The broader cryptocurrency market has experienced a significant downturn on February 6, 2026, with most assets seeing declines ranging from 7% to 14% over the past 24 hours. The PayFi sector has been hit the hardest, falling by 13.86%. Bitcoin briefly dipped below $60,000, while Ethereum fell to around $1,700 before recovering slightly. This market-wide correction impacts all sectors, including DePIN, but the underlying technology and long-term potential of promising projects remain a key focus for strategic investors.
Amidst this market turbulence, the Peaq Network (PEAQ) continues to solidify its position within the DePIN and Machine Economy sectors. Peaq is a layer-1 blockchain designed to power decentralized applications (DePINs) and the millions of devices that constitute the Machine Economy. Its platform facilitates the deployment and scaling of DePINs across various industries, aiming to reduce costs, generate new revenue streams, and automate processes for businesses. The network was founded in 2017 and is headquartered in Singapore.
Recent developments indicate a strong focus on expanding Peaq’s ecosystem and utility. The Teneo Protocol, a decentralized network that allows AI agents to access real-time web data through community-run nodes, recently launched on Peaq. This integration involves users running a Chrome extension to contribute bandwidth, earning “heartbeats” that can be converted to $TENEO tokens post-Token Generation Event in Q1 2026. Teneo has already processed a significant amount of data across millions of nodes, underscoring the growing demand for decentralized AI infrastructure. This expansion into decentralized AI and machine economies is seen as a bullish development for Peaq, potentially driving increased developer activity and network usage, although regulatory scrutiny and competition from centralized providers remain potential risks.
Peaq has also seen substantial growth in its network, with reports indicating a 500% quarterly growth in Q3, driven by its expansion within the Polkadot ecosystem. Peaq’s architecture, built using Substrate, offers the security and interoperability of Polkadot’s relay chain, attracting DePIN initiatives that aim to merge real-world infrastructure with blockchain technology. This has led to integrations with partners like Fetch.ai, bringing AI agents to Polkadot, and migrations from decentralized mapping projects such as MapMetrics and NATIX Network. The network has carved out a niche in Internet of Things (IoT) and renewable energy applications, leveraging Polkadot’s cross-chain capabilities to offer specialized DePIN functionality.
Financially, Peaq has raised a total of $24.9 million across six funding rounds, including seed and early-stage investments. While there were significant token unlocks in January 2026, with 84.84 million PEAQ tokens unlocking, representing a portion of the circulating supply, these were partly allocated for ecosystem growth. Despite short-term dilution risks, the long-term impact of these unlocks will depend on whether the tokens are used for development or immediately sold.
The future outlook for Peaq appears to be closely tied to the broader trends in DePIN and the tokenization of real-world assets (RWAs). The DePIN sector is experiencing rapid adoption across compute, storage, connectivity, and mapping services, with token incentives driving open and permissionless systems. By early 2026, the DePIN market capitalization has surpassed billions, demonstrating strong investor confidence and growing utility. Real-world asset tokenization is also poised for significant growth, with projections indicating the market could reach over $100 billion by the end of 2026. This trend is driven by institutions seeking liquidity, yield, and DeFi integration, shifting RWAs from experimental pilots to standardized products. Peaq’s focus on powering the “Machine Economy” and enabling real-world Web3 applications positions it well to capitalize on these converging trends.
For investors, Peaq represents a high-potential bet within the DePIN and robotics sectors, with analysts pointing to its strong technical support and potential for rallies. The project’s expansion into decentralized AI and its growing ecosystem, evidenced by new listings and partnerships, signal its commitment to driving real-world utility. While concerns about tokenomics and upcoming inflation exist, the core value proposition of Peaq, centered on decentralizing physical infrastructure and enabling the Machine Economy, remains a compelling long-term narrative. The continued development of its ecosystem and the increasing demand for decentralized infrastructure suggest that Peaq could be a key player in the evolving Web3 landscape.