It’s temporary at this time. Nubila says eventually multiple starions that are near each other will have rewards reduced, however I dont see anything about the device that can enforce this. It’s essentially an ESP32 with temperature, pressure, humidity, and windspeed…there is no GPS.

Using a phone to validate location wont be a very strong anti-cheat method since these devices are made to be mobile. You could take them to another location to validate location then move them to a single farm location.

Yeah, I agree with you, this seems to be a common pattern across DePIN projects. They typically focus on building out the network first and then work on attracting paying users. I think the rationale is that it’s much easier to bring in VCs and paying customers once there’s already a solid base of devices online. It adds credibility to the project by showing that people are willing to invest in the hardware, which in turn signals belief in the project’s long-term potential.

Fully agreed with this… it’s a little bit weird that they would allow so many devices in one area. However, I know that Nubila is very focused on the Dallas area now and is offering 50% off for anyone who deploys in this area. Plus apparently many more areas like these are coming in the pipeline. So at least we are seeing them make an effort of deploying properly!

Almost all of these projects make money by selling the hardware initially. Even if they say they dont, it funds building the project more until vc money rolls in. Nubila has mentioned before it wont be unlimited devices per location at some point in the future. So people can farm tokens sure, but they will get screwed with all the extra hardware in their possession. The plantwatch example is a perfect example how it turns into a shitshow. I like the wingbits system of 1 unit per giant hex. You can tell they thought about it and not just to sell hardware but more spread the coverage without overlapping too much. My 2 cents