Physical infrastructure is becoming increasingly intelligent, connected, and autonomous. But while machines are generating more data and services than ever before, that value still flows to a handful of centralized platforms and corporations.
DePINs (Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks) level the playing field.
Instead of relying on a single company to own and operate the physical infrastructure we use daily, DePINs enable communities to build and run these networks themselves, using blockchain to coordinate machines, verify activity, and distribute rewards fairly among participants.
It’s a powerful shift: infrastructure is owned and operated by the people who use it. And this shift needs a blockchain purpose-built for the real world.
Unlike general-purpose chains, peaq was designed from the ground up to meet the needs of DePINs, offering native features for identity, machine coordination, and real-world data validation.
→ Explore what makes peaq different
In this article, we’ll explore why DePINs need their own dedicated blockchain, how general-purpose chains fall short, and why peaq is uniquely equipped to support this new era of real-world Web3 apps.
The problem with general-purpose blockchains
Many DePIN projects today begin on general-purpose blockchains like Ethereum, Solana, or Polygon. These networks are battle-tested and widely adopted, but they weren’t built with the physical world in mind.
That creates real friction for DePIN builders—general-purpose blockchains and their ecosystems were designed for digital assets, not real-world devices.
When it comes to managing fleets of machines, processing real-world data, or enabling seamless user interactions with hardware, these chains often fall short. The more physical infrastructure you try to onboard, the more those shortcomings begin to show.
Here are a few of the most common challenges:
Lack of standardization across devices and interactions
DePINs rely on seamless coordination between thousands—sometimes millions—of machines. But general-purpose chains offer no standardized frameworks for things like device identity, access control, or time-based coordination. Without shared protocols, builders are forced to create their own ad-hoc solutions, making it harder to scale networks or ensure reliable real-world performance.
Latency and scalability limitations
Machines operate in real time. General-purpose chains often can’t keep up with the speed and volume of physical-world transactions, especially as networks scale—and chains for real machines cannot afford any downtime.
Poor integration with real-world devices and data
Connecting hardware to a blockchain isn’t straightforward. Most chains lack native tools for device identity, data validation, or time-sensitive coordination.
Lack of native incentives and financial infrastructure
General-purpose chains do nothing to boost the DePINs’ innate rewards mechanisms and don’t provide any DeFi frameworks that would capitalize on DePINs’ unique value proposition.
Limited customization for physical assets
DePINs often need specialized logic, security models, or governance structures. General-purpose chains offer flexibility—but not the kind that’s tailored for physical infrastructure.
As a result, DePIN builders are forced to cobble together workarounds, rely heavily on off-chain systems, or compromise on performance. That limits the real-world impact of what these networks can achieve.
Why DePINs need a dedicated Layer 1
Unlike DeFi or NFTs, DePINs are doing more than moving assets on a screen. They coordinate real-world machines, processing physical data, and managing interactions between devices, users, and infrastructure.
That brings a new set of requirements that most blockchains simply weren’t built to handle.
Imagine trying to run a network of autonomous delivery drones that need to verify their location, log actions in real time, and interact with other machines around them. If the underlying blockchain can’t process those updates fast enough or in synchronicity—or doesn’t support real-world data validation natively—then the entire system risks delays, errors, or loss of trust.
A dedicated Layer 1 removes those limitations. When the architecture is designed for physical infrastructure from the start, it can optimize for the kinds of interactions DePINs rely on: low-latency updates between machines, scalable data handling at the edge, and built-in support for identity, coordination, timing, and trust.
We’ve seen this pattern in other parts of technology. Vertical software outperforms generic tools because it’s purpose-built for the specific needs of a user. In the same way, a Layer 1 tailored to DePINs can unlock entirely new business models that wouldn’t be feasible otherwise.
Meet peaq: the Layer 1 built for DePINs
peaq was purpose-built to support decentralized infrastructure in the physical world; it’s not retrofitted for DePINs, it’s engineered around them.
At its core, peaq is a Layer 1 that functions like an operating system for the Machine Economy, empowering real-world apps to coordinate machines, manage data, and distribute value in a decentralized way.
Most importantly: peaq isn’t a pitch. It’s already happening.
Since launching, peaq has secured collaborations with global enterprises and innovators who see the potential of DePINs to reshape industries.
What makes peaq uniquely equipped for DePINs is its native stack of DePIN-specific features, including:
- peaq ID provides machines with self-sovereign identities, enabling them to authenticate and interact securely and independently across networks.
- Universal Machine Time is the first on-chain implementation of Precision Time Protocol, ensuring machines operate with ultra-precise, synchronized timing—crucial for real-world coordination and automation.
- peaq verify is a three-tiered data verification framework that ensures integrity in DePIN data using cryptographic signatures, machine learning, and trusted oracles.
Together, these features allow DePINs to coordinate machines, verify real-world actions, and maintain trustless integrity without centralized intermediaries. As the peaq function stack develops, DePINs will have more and more of their architecture pre-built, enabling them to deploy and scale faster.
Beyond these and other core Modular DePIN Functions, peaq also offers full interoperability with other Web3 ecosystems and permissionless deployment. Builders can launch, scale, and evolve their DePINs without needing approval or relying on proprietary infrastructure. This standardization enables a unique feature that peaq refers to as machine composability: A device’s ability to contribute to multiple DePINs. For example, a self-driving car can provide rides or do deliveries while collecting navigation and traffic data via DePINs on peaq.
Another key benefit is the network effect that comes with a full-on focus on a specific sector. On peaq, a new DePIN joins dozens of other similar-minded projects, which unlocks a wide array of synergies, such as the recent partnership between SkyX and Quakecore, which gives both projects more valuable data to work with. The same goes for the community, with any new DePIN launching into a crowd of DePIN enthusiasts and early adopters.
peaq’s economic model is similarly built to boost DePINs, and it’s now developing its Machine DeFi ecosystem, which will bring to life new and innovative DeFi tools focused on real-world value. This grants DePINs additional opportunities to create value and expands the utility of their tokens.
Real-World Business Value of DePINs on peaq
Across sectors like weather data, environmental monitoring, agriculture, and connectivity, DePINs building on peaq are creating tangible value by tapping into communities, distributing ownership, and solving problems traditional infrastructure has left behind.
Here are two projects leading that charge:
SkyX: Decentralizing Global Weather Data
SkyX is building a decentralized network of smart weather stations to crowdsource hyper-local meteorological data from around the world. Industries like agriculture, aviation, and logistics rely on weather insights, but many regions suffer from poor coverage and centralized bottlenecks.
SkyX empowers anyone to deploy a weather station, collect valuable data, and earn rewards in SKY tokens. Their data fuels a decentralized platform with AI-powered analytics and natural language interfaces (like SkyXGPT) for both consumer and enterprise use.
Follow SkyX on X.
Farmsent: Rewiring the Global Food Supply Chain
Farmsent is building a Web3 marketplace that connects farmers directly with retailers, cutting out centralized middlemen and restoring value to the people who grow our food.
With over 160,000 farmers onboarded across Indonesia and Colombia, Farmsent is already tracking shipments of coffee, avocado, and palm sugar across four countries. It combines this marketplace with a sensor-based DePIN that ensures full traceability of food products from soil to shelf.
On peaq, Farmsent uses peaq ID for farmers and farm devices, stores data on-chain, and deploys smart contracts for transparent rewards and logistics. Its token will launch natively on the network, forming the backbone of its growing agricultural data economy.
Follow Farmsent on X.
A New Era of Infrastructure
The projects above are more than examples of technical innovation. They signal a fundamental shift in how infrastructure is built, governed, and rewarded. As the DePIN model grows, entire industries are poised to transform. Community-owned energy grids, autonomous mobility fleets, and decentralized data networks will become the norm.
Beyond economic impact, DePINs advance digital sovereignty. Power moves from centralized platforms to the people who build and use the infrastructure. The value generated by machines and networks flows back to participants, not intermediaries.
peaq provides the foundation for this future.
Its architecture and ecosystem are designed to support builders, developers, and communities ready to lead the shift toward a more open, equitable model of infrastructure.
Whether you’re building a DePIN or exploring your first Web3 project, peaq makes it easy to get involved.
For founders and builders:
Explore how your project can benefit from the peaq ecosystem through modular DePIN Functions, real-world integrations, and enterprise-grade infrastructure. Apply for a grant, tap into active partnerships, and deploy your DePIN on a network designed for physical infrastructure.
For Web3 users:
Get involved with DePINs on peaq, from decentralized weather networks to storage platforms. Earn rewards by contributing to systems that improve the real world.
This content is sponsored and does not serve as an endorsement by Blockworks. The veracity of this content has not been verified and should not serve as financial advice. We encourage readers to conduct their own research before making financial decisions.
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