What Is peaq (PEAQ) and How Does It Work?
peaq (PEAQ) is a purpose-built
layer-1 blockchain designed for the Machine Economy, enabling machines, devices, and
decentralized physical infrastructure (DePIN) networks to own identities, transact value, and operate autonomously on-chain. Instead of focusing on consumer DeFi or NFTs, peaq is optimized for real-world use cases such as mobility networks, energy systems,
IoT devices, robotics, and sensor networks, where machines need to coordinate and exchange value securely.
At its core, peaq provides native machine identities, on-chain payments, and programmable economic logic that allow devices to interact without centralized intermediaries. Machines can register on the network, prove their identity, perform tasks, receive payments, and share revenue with human operators or DAOs. The blockchain is built using a modular, EVM-compatible architecture, making it easy for developers to deploy smart contracts and integrate existing
Ethereum-based tools.
The PEAQ token powers the entire ecosystem. It is used to pay transaction fees, stake to secure the network, participate in governance, and incentivize machine activity across DePIN applications. As adoption grows across sectors like mobility, infrastructure, and AI-driven automation, peaq aims to become the settlement layer where machines generate, exchange, and distribute economic value at global scale.
When Did peaq Launch?
peaq was founded in 2017 by a team of Web3 entrepreneurs, Till Wendler, Leonard Dorlöchter, and Max Thake, who envisioned a blockchain that could power the emerging Machine Economy and DePINs. The project was incubated by EoT Labs, a Berlin-based blockchain tech firm, and focused on integrating real-world devices, robots, and infrastructure into a decentralized network long before most layer-1 blockchains pursued DePIN use cases.
The peaq blockchain and its native PEAQ token officially went live when the mainnet launched on November 12, 2024, marking its transition from testnet to a full production network with token listings across major exchanges. The public token launch, conducted via CoinList in May 2024, allowed the community to acquire PEAQ ahead of its exchange listings, setting the stage for broader access and liquidity.
Key peaq Roadmap Milestones
• 2017: Project founded by Till Wendler, Leonard Dorlöchter & Max Thake.
• May 2024: PEAQ token launch on CoinList begins.
• November 12, 2024: peaq mainnet and PEAQ token launch; broad exchange listings begin.
• 2025: Expansion of DePIN ecosystem and partnerships with enterprise players like Bosch & Mastercard.
• 2026 and beyond: Growth of machine-centric applications and further ecosystem development.
What Is the PEAQ Token Used for?
The PEAQ token is the native utility token of the peaq blockchain and serves as the lifeblood of its Machine Economy. It is used to pay transaction fees for all
on-chain activity, enabling machines and apps to interact and transact securely. Holders can stake PEAQ to support network security and participate in the Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) consensus mechanism, earning rewards and helping validate blocks.
The token also powers on-chain governance, allowing the community to vote on protocol upgrades, treasury allocations, and strategic ecosystem decisions. Together, these utilities align incentives across users, machines, and developers on peaq’s decentralized network.
On BingX, traders can access
PEAQ futures markets to speculate on price movements using leverage, allowing both long and short positions based on market direction.
Futures trading on BingX also includes features like risk management tools, e.g.,
stop-loss/take-profit orders, and real-time charts to help traders optimize entry and exit points while managing their exposure.
What Is peaq Tokenomics?
At genesis, PEAQ launched with a fixed total supply of 4,200,000,000 tokens. The network follows a disinflationary model, starting at 3.5% annual inflation and decreasing by 10% each year until it reaches 1%, balancing network security with long-term supply discipline. Of the yearly inflation, 40% enters circulation as rewards for validators and delegators, while 60% is allocated to treasury pools, including security, general treasury, and native incentive pools, and does not enter circulation immediately.
PEAQ Token Allocation
- Investors – 34% (1.43B PEAQ): Covers Pre-Seed (7%), Seed (5%), Private (13%), and Pre-Launch Private (9%) rounds, with 6-month lock-ups and 18–24 months of linear vesting to align early backers with long-term network growth.
- Community – 21% (882M PEAQ): Allocated to Community Sale (6%), Get Real Campaign (5%), Early Adopters Campaign (2.53%), Initial Community Campaign (2%), and Community Reserve (5.47%), supporting user onboarding, incentives, and grassroots ecosystem participation.
- Core Contributors – 11.5% (483M PEAQ): Reserved for core contributors, subject to a 9-month lock-up followed by 36 months of linear vesting, ensuring long-term commitment to protocol development.
- EoT Labs – 8.5% (357M PEAQ): Allocated to EoT Labs, the core development entity behind peaq, with the same 9-month lock-up and 36-month vesting structure.
- Network Security – 5% (210M PEAQ): Used for security reserves (3.46%), Genesis Node Set (0.04%), and Core Time Lease (1.5%) to bootstrap validators, incentivize node operators, and maintain network resilience.
- Ecosystem and Treasury – 20% (840M PEAQ): Dedicated to market making & liquidity (3.75%), treasury reserves (11.18%), capital contributions (0.3%), grants (1.77%), and expansion reserves, funding long-term ecosystem growth and DePIN adoption.
How to Stake PEAQ Tokens on peaq Network
Staking PEAQ tokens allows you to help secure the peaq network while earning staking rewards as a delegator or validator. The peaq network uses a delegated staking model, meaning most users stake by delegating their tokens to professional validators.
1. Set up a compatible wallet: Use a peaq-compatible wallet that supports staking and delegation on the network, and make sure it contains PEAQ tokens for staking and transaction fees.
2. Access the peaq staking interface: Connect your wallet to the official peaq staking or governance portal, where you can view active validators, their performance, commission rates, and total stake.
3. Choose a validator: Select a validator based on uptime, reputation, and delegator fee. Validators secure the network and share rewards with delegators.
4. Delegate your PEAQ tokens: Enter the amount of PEAQ you want to stake and confirm the transaction. Your tokens remain in your wallet but are locked for staking purposes.
5. Earn and manage rewards: Staking rewards are generated from network inflation and transaction fees. Rewards are fully unlocked upon receipt and can be claimed, restaked, or withdrawn according to network rules.