Carlos Lei on Uplink, Mesh Networks, and Why DePIN Could Break the Connectivity Bottleneck in 2026 | Ep. 507

In an exclusive interview with Cryptonews, Carlos Lei, CEO of Uplink, explains why the world has already hit a connectivity bottleneck—and why the traditional “build more towers” telecom model is no longer financially sustainable. Lei, who has worked in connectivity since the early days of mesh networking research in Portugal, says demand for data and connected devices has outpaced both infrastructure capacity and telecom unit economics. As costs rise to deploy new infrastructure while the price-per-data continues to fall, telcos are increasingly forced to rent access and adopt multi-source strategies. Uplink’s thesis is simple: the infrastructure already exists everywhere in the form of Wi-Fi routers—so the next step is to coordinate it at scale with incentives, security, and seamless user experience.

Lei describes Uplink as a connectivity marketplace that matches enterprises and telecoms (including MVNOs) with underutilized Wi-Fi capacity for network offloading—often delivering better indoor performance than cellular while lowering costs. Crucially, the handoff is designed to be automatic, so users don’t have to constantly join new networks as they move through cities, buildings, and public spaces. The result is a “win-win-win”: improved service quality, cheaper delivery for carriers, and new monetization for router owners—without compromising privacy. Lei also points to real-world traction from enterprise pilots, where Uplink reportedly drove measurable increases in customers, data transactions, and connected devices—evidence that decentralized infrastructure can deliver Web2-grade results with Web3-style incentives.

Carlos Lei on Why Uplink Built on Avalanche and the Case for DePIN in 2026

A key technical and strategic choice is Uplink’s decision to build on Avalanche after the “9000” upgrade. Lei says the selection came down to three core factors: execution capability, community alignment, and ecosystem “cross-pollination”—the ability for multiple projects to collaborate and share participation without constantly competing for the exact same users. He also explains why Uplink uses a dual-token model: ULX functions as the incentive layer for growing supply, while Network Credits provide stable, predictable pricing for enterprises that don’t want volatility in their cost-per-gigabyte. This structure, he argues, makes it possible to serve real Web2 buyers while still using crypto rails to solve the “chicken-and-egg” marketplace problem.

Looking ahead, Lei frames 2026 as the year DePIN moves from narrative to scale. In his view, the category has reached maturity: year one was building, year two was testing, and now projects are ready to deploy commercially, prove revenues, and show measurable outcomes. For Uplink, that means expanding public testnet visibility, accelerating enterprise rollouts, and approaching a TGE only once product traction and business fundamentals are strong enough that the token strengthens the network rather than distracting the team.