Helium has halted its HNT token buybacks, with CEO Amir Haleem shifting focus toward revenue growth, network expansion, and DePIN adoption.
Author: Chirag Sharma
January 3, 2026, Helium has announced a major strategic shift. Founder and CEO Amir Haleem confirmed that the project will stop all HNT token buybacks, redirecting capital toward business expansion and user growth instead. The decision follows months of buyback activity tied to Helium Mobile revenue. However, Haleem stated that market response remained muted. As a result, the company now plans to prioritize scaling real-world adoption rather than supporting token price through financial mechanisms.
The announcement immediately sparked debate across the DePIN and crypto communities, reopening a broader discussion around whether token buybacks still work in today’s market.
Helium’s buyback program used protocol revenue to purchase HNT from the open market and burn it. The goal was simple. Reduce supply. Support price. Align incentives. In practice, the outcome fell short.
Haleem stated that despite significant capital spent across the industry, buybacks failed to deliver lasting price impact. He pointed to other projects that collectively deployed hundreds of millions with minimal results. Instead of absorbing sell pressure, buybacks often became exit liquidity during weak market conditions. As Haleem put it, the market “doesn’t seem to care.” Given that reality, Helium chose to stop allocating revenue toward financial signaling and redirect it into areas that directly grow the business.
Kristian
@Kristian_Kho
@amirhaleem 100% supporting the team reinvesting into the business. I think regulatory environment is making it more possible to explore treating tokens as shares (then we can finally stop pretending) and unlock revshare. Until then im buying the dip on a crypto business that actually work
an update on HNT buybacks: the market doesn’t seem to care about projects buying their tokens back off the market, so we are going to stop wasting our money under the current conditions Helium + Mobile generated $3.4M in October alone and I’d rather we use that money to grow the
05:28 AM·Jan 3, 2026
foobar/
@0xfoobar
@amirhaleem token price is predicting that we are not serious about sharing revenue, so we are going to stop sharing revenue
an update on HNT buybacks: the market doesn’t seem to care about projects buying their tokens back off the market, so we are going to stop wasting our money under the current conditions Helium + Mobile generated $3.4M in October alone and I’d rather we use that money to grow the
05:06 AM·Jan 3, 2026
offmylawn
@_offmylawn
@amirhaleem 3.4m per month can be put towards MUCH better things for your business bearish on buybacks gg good move
an update on HNT buybacks: the market doesn’t seem to care about projects buying their tokens back off the market, so we are going to stop wasting our money under the current conditions Helium + Mobile generated $3.4M in October alone and I’d rather we use that money to grow the
12:21 AM·Jan 3, 2026
In theory, token buybacks mirror stock repurchases in traditional finance. Fewer tokens in circulation should mean higher value per unit, assuming demand holds. However, crypto markets behave differently.
First, liquidity remains thin across many tokens. Large holders can overwhelm buybacks with single sell orders. Second, macro pressure and regulatory uncertainty have reduced long-term conviction. Third, many buybacks create short-lived pumps rather than sustained demand. Even in Helium’s case, where buybacks were backed by real revenue from mobile subscribers, price volatility persisted. That reality forced a reassessment. Importantly, Helium will still burn data credits tied to carrier offloads. This means usage-based deflation remains intact, even as discretionary buybacks end.
Going forward, Helium’s capital will fund expansion, not engineering of token price.
Key priorities include:
This shift reflects a broader DePIN trend. Projects are increasingly judged on real-world throughput, revenue, and adoption rather than token mechanics alone.
While some community members expressed disappointment, others welcomed the clarity. A stronger network can ultimately create organic demand for HNT without artificial support.
For HNT holders, the change removes a short-term price support mechanism. Volatility may increase in the near term, especially during low-liquidity periods.
However, the long-term thesis remains intact if network usage continues to grow. More data flowing through Helium still means more burns. More carriers still mean more demand for infrastructure.
In other words, value creation shifts from financial signaling to operational execution.
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