• $QI is a privacy-preserving flat-coin issued based on decentralized mining and real-world energy input.
• Launch begins with zero initial supply; emissions tied directly to network hashrate.

Quai Network has officially launched mining operations for $QI—the first decentralized energy dollar. This milestone follows over six years of research, development, and extensive testnet validation. Designed as a flat-coin, $QI is issued based on the Quai Network’s decentralized mining hashrate and energy consumption, introducing a monetary model directly tied to real-world power use. With zero initial supply, $QI emissions begin only when miners contribute compute power, reflecting a fully decentralized and resource-based issuance model.

The $QI protocol enforces fixed denominations within a UTXO ledger and prohibits address reuse, offering cash-like privacy by default. This technical design allows $QI to function like physical currency while maintaining the benefits of a digital asset. Users can acquire $QI through mining, by setting preferences in the go-quai node or connecting via stratum to a decentralized mining pool, or by converting $QUAI through the Market Making feature in the Pelagus Wallet. A wrapped version of $QI will also be released on the EVM-compatible $QUAI chain, unlocking decentralized exchange functionality across the Quai ecosystem.

$QI inherits a two-week default lockup period, identical to $QUAI, meaning mined tokens will not enter circulation until the lockup expires. Miners will also have the option to extend their lockup for increased rewards in the future.

“The launch of $QI introduces a new category of digital asset—one tied directly to energy, not speculation,” said Alan Orwick, Co-founder of Quai Network. “It’s a major step forward in aligning crypto with real-world value.”

About Quai Network

Quai Network is reigniting the crypto revolution with the first scalable and programmable Proof-of-Work blockchain. Utilizing the innovative Proof-of-Entropy-Minima (PoEM) consensus mechanism, Quai offers unparalleled speed, efficiency, and decentralization, driving blockchain innovation at scale.

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