Solana-based decentralized mapping project Hivemapper has undertaken yet another expansion initiative.
In what is the latest development, Hivemapper has tied up with DMM Crypto, a Web3-inclined subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate DMM Group. Parallelly, it has also partnered with Coins.ph, a crypto exchange in the Philippines.
Both entities will operate as local distributors and help to supply dashcams “to fleets in the surrounding geography.” In retrospect, this is expected to foster network growth for Hivemapper.
Notably, the DePIN project's new partners will also help with broker introductions to commercial fleets, car manufacturers, automotive suppliers, and map data customers.
Why Asia?
It is a known fact that Japan is one of the world’s leading auto manufacturers. Just last year, it produced more than 8 million vehicles. The most advanced driving systems rely heavily on map precision, strategically checking the product-market fit box for Hivemapper.
Nagato Kasaki, the CEO of DMM Crypto said,
“Our goal is to strongly promote the mass adoption of web3 in Japan through the promotion of Hivemapper. With the support of the Japanese government agency JETRO (Japan External Trade Organization), we plan to launch a large-scale demonstration experiment using the Hivemapper Fleet.”
Emphasizing why this tie-up is important, the Hivemapper team highlighted,
“Having now mapped 25% of the global road network, Hivemapper is seeing unprecedented demand for international street-level imagery.”
Curating maps across Asia is a challenge in itself. Street naming conventions, complicated traffic laws, urban development and non-standard roads have time and again acted as hindrances.
Wei Zhou, Coins.ph’s CEO emphasized that this collaboration will help address the digital mapping challenges in Southeast Asia and add value to the local economy. He said,
"We aim to stimulate the ride-sharing economy in the Philippines and augment the daily income drivers can make."
At the moment, around 308.49 million km has already been mapped by Hivemapper, with Europe and the US being the most densely covered. Interestingly, Hivemapper is progressing at a pace five times the speed of Google Maps, making it the fastest-growing mapping project.
