peaq

Understanding Peaq’s Role

Peaq is not just another Layer 1 optimized for transactions or DeFi—it’s a purpose-built protocol for machine coordination, designed to power what it calls the Economy of Things. As the world moves toward connected vehicles, smart factories, drones, and autonomous agents, Peaq provides the infrastructure for these machines to:

• Prove their identity on-chain

• Own digital wallets

• Exchange services and data autonomously

• Earn, spend, and manage tokens

• Operate under decentralized governance

This positions Peaq as the base coordination and value layer for machine-based economic systems, not merely human-centered dApps.

Architectural Design

Peaq’s technical stack is deeply integrated with the Polkadot ecosystem, while also incorporating its own Layer 1 features and tooling:

• Built on Substrate
  Peaq is constructed using Parity’s Substrate framework, providing modular flexibility and native support for advanced features like on-chain governance, staking, and identity.

• Layer 1 for DePINs
  Peaq focuses on Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks—networks of connected machines delivering real-world services (e.g., charging stations, delivery drones, parking sensors). Each network is permissionless, owned by its users, and coordinated by on-chain rules.

• Self-Sovereign Machine Identity
  Devices on Peaq use decentralized identifiers (DIDs) and verifiable credentials to act independently. This ensures that machines can authenticate and operate securely, without human intervention or custodial intermediaries.

• Multi-Revenue Mechanisms
  Machines or their owners can monetize services, share data streams, and access DeFi-like functionality for equipment leasing, insurance, or staking.

• Polkadot Integration
  Peaq is developed as a parachain in the Polkadot ecosystem, inheriting shared security and gaining interoperability with other parachains for liquidity, data, and message exchange.

Key Use Cases

Peaq’s architecture is built around real-world deployment. Unlike generalist L1s, it’s tailored to a specific and rapidly emerging domain: machine-native economies. Examples include:

• Decentralized Mobility Networks
  Autonomous taxis or e-scooters that manage payments, availability, and access without centralized platforms.

• EV Charging Infrastructure
  Charging stations that detect vehicles, price power dynamically, and execute payments on-chain.

• Drone Coordination Systems
  Fleets of delivery drones with individual identities and mission logic coordinated through Peaq smart contracts.

• Smart Manufacturing
  Machines that order their own maintenance, share operational data with suppliers, or participate in decentralized insurance pools.

Each of these use cases can be executed under Peaq’s decentralized governance, with native asset flows and transparent data coordination.