DePin: Peaq's Token Debut Marks Major Test for Machine-Economy Blockchain

The $PEAQ token launched across 12 exchanges today, as Berlin-based blockchain platform Peaq aims to establish itself as a market leader among decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePINs).

Peaq, founded in 2017 by Leonard Dorlöchter, Max Thake, and Till Wendler, focused on enabling the Machine Economy. It allows machines, such as devices, vehicles, and robots, to integrate into decentralized networks and autonomously manage economic activities. Peaq essentially facilitates machine-to-machine transactions, resource management, and DePINs with minimal human intervention.

The token listing follows Peaq's cumulative $35 million raise earlier this year - $15 million in March from Animoca Brands and Borderless Capital, followed by a $20 million CoinList raise in May, one of the platform's most significant in two years.

According to a Messari report, Peaq's initial token supply of 4.2 billion features a complex distribution: 20% allocated to ecosystem development, 15% for community initiatives, and 13% to private investors with an 18-month vesting period. The model implements a decreasing inflation rate starting at 3.5% annually, dropping by 10% each year until stabilizing at 1%.

Peaq currently connects 1.75 million devices in 50 projects across the mobility, energy, and IoT sectors. Notable implementations include Silencio, with over 300,000 devices monitoring noise pollution across 180 countries, and MapMetrics, tracking 600,000 kilometers daily through its navigation network.

The token's debut excludes decentralized exchange listings, which Peaq attributed to regulatory compliance requirements. Plans for DEX integration, stablecoin support, and fiat on-ramps remain in development. According to Messari, the network currently handles 10,000 transactions per second and could scale to 100,000+ TPS by 2025.

The platform's technical architecture targets industrial automation. A partnership with Bosch last December has yielded sensor systems that leverage AI agents for autonomous data monetization across multiple decentralized networks. Unlike traditional blockchain projects, however, Peaq positions machines as economic actors, enabling autonomous revenue sharing and maintenance scheduling.

DePin analyst Dylan Bane sees the timing of Peaq's launch as crucial. "Launching at the start of a bull market could capture significant mind share from initial market participants that could carry through the cycle," he noted on X. He highlighted how Peaq's positioning as a layer-1 blockchain typically gets the highest valuation multiples in crypto markets.

Bane also pointed to a strong community formation building around the project. "DePIN founders report that Peaq's team provides genuine support in the trenches," he said, noting that underlying communities of all DePINs built on Peaq benefit directly from its success, creating aligned incentives for ecosystem growth.

In early September, four major European enterprises with combined market capitalizations exceeding $170 billion came on board as network validators. Deutsche Telekom MMS, Lufthansa Innovation Hub, Bertelsmann Investments, and the Technical University of Munich now operate genesis nodes in Peaq's initial 32-node network.

On September 19, Peaq strengthened its market position by backing Borderless Capital's new $100 million DePIN Fund III. The fund, co-led by Helium co-founder Sean Carey, shows growing institutional interest in decentralized infrastructure projects.

The $PEAQ launch comes as enterprise validators and institutional funds increasingly back decentralized infrastructure networks. The platform's focus on machine-to-machine transactions and industrial automation positions it at the intersection of traditional infrastructure and blockchain technology, while growing DePIN investment signals mainstream interest in decentralized alternatives.