Peaq RPC: How to Connect to the DePIN Layer 1

What is Peaq?

Peaq is a Layer 1 blockchain built on Substrate, operating as a parachain within the Polkadot ecosystem. It is designed specifically for Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) and the Machine Economy, enabling machines, vehicles, and devices to autonomously interact, transact, and provide services. Peaq's architecture supports dual execution environments: EVM-compatible smart contracts (Solidity) and Substrate pallets (Rust), giving developers flexibility. The network uses parallelized block production and asynchronous backing for efficient transaction processing, and it communicates with other parachains via Polkadot's Cross-Consensus Messaging (XCM) protocol.

• Chain ID: 3338 (0xd0a)
• Native Token: PEAQ
• Consensus: Nominated Proof-of-Stake (NPoS) via Polkadot relay chain
• Block Time: Approximately 12 seconds
• Explorer: Subscan (https://peaq.subscan.io)

Peaq RPC Endpoints

For production applications, it is recommended to use a managed RPC provider that offers high availability, low latency, and dedicated throughput. OnFinality provides Peaq RPC endpoints as part of its API service, with options for dedicated nodes to meet the demands of DePIN applications.

How to Connect to Peaq RPC

Connecting to Peaq RPC is straightforward. You can use standard Web3 libraries like ethers.js, web3.js, or Polkadot.js depending on your development environment. Below are examples for both EVM and Substrate interactions.

• For EVM: Use the Ethereum JSON-RPC endpoint with chain ID 3338. Example with ethers.js: new ethers.providers.JsonRpcProvider('https://peaq-rpc.publicnode.com')
• For Substrate: Use the Substrate JSON-RPC endpoint with Polkadot.js. Example: const { ApiPromise, WsProvider } = require('@polkadot/api'); const api = await ApiPromise.create({ provider: new WsProvider('wss://peaq-rpc.publicnode.com') });
• Always verify the endpoint URL and ensure it supports the methods you need (e.g., eth_call, eth_getLogs for EVM; chain_getBlock for Substrate).

Choosing a Peaq RPC Provider

OnFinality offers a managed Peaq RPC service with competitive pricing, global endpoints, and support for both EVM and Substrate APIs. For high-traffic DePIN projects, dedicated nodes provide isolated resources and predictable performance.

Common Use Cases for Peaq RPC

Peaq's focus on DePIN and machine economy opens up several use cases that rely on RPC infrastructure:

• Machine Identity & Data: Register and manage machine identities (peaq IDs) and store machine-generated data on-chain.
• Pay-per-Use Payments: Enable autonomous payments for services like charging, parking, or data sharing.
• Tokenization of Real-World Assets: Represent physical assets (e.g., vehicles, energy units) as tokens.
• Cross-Chain Communication: Use XCM to interact with other Polkadot parachains for interoperability.
• dApp Backends: Power DePIN applications that require reliable, low-latency access to on-chain state.

Troubleshooting Peaq RPC Connections

If you encounter issues connecting to Peaq RPC, consider these common solutions:

• Check Chain ID: Ensure your wallet or dApp uses chain ID 3338 for Peaq mainnet.
• Verify Endpoint URL: Confirm the RPC URL is correct and includes the proper protocol (https for HTTP, wss for WebSocket).
• Rate Limiting: If you receive 429 errors, reduce request frequency or upgrade to a paid plan.
• Method Not Supported: Some public endpoints may not support debug or trace methods; use a dedicated provider if needed.
• Network Congestion: During high traffic, block times may increase; consider using a provider with higher throughput.

Conclusion

Peaq is a promising Layer 1 for DePIN and machine economy applications, offering dual execution environments and Polkadot interoperability. Choosing the right RPC provider is crucial for building reliable and scalable dApps. Whether you are prototyping with public endpoints or deploying production applications with dedicated nodes, OnFinality provides flexible infrastructure options to support your Peaq development journey.

Frequently Asked Questions