Welcome to Hivemapper (HONEY), the revolutionary, community-powered mapping network built on the Solana blockchain. Hivemapper is changing the game by turning everyday drives into valuable contributions toward creating the world’s freshest, most accurate map—all while rewarding you for your efforts.
What Is Hivemapper?
Hivemapper is the fastest growing mapping company in history, revolutionizing traditional mapmaking by harnessing the power of its global community. Rather than relying on expensive vehicles and centralized systems, Hivemapper leverages everyday contributors who capture high-quality, 4K street-level imagery using purpose-built dashcams.
This decentralized approach not only ensures that maps are continuously updated with real-world conditions but also democratizes the process—putting the power of map creation in the hands of the community. With 31% global coverage already achieved, Hivemapper has mapped 18 million unique road kilometers and a staggering 448 million total road kilometers, underscoring its rapid expansion and the robust potential of its collaborative model.
Real-World Applications and Use Cases
An overview of the Hivemappy community | Source: Hivemapper docs
Hivemapper isn’t just a cool tech project—it has practical benefits across various industries:
> Autonomous Driving: Up-to-date maps are essential for self-driving cars. Hivemapper’s real-time data helps autonomous systems navigate safely and efficiently.
> Logistics & Delivery: Accurate, fresh maps enable companies to optimize routes, reduce delivery times, and cut operational costs.
> Urban Planning: City planners can utilize continuously updated maps for smarter infrastructure development and traffic management.
> Emergency Services: During disasters, real-time mapping data can save lives by providing first responders with the most current road conditions.
How Does Hivemapper Work?
Hivemapper operates on a simple yet powerful "Drive-to-Earn" model:
> Community-Driven Mapping: Every time you drive with a Hivemapper-approved dashcam or use the mobile app, you help collect crucial map data. This street-level imagery is uploaded to a decentralized network, ensuring the map is always current and reflective of real-world conditions.
> AI-Enhanced Data Processing: Hivemapper doesn’t stop at raw data. By participating in engaging AI Trainer games, contributors help refine intelligent algorithms that analyze and verify the captured images. This ensures that every detail—from a missing stop sign to a temporary road closure—is accurately recorded.
> Permissionless Participation: Whether you’re a seasoned driver or a curious beginner, anyone can join Hivemapper. There’s no need for special permissions—just a willingness to contribute and a device to do it.
What Is Hivemapper Map AI?
Hivemapper’s Map AI is the intelligent brain behind the network, continuously transforming raw dashcam imagery into accurate, up-to-date map data. With just a few taps on the Hivemapper app, users—known as AI Trainers—can help the system learn by completing bite-sized tasks such as identifying objects, classifying attributes like speed limits and stop signs, merging duplicate detections, and verifying image quality.
These tasks feed human feedback into reinforcement learning models, ensuring that the Map AI becomes progressively more adept at detecting critical features such as traffic signals, roadwork zones, and other real-world changes. This collaborative process not only automates the extraction of key map details but also maintains the freshness and reliability of the global map, allowing Hivemapper to adapt dynamically to evolving road conditions and environmental changes.
How Hivemapper Solves Traditional Mapping Challenges
Traditional mapmaking faces several issues:
1. High Costs & Limited Freshness: Conventional mapping techniques involve expensive vehicles and infrequent updates. Hivemapper’s decentralized approach dramatically lowers costs while keeping maps current.
2. Monopolized Data: With most mapping data controlled by a few companies, many businesses face high prices and limited access. Hivemapper democratizes data collection, ensuring fairer pricing and broader access.
3. Lack of Contributor Rewards: Many traditional mapping services use user data without compensation. Hivemapper changes the game by rewarding contributors with HONEY tokens, so every mile you drive adds value to both you and the global map.
The Role of the HONEY Token
At the heart of the Hivemapper ecosystem lies the native cryptocurrency, HONEY. More than just a digital asset, HONEY serves several critical functions within the network:
HONEY token’s burn and mint system | Source: Hivemapper docs
> Economic Incentives: HONEY tokens are used to reward map contributors for their efforts. Whether you’re mapping with a dashcam, using your phone, or training the Map AI by labeling and editing data, you earn HONEY for every high-quality contribution. In parallel, enterprises and developers who access the network’s map data must burn HONEY tokens, which creates a self-balancing cycle between data creation and consumption.
> Burn-and-Mint Mechanism: When map data is consumed by customers, HONEY tokens are burned to generate Map Credits—a process that locks in a fixed cost for accessing data (each Map Credit is pegged at $0.005 USD). Under Map Improvement Proposal 15, 75% of the tokens burned are permanently removed from circulation, while 25% are re-minted as Map Consumption Rewards (up to 500,000 HONEY per week) and redistributed to contributors. This deflationary design helps tie the token’s value directly to the utility and growth of the network.
Hivemapper (HONEY) Tokenomics
HONEY minting against global map progress | Source: Hivemapper docs
Built on the Solana blockchain, HONEY has a fixed maximum supply of 10 billion tokens. This limited supply is strategically allocated to support the network’s growth.
> 40% is reserved as rewards for contributors, ensuring that every quality submission helps build a better map.
> 20% is allocated to investors who provided the startup capital necessary to launch the network.
> 20% goes to employees of Hivemapper Inc. for developing and maintaining the technical infrastructure.
> 15% supports ongoing R&D and operational activities by Hivemapper Inc.
> 5% is dedicated to the Hivemapper Foundation, which oversees decentralized governance and network management.