In a landmark move for decentralized physical infrastructure (DePIN), Daylight, a blockchain-powered renewable energy initiative, has raised $75 million in a Series B funding round aimed at transforming how solar power is generated, shared, and monetized. The round highlights the growing investor appetite for real-world blockchain applications that extend far beyond crypto trading and speculation, particularly in clean energy and sustainability.
As the world faces mounting energy challenges and an urgent need for greener alternatives, Daylight’s hybrid approach combining decentralized networks with real-world solar hardware could mark one of the most promising use cases for Web3 infrastructure to date.
The Funding Round: A Vote of Confidence in Energy DePIN
Daylight’s latest funding was led by Eclipse Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), with participation from Paradigm, Electric Capital, Samsung Next, and several climate-focused investment groups. The $75 million injection brings the company’s total funding to over $100 million, positioning it as one of the largest DePIN players globally.
According to Daylight’s CEO Lucas Meier, the funds will be used to expand solar hardware deployment, scale blockchain integration, and onboard households and enterprises to its decentralized energy grid.
“Our mission is simple but transformative,” said Meier. “We’re decentralizing energy access. By combining blockchain transparency with renewable infrastructure, we’re empowering communities to generate, share, and earn from clean power without depending on traditional utility monopolies.”
The round comes at a time when DePIN networks are drawing massive venture interest, as investors look beyond the digital-only economy to real-world use cases.
What Is Daylight, and How Does It Work?
At its core, Daylight operates as a solar energy network built on blockchain, allowing individuals and businesses to install solar panels, connect to a decentralized energy marketplace, and trade surplus power with others in real time.
Producers (solar panel owners) generate power, which is tokenized as energy credits on the blockchain.
Consumers can purchase this energy using Daylight’s native token, $DLT, or stablecoins.
Smart contracts automatically match buyers and sellers, ensuring transparent pricing and instant settlement.
Validators (known as “Sun Nodes”) verify transactions and power outputs, securing the network while earning staking rewards.
This setup makes Daylight both a clean energy provider and a DePIN protocol, bridging the gap between physical infrastructure and decentralized finance.
Why DePIN Could Be the Next Big Web3 Trend
DePIN, short for Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks, represents a new generation of blockchain projects focused on real-world utilities like energy grids, data storage, and connectivity. By rewarding users who contribute hardware or resources, DePIN networks build crowdsourced infrastructure without the need for centralized corporations.
Daylight’s model fits squarely within this framework. Just as Helium decentralized wireless connectivity and Filecoin decentralized data storage, Daylight aims to decentralize power production literally.
“DePIN is about breaking the monopoly of physical infrastructure,” said Chris Dixon, general partner at a16z Crypto. “Daylight’s network shows how token incentives and community ownership can accelerate renewable adoption faster than any top-down government initiative.”
This approach could also drive energy resilience in developing regions, where unreliable grids and high installation costs often prevent renewable access.
From Pilot Projects to Global Deployment
Daylight began as a small pilot in Southern California in 2022, connecting just 200 households to a shared, tokenized solar grid. Within two years, the project has grown to include over 20,000 active nodes across eight countries, including India, Brazil, Kenya, and Spain.
Each node represents either a residential solar panel or a commercial rooftop installation linked to Daylight’s blockchain network. These nodes collectively contribute an estimated 400 megawatts (MW) of solar capacity, roughly equivalent to powering 60,000 homes.
With the new funding, Daylight plans to triple its capacity by the end of 2026, adding new incentives for both individuals and renewable startups to join its ecosystem.
How the Token Economy Powers the Grid
Daylight’s ecosystem runs on its native utility token, $DLT, which serves as the backbone of its decentralized energy economy.
Here’s how it works:
Solar contributors earn $DLT for generating and supplying renewable power.
Consumers use $DLT to pay for electricity or offset carbon credits.
Validators stake $DLT to secure the network and verify energy data.
Investors can lock tokens in “SunVaults,” Daylight’s version of yield pools, to fund infrastructure expansion.
According to the project’s whitepaper, 1 $DLT represents 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) of verified solar energy, a design that ties digital value directly to real-world utility.
The company claims this system will “tokenize sunlight,” turning renewable energy production into a transparent, tradeable digital asset class.
The Green Crypto Narrative Reignited
Daylight’s success taps into a broader shift within the crypto industry: a growing focus on sustainability and real-world impact.
In previous years, cryptocurrencies faced criticism for their environmental footprint, especially due to energy-intensive mining. But projects like Daylight are flipping that narrative, using blockchain to incentivize green behavior instead.
“For years, crypto was seen as the villain of the energy story,” said Kathleen Bright, climate economist at GreenLedger Research. “Now, DePIN initiatives are proving that decentralized tech can accelerate the clean transition not slow it down.”
The network’s transparency also helps solve one of renewable energy’s long-standing challenges: verifiable green credits. Every kilowatt-hour on Daylight is logged on-chain, ensuring traceability for carbon offsets and ESG reporting.
Partnerships: Building a Decentralized Energy Alliance
As part of its expansion plans, Daylight has signed key partnerships with both solar equipment manufacturers and local governments.
In Kenya, it’s collaborating with Gridless Energy to bring tokenized solar power to off-grid villages.
In India, it’s working with Tata Power Solar to onboard small-scale solar entrepreneurs.
In Spain, Daylight is integrating its platform with Iberdrola’s microgrid division, exploring hybrid DePIN-grid models.
Additionally, the company is in talks with several DeFi protocols to integrate energy-backed assets into lending platforms, allowing users to stake or collateralize their energy production for liquidity.
A Convergence of DeFi and GreenTech
This overlap between decentralized finance (DeFi) and green technology (GreenTech) could prove pivotal.
Energy-backed tokens create new possibilities for borrowing, lending, and trading real-world value on-chain, all while funding renewable expansion.
“What makes Daylight special is its composability,” noted Ryan Selkis, CEO of Messari. “They’ve built an ecosystem where energy production, financing, and consumption all interact through smart contracts. It’s DeFi for sunlight.”
This concept could redefine how renewable infrastructure is financed. Instead of relying solely on government subsidies, decentralized networks can now crowdfund solar adoption through token economies.
Challenges Ahead: Regulation and Real-World Complexity
Despite the excitement, challenges remain.
Energy markets are heavily regulated, and integrating blockchain-based systems into national grids requires coordination with multiple authorities. Daylight must navigate compliance, consumer protection, and environmental reporting standards across different jurisdictions.
“The biggest obstacle is regulatory alignment,” admitted CEO Lucas Meier. “We’re working closely with policymakers to ensure our model supports not disrupts existing energy goals.”
Physical maintenance also presents hurdles. Unlike purely digital networks, Daylight’s model involves hardware, meaning logistics, installations, and maintenance must scale efficiently to match demand.
However, the project has already developed partnerships with solar cooperatives and local contractors to handle installation and upkeep, ensuring growth doesn’t come at the cost of operational sustainability.
The Road Ahead: A Global Energy DAO
Looking to the future, Daylight plans to transition into a fully decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) by 2026.
The DAO will oversee funding allocation, governance, and infrastructure expansion, effectively turning the global solar network into a community-owned power grid.
Key upcoming milestones include:
Launching Daylight v2, a modular blockchain built for high-volume IoT data.
Introducing energy-backed NFTs, representing ownership of physical panels or energy shares.
Expanding Sun Node validator programs to over 50 countries.
Developing a mobile app that allows users to monitor generation, trading, and rewards in real time.
“We’re not just building a company we’re building a cooperative,” said Meier. “Every participant, from households to validators, is a co-owner in a cleaner, decentralized future.”
The Broader Context: DePIN Momentum Across Industries
Daylight’s momentum adds to a broader DePIN boom reshaping multiple sectors:
IoT and wireless networks: Helium and WiFi Map.
Storage and compute: Filecoin, Akash, and Render.
Mobility and mapping: Hivemapper and DIMO.
Energy and sustainability: Daylight, Powerledger, and SunContract.
With over $1.7 billion in total DePIN investments so far in 2025, analysts believe this may be the next major blockchain narrative, one that connects Web3 incentives with tangible, physical-world impact.
“DePIN is where crypto meets reality,” said Messari analyst Emma Zhao. “Projects like Daylight will define the next decade of blockchain adoption.”
Investor Takeaway
Daylight’s $75 million raise signals that crypto’s utility era is here, and it’s shining a light on how decentralized networks can fuel sustainable transformation. By combining financial innovation with renewable energy access, Daylight exemplifies what happens when blockchain meets purpose.
If successful, it won’t just power homes; it could power a new paradigm for global infrastructure ownership, where sunlight becomes a shared digital asset and every kilowatt-hour contributes to both profit and planet.