DeCharge

What It Is and the Problem It Solves

The global shift to electric vehicles is accelerating, but charging infrastructure has not kept pace. In most countries, the dominant EV charging model concentrates ownership in the hands of large operators that capture 50 to 80 percent of revenue from each session, leaving no economic stake for the communities actually hosting the chargers. Meanwhile, high upfront capital costs discourage the deployment of new stations in underserved areas, particularly in emerging markets where EV adoption is growing fastest.

DeCharge is a decentralized EV charging network built on Solana that inverts this model. Founded in 2024 and headquartered in Hyderabad, India, DeCharge enables anyone with a parking space and a power connection to become a charging station owner, earning from both direct charging fees and blockchain-based network rewards. The project sits at the intersection of DePIN (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks) and real-world asset investment, a model the team calls DePINFi.

How It Works

The DeCharge model has three layers: physical hardware, a software and connectivity stack, and an on-chain reward mechanism.

Hardware deployment: Participants purchase one of three DeCharge charger models and install it at a location they control — a home garage, apartment parking lot, workplace, or highway-adjacent commercial site. Once connected to the network, the charger begins generating both charging revenue from EV drivers and network rewards tied to uptime and usage.

Software and connectivity: Each device connects to DeCharge's cloud infrastructure over 4G or Wi-Fi, providing real-time monitoring, remote management, usage history, and AI-powered load balancing. Devices use the OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol) standard for broad compatibility with EVs and charging management systems. IoT-to-blockchain data flow is handled using hardware from DePHY, specifically their OSEM chip embedded in Beast devices, which validates real-world charging events before they trigger on-chain rewards.

On-chain rewards: Hosts earn base rewards automatically every ten minutes that their device is online. During active charging sessions the reward rate increases by a 10x multiplier, and a 5x multiplier applies for 24 hours following each session. The reward token is CHARGE, planned for launch in Q4 2026 with a total supply of 1.618 billion tokens. Prior to the token launch, accumulated ZK points are redeemable periodically through community campaigns. Token emissions are tied to verified on-chain charging data — kWh delivered and confirmed sessions — rather than being distributed on a fixed schedule.

Hardware Lineup

DeCharge currently offers three products targeting distinct segments:

DeCharge Mini (3.3 kW): Designed for homes, cafes, and small businesses. Supports all Indian EV standards including the Bharat AC-001 connector. Includes smart metering for consumption tracking and automatic billing. Hardware partners for the Mini include Cubenz and Flextron.

DeCharge Beast (7.4-7.5 kW): The flagship node for apartments, office complexes, workplaces, and commercial buildings. Includes cloud integration with real-time monitoring, AI-optimized load balancing, and predictive maintenance. OSEM chips from DePHY are embedded for tamper-resistant IoT-to-blockchain data verification. The Beast costs $699 per unit (with volume discounts for five or more) plus local electrical installation typically running $125 to $250. Hardware partners include Axonify, Cubenz, and Daze.

DeCharge Titan (30-60 kW): DC fast charger for fleets, highway corridors, and large commercial hubs. Weather-resistant casing designed for continuous outdoor use. OCPP-compliant for integration with existing charge management systems. Cubenz manufactures Titan variants.

DePINFi: Community Investment in Physical Corridors

Beyond individual device ownership, DeCharge has introduced a community investment mechanism called DePINFi, which allows pools of investors to collectively fund the deployment of EV charging corridors and earn yield from the resulting revenue.

In September 2025, DeCharge raised $150,000 through a pool on ReFi Hub within 12 days to fund Project Surya — 19 EV charging stations along a high-traffic highway corridor in Bangalore, India, marketed as India's first community-funded EV corridor. Investors in the pool earn a share of charging revenue from the deployed stations. The project drew backing from Solana community DAOs including The Chimpions DAO and Coral Tribe.

Traction and Metrics

DeCharge reports crossing one million cumulative charging minutes by late 2024, growing to over 2.5 million all-time charging minutes and more than 1,500 deployed chargers as of December 2025. The network spans 300-plus locations with more than 500 paying customers. DeCharge won the DePIN track at the Colosseum Solana Hackathon and was selected as a Colosseum Cohort 1 company, providing early institutional validation.

Team and Backing

DeCharge was co-founded by Prakash Kamaraj and is incorporated under Supercharge Network Pte Ltd in Singapore. The team is India-headquartered with a US expansion underway.

The project raised a $2.5 million seed round led by Lemniscap, with participation from Daedalus Angels, EV3 Labs, Levitate Labs, and Colosseum. These investors span DePIN infrastructure specialists and Solana-native accelerator funds.

Key technology partners include DePHY for tamper-proof IoT hardware, GEODNET for precision GPS infrastructure embedded in device location verification, and ReFi Hub for the community investment pool mechanism.

No independent security audit information was disclosed in public sources available at time of writing.

Solana Ecosystem Fit

DeCharge is a DePIN project that uses Solana's high throughput and low transaction costs to settle frequent micro-events — every charging session and ten-minute uptime heartbeat generates an on-chain record. The project emerged from the Colosseum ecosystem and is cited in Solana DePIN roundups as one of the sector's active deployments combining physical hardware verification with on-chain incentive design. The CHARGE token economics — emissions tied to verified energy delivery rather than a fixed unlock schedule — represent an attempt to ground token incentives in provable real-world activity, a design choice that aligns with Solana's growing DePIN thesis.

The DePINFi pooled investment layer adds an additional Solana-native dimension, combining real-world asset yield with community governance over physical infrastructure deployment, and positions DeCharge as an early mover in merging DePIN and on-chain capital markets.