MastChain December Community Update

This year has been a turning point for MastChain. The project officially began in April 2025 and, at that time, it was little more than a bold idea and a website. When the alpha test opened to the waitlist in August, momentum took off. Today, the network has passed 300 nodes and continues to grow every week. That shift from a tiny seed to a thriving global community in just a few months is the most powerful signal yet that the project is moving in the right direction.

There has also been some understandable confusion around the rebrand, so it is worth giving it proper space. MastChain is the name of the network. It is built and operated by Worldwide AIS Network ApS, which remains the legal and technical home of the project. WAKE was the project’s first identity during the early development stage, and many people in the community still recognise that name. As the scope grew and we stepped more fully into the DePIN ecosystem, MastChain emerged as the stronger and more accurate brand. It reflects the network we are building and aligns with the contributors who power it.

Importantly, nothing about the structure, ownership, or mission has changed. The same engineers, researchers, and founders continue to run the project under Worldwide AIS Network ApS. The rebrand is a step forward in clarity, not a change in direction, and it gives the network a clearer identity as we scale.

As the year comes to a close, this is a moment to recognise how far things have come and to look ahead at what is next. With the beta phase on the horizon, we are entering a new stage of development, scale, and capability and we are excited to share the journey with you.

Migration to Peaq

Over the coming weeks, MastChain will officially migrate from Astar’s Shibuya test network to Peaq. This is a major milestone for the project and a decisive leap forward in readiness, scale and future potential.

Peaq stands out as the most powerful foundation for what we are building. The network is designed specifically for real world devices and contributors, and it delivers the performance needed to grow a global AIS data layer. Just as importantly, Peaq is fast becoming the centre of gravity for robotics, IoT and decentralised physical infrastructure. The momentum around the ecosystem is unmistakable and it aligns perfectly with MastChain’s direction of travel.

Joining Peaq places MastChain alongside leading DePIN projects that are turning real data into real economic value. As we enter the beta phase, this move unlocks a new level of capability, scalability and visibility. It is a major step toward creating the world’s most accurate decentralised AIS network.

New token model

The transition into beta includes a major update to how the MastChain token economy functions. One of the most significant changes is the move away from volume based reward issuance toward a proof of coverage model. During the alpha test we saw how quickly AIS coverage can expand when contributors are active, and it became clear that a predictable reward model was needed to support long-term stability. Without controlled issuance, the total number of tokens entering circulation would rise in a way that could eventually outpace real network growth. The new structure addresses this directly. Daily rewards are calculated from a fixed pool and reduced gradually over time through programmed halvings.

The change also includes the introduction of tMAST, replacing tWAKE. All existing tWAKE balances will be converted to tMAST through an airdrop to the same wallet. No action will be required. The conversion rate between the two tokens will be confirmed at distribution but it’s design to give stations an equivalent reward for the station's past performance in tMAST.

This updated approach has three main benefits. It avoids oversupply, which protects the utility of the token. It creates a transparent structure that contributors can plan around. And it supports a reward system that grows with real coverage, rather than trying to shape coverage through unrestricted issuance.

Beta features

The beta phase introduces several upgrades designed to strengthen the network and improve contributor experience.

• Bonding

A new bonding requirement will protect the system from malicious behaviour. Each station will hold a minimum bond of ten tMAST, locked in the account. If fraudulent activity is detected, the bond will be slashed. Repeated behaviour of this kind will result in removal from the network.

• Manual reward withdrawal

The reward system is moving from automated payouts to a manual withdrawal model. This change makes the system simpler, more predictable and more resilient. Once the minimum bond requirement is met, contributors will be able to withdraw accumulated rewards to any ERC20 compatible wallet. This structure removes timing dependencies, reduces system complexity and strengthens long-term reliability.

Enterprise engagement

Alongside the technical progress, we are continuing to build commercial momentum. Over recent months, we have been in active discussion with several enterprise partners and have seen strong interest from organisations looking to access MastChain AIS data. These conversations span multiple sectors, including maritime operations, analytics, insurance and commodities. A number of partnership frameworks are already in development, and we expect enterprise engagement to become a growing focus as network coverage expands.

Looking ahead

• MastNode

For the last few months we have been developing a plug and play hardware unit to make onboarding simple. Field prototypes are already in operation and performing strongly. Production units are planned for release in the first quarter of 2026. Accounts with active DIY stations prior to the launch of the mainnet will be grandfathered into the network.

• Host / Owner reward

We will allow for a reward share in the dashboard where a hardware owner can split the rewards with a host in a ration that they choose. This is done to encourage hardware owners to seek out new locations with hosts and make revenue sharing simple.

• Live coverage map

A public coverage map will go live during the beta period. This will show real AIS visibility and highlight areas where contributors can earn additional rewards.

• Station density view

We will also publish a density map to help contributors position stations more effectively and optimize network coverage.

.Thank you to everyone who has helped shape MastChain so far. The community has been central to our progress and the beta phase marks the start of a much larger build out. We look forward to sharing more updates soon.

Have a great holiday season

The MastChain Team