peaq network (PEAQ) Tokenomics

The peaq network is a Layer 1 blockchain specifically engineered for Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePINs) and the Machine Economy. Its tokenomics are designed to balance the immediate needs of network security and adoption with long-term sustainability through a disinflationary supply model and multi-faceted utility.

Issuance Mechanism

The native token, PEAQ, follows a disinflationary issuance model designed to reward early adopters while ensuring a predictable, gradually decreasing supply curve.

• Initial Supply: The network launched with a total supply of 4.2 billion PEAQ tokens.
• Inflation Model: The annual inflation rate starts at 3.5%. This rate is programmed to decrease by 10% each year.
• Inflation Floor: The reduction continues until the annual inflation rate reaches a floor of 1%, where it will stabilize.
• Allocation of New Tokens: Newly minted tokens from inflation are distributed across various treasury pools to support the ecosystem:
  • Validators and Delegators: 40%
  • General Treasury: 25%
  • DePIN Treasury: 20%
  • Security Treasury: 10%
  • Machine Subsidization Treasury: 5%

Allocation Mechanism

The initial distribution of the 4.2 billion tokens was structured to involve a wide range of stakeholders, including investors, the core team, and the community.

Note: Some reports indicate a slightly different initial breakdown (e.g., 34% to investors, 21% to community), but the long-term projected shares align with the figures above.

Usage and Incentive Mechanism

The PEAQ token serves as the "lifeblood" of the Machine Economy, providing utility across several core network functions:

• Transaction Fees: All transactions on the network, including smart contract deployments (EVM and WASM), require fees paid in PEAQ.
• Staking and Consensus: The network uses a Delegated Proof-of-Stake (DPoS) mechanism. Validators must stake PEAQ to produce blocks, and token holders can delegate their tokens to validators to earn a portion of the block rewards.
• Governance: Token holders have voting rights on key decisions, including network updates, economic policy adjustments, and ecosystem grants.
• Machine Reputation: A unique future utility involves machine owners staking PEAQ on their devices to vouch for their quality and reliability. If a machine fails to perform, its stake can be slashed.
• Incentive Pools: The network features modular "Network-Level Incentive Pools" that accumulate tokens from fees and rewards to boost specific ecosystem activities, such as DePIN expansion and machine onboarding.

Locking and Unlocking Mechanism

To prevent market flooding and ensure long-term alignment, most token allocations are subject to specific lock-up periods and vesting schedules.

Locking and Vesting Schedules by Category

• Pre-Seed & Seed Investors: Typically subject to a 6-month lock-up followed by a 24-month vesting period. Often, 5% is released immediately after the lock-up.
• Private Sale Investors: Generally have a 6-month lock-up and an 18-month vesting period, with a 7.5% release after the lock-up.
• Core Team & EoT Labs: These allocations are subject to a 9-month lock-up and a 36-month vesting period.
• Community Initiatives: These tokens often have a 36-month vesting period but no initial lock-up.
• Public/Community Sales: For example, the CoinList launch featured a 15% unlock at the Token Generation Event (TGE) followed by 6-month linear vesting.

Unlocking Timeline and Trends

The token supply enters circulation through a series of "cliff" and linear unlock events.

• TGE (November 12, 2024): Significant initial unlocks occurred for the Expansion Reserve, Genesis Node Set, and various private/seed rounds to establish initial liquidity.
• 2025 Milestones:
  • February 2025: Large unlocks for the "Early Adopters" and "Get Real" community campaigns.
  • May 2025 onwards: Regular monthly cliff unlocks for Pre-Seed, Seed, and Private investors began.
  • August 2025: Vesting commenced for Core Contributors and EoT Labs following their 9-month lock-up.
• Current Status (January 2026): As of mid-January 2026, approximately 1.74 billion PEAQ tokens are in circulation.
• Future Unlocks: The next major unlock event is scheduled for February 12, 2026, primarily releasing tokens to Core Contributors and private investors. The full emission schedule for the initial supply is projected to span approximately 4 years, though the inflation mechanism means the total supply will continue to grow at a decreasing rate indefinitely.