Peaq actually began not as a Layer-1 blockchain, but as a decentralized identity and access control protocol built on top of existing infrastructure like Ethereum and Hyperledger. In the earliest stages (2018–2020), the @peaq team explored enterprise-level integrations using Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) and Decentralized Access Management before pivoting into building a full L1 chain optimized for Machine RWAs and the Economy of Things. During the early stages into identity and industrial access systems laid the foundation for peaq’s later focus on Machine IDs, multi-role access control, and DePIN infrastructure, giving it a significant edge once the Economy of Things narrative began to gain traction in Web3. So while most people associate peaq today with Machine RWAs and DePIN ecosystems on @Polkadot , its roots were actually in solving very “Web2.5” problems like enterprise access and identity, quietly experimenting with decentralized logic long before the hype.