Singapore, DePIN Day 2025 — In a candid conversation at DePIN Day Singapore, Alec Wilson, COO of Spexi and co-founder of the LayerDrone Network, shared insights into one of the most ambitious projects in decentralized infrastructure: a fully decentralized, standardized drone imagery protocol designed to scale globally.
Spexi and LayerDrone: Why the Split Matters
Originally launched in 2017, Spexi began as a software company automating drones to collect and distribute geospatial data for enterprise clients ranging from insurance to smart cities. But as the project matured and leaned into Web3 principles, the team made a pivotal decision: split the protocol and product into two separate entities.
“It made sense to separate the Web2 side from the Web3 side,” Alec explained. “Spexi can continue delivering services to clients, while LayerDrone evolves into a decentralized, token-powered network for both contributors and consumers of drone data.”
This move allows LayerDrone to operate as an open protocol—where anyone can contribute drone imagery and any company can access it, using a native token as the exchange mechanism.
Token Economics: Real Utility, Real Burn
With a token launch slated for the coming months, LayerDrone’s economic model emphasizes sustainable value accrual. Every transaction—whether initiated by Spexi or any other participant—must be paid for using the native token.
“The protocol will either burn the token or route it back to the treasury, depending on network health,” said Alec. “This creates natural scarcity and aligns incentives across contributors, consumers, and the ecosystem.”
Key features of the model:
- Fixed pricing for imagery access via the protocol
- Payment exclusively in native token
- Burn or treasury mechanisms to manage supply
- Revenue-share logic baked into protocol interactions
What’s Next: Global Expansion & Real Revenue
While the protocol is gearing up for token launch by the end of 2025, 2026 is positioned as a year of aggressive global expansion.
“We’re already piloting with large clients in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia,” Alec revealed. “Next year is about onboarding those customers and expanding the data coverage across geographies.”
LayerDrone aims to become the new standard for high-quality drone data—enabling a wide range of use cases from AI modeling to insurance assessments, all powered by an open and composable network structure.
A New Paradigm in Drone Infrastructure
LayerDrone is not just another data marketplace. It’s a fundamental redesign of how drone data is gathered, distributed, and monetized—bridging physical infrastructure with Web3 token mechanics, and creating real-world utility along the way.
As Alec put it, “We’re making drone data radically more available—and doing it in a way that anyone can plug into.”
