader crypto market experienced significant volatility in 2024, the DePIN sector grew from $20 billion to over $50 billion in market cap. Even more telling, revenue from DePIN projects surged from $100 million in 2022 to over $5 billion in 2024.

This isn't coincidental—it's structural.

Why DePINs Stay Strong When Markets Falter

DePIN projects have fundamental advantages that create resilience during market downturns, or as we like to call it, "when crypto decides to go home and rethink its life."

1. Utility-Based Revenue Models (AKA Actually Making Money)

Unlike tokens that rely solely on speculation, infrastructure DePINs generate revenue from actual service usage. When you provide essential infrastructure, people need your services regardless of market conditions.

For example, Mawari's decentralized content delivery network for spatial computing continues to process transactions and generate fees whether token prices are up or down. Their partnerships with companies like KDDI and Nankai Electric Railway create consistent demand that doesn't disappear during market corrections.

Last time we checked, telecom companies don't stop needing infrastructure just because Bitcoin is having a bad day. 👀

2. Physical Assets Backing Token Value

DePINs are backed by tangible, physical infrastructure—nodes, servers, and hardware that retain value regardless of market sentiment. This creates a price floor that purely digital assets don't have.

While a speculative NFT might lose 99% of its value in a bear market, physical infrastructure retains utility and replacement value, providing a buffer against extreme price drops.

3. Counter-Cyclical Cost Advantages

Bear markets actually create opportunities for infrastructure projects to expand more cheaply. Network hardware costs often decrease, talent becomes more available, and expansion becomes less expensive.

This means projects like Mawari can actually accelerate growth during downturns, positioning themselves for even greater success when the market eventually recovers.

It's like getting to build your dream house during a construction slump—same house, half the price.

4. Long-Term, Sticky Revenue

Infrastructure services tend to have high switching costs, creating stable, long-term revenue streams. Once a business integrates with Mawari's spatial computing infrastructure, they're unlikely to switch providers during market turbulence.

Let's be clear: DePIN tokens will still ride the crypto rollercoaster—just like Amazon plummeted from $116 to $9 during the dotcom crash despite improving fundamentals. The difference? While speculative projects often disappear in bear markets, DePINs with real-world utility keep operating because their services remain needed outside the crypto ecosystem.

As customer base and network revenue grow, more token value becomes backed by actual cash flows rather than pure speculation. The speculative premium may evaporate during downturns, but the revenue-backed floor remains—providing both survival potential and a solid foundation for recovery when the market cycle turns.

You're not betting on fairy dust—you're betting on infrastructure that generates value regardless of market sentiment.

AI Agents as a Case Study

Once again, the speculative, hype-based projects simply piggy-backing off the buzzword "AI Agents" have now hit rock-bottom.

Remember the frenzy? Luna AI skyrocketed 1,400% in early 2024. The elizaOS framework tokens saw similar parabolic growth. Various AI agent launchpads promised to be the "Ethereum of AI agents." Today, many of these tokens have crashed 80-95% from their highs.

Yet, the economic value and paradigm shift that AI agents will bring continues gaining mainstream acceptance, completely oblivious to crypto's dramatic mood swings.

McKinsey predicts AI agents will automate up to 70% of service jobs. Forbes declares "SaaS is Dead, Long Live AI Agents." The Wall Street Journal reports that 62% of Fortune 500 companies are already implementing autonomous AI agents.

According to recent market research, the AI Agents market was valued at $5.1 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $47.1 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 44.8%.

This growth occurs regardless of crypto market cycles because:

1. Enterprises continue AI adoption even in economic downturns, often accelerating digital transformation to cut costs
2. Customer service automation becomes more critical during cost-cutting periods
3. Real-world applications drive demand independent of crypto speculation

Now, let's connect the dots. Mawari is ushering in the mixed reality content era. AI Agents are changing the world of services.

Picture this: what if Mawari's mixed reality content delivery capabilities could synergize with AI agents to usher in the age of 3D AI agents? No more chatting on a 2D screen. We're talking fully animated, lifelike, 3D recreations delivering all of your needs, AUTONOMOUSLY.

Imagine walking through Osaka Station and a lifelike 3D AI concierge appears through your AR glasses, guiding you while answering questions in your native language. Or shopping online with a personalized AI stylist in your living room, showing exactly how different outfits would look on you.

This isn't science fiction—it's the immediate future that Mawari's infrastructure enables. Their split-rendering technology solves the fundamental challenges that have prevented 3D AI agents from becoming mainstream.

How Mawari is Built to Withstand Market Storms

Mawari represents a particularly resilient DePIN investment for several reasons:

1. Revenue Diversification

Mawari generates revenue from multiple streams:

• Infrastructure fees from content delivery
• Enterprise partnerships with companies like KDDI and Nankai Electric Railway
• Developer services for creating immersive experiences

This diversification ensures that even if one revenue stream is impacted by market conditions, others can maintain stability. It's the financial equivalent of not depending on a single income source—smart in any economy.

2. Strategic Partnerships

Mawari has secured partnerships with established companies that continue operating regardless of crypto market conditions:

• KDDI Corporation (Japan's second-largest telecommunications company)
• Nankai Electric Railway (operating in Osaka since 1885)

These partnerships provide consistent demand and revenue that isn't contingent on crypto market sentiment. When Nankai Electric Railway needs AI avatars to guide tourists through Osaka stations, they'll need Mawari's infrastructure regardless of what Bitcoin's price is doing.

3. Patent-Pending Technology With Clear Market Demand

Mawari's split-rendering technology addresses fundamental problems in delivering mixed reality content. This creates a technological moat that maintains value regardless of market cycles.

Their technology enables content like AI-powered 3D avatars to be distributed efficiently across networks—a capability that becomes increasingly valuable as spatial computing adoption grows.

4. Focus on Essential Infrastructure

Mawari has positioned itself as infrastructure for the $500 billion mixed reality market. This isn't a luxury service that gets cut during downturns—it's the foundation that enables the future of computing.

When Samsung Next calls Mawari a "sleeping lion" positioned to "lead the next wave of immersive experiences," they're recognizing the fundamental infrastructure value that persists through market cycles.

Strategic Portfolio Positioning and DePIN

So how should investors think about positioning themselves given these insights?

While we can't provide personalized investment advice (insert mandatory "this is not financial advice" disclaimer here), historical performance suggests that a balanced approach works best.

A. Core infrastructure allocation. Consider adding DePIN to a portion of your portfolio, and watch out for proven utility and revenue. They’re "vegetables" in your crypto diet—not as exciting as the dessert tokens, but much better for your long-term financial health.

B. Project selection criteria. Focus on projects with:

• Multiple revenue streams
• Physical infrastructure backing
• Strategic partnerships
• Essential technology solving real problems

C. Look out for timing considerations. Counter-intuitively, early signs of market weakness can be optimal times to increase infrastructure exposure, as you're often buying at better valuations while fundamental demand remains unchanged.

D. Be mindful of the long-term perspective. Infrastructure investments typically reward patient capital that can withstand short-term volatility for long-term growth.

The data is clear: DePIN investors who maintained positions during previous downturns were rewarded when markets eventually recovered, often outperforming those who tried to time market bottoms.

Building Through the Bear (While Others Hibernate)

Market cycles are inevitable in crypto as in traditional markets. What separates successful investors from the rest isn't their ability to predict these cycles (which is nearly impossible), but rather how they position their portfolios to weather any market condition.

DePIN projects like Mawari represent a fundamentally different value proposition than purely speculative crypto assets. They are one of many DePINs that work to create resilience that's increasingly valuable as market uncertainty grows.

While no investment is completely immune to market cycles, the data shows that DePINs maintain more fundamental value during downturns and are positioned to emerge stronger when markets recover.

With the upcoming Mawari node sale, investors have a timely opportunity to add infrastructure exposure to their portfolios—right when its value proposition might be most relevant. ⌚

The market will do what markets always do: fluctuate. But infrastructure? Infrastructure keeps building, regardless.

Ready to strengthen your portfolio with infrastructure? Sign up to be first in line when the Mawari node sale launches.

Your future self might thank you when others are panic-selling. 🏃‍♀️