Question 1

What is REQ?

Accepted Answer

REQ is the native token of the Request Network ecosystem. Request Network is an open, community-owned payment protocol for creating and processing payment requests on-chain, and it supports stablecoin payments settled directly between wallets. REQ has two core protocol roles: governance and a burn mechanism. The former lets holders participate in the direction of the protocol and its foundation, while the latter occurs when a request is stored on-chain. The token itself is neither the payment funds nor a particular product company built on the protocol.

Question 2

How does the REQ burn mechanism work?

Accepted Answer

REQ burning is triggered by the event of a payment request being stored on-chain: each time the network records such a request, a portion of REQ is removed from the circulating supply. Burned tokens are not transferred to validators, payers, or payees. This links burning to the protocol's on-chain request usage, but it does not mean that every stablecoin transfer burns REQ in the same way or in the same amount. The trigger is the on-chain storage of a request, rather than treating any on-chain activity as REQ burning.

Question 3

How are REQ supply, allocation, and unlocks structured?

Accepted Answer

REQ has a fixed total supply of 1 billion tokens, all allocated at genesis; the project's disclosures include no inflation or additional issuance. The full supply vested after the genesis allocation, so there are no subsequently scheduled unlocks. The genesis allocation consisted of 49.97% for the public token sale, 20.01% for early contributors, 18.01% for the team and advisors, and 12.01% for the foundation. These percentages describe the allocation structure at genesis; after burns occur, the circulating amount can be lower than the initial fixed total.

Question 4

What governance can REQ holders participate in?

Accepted Answer

REQ holders can participate in governance concerning the direction of the protocol and the foundation that manages the ecosystem. Governance is for participating in protocol- and foundation-related decisions; it does not automatically confer equity in a company, dividends, or control over payment funds. Request Network describes itself as an open, community-owned protocol, and the foundation is funded by REQ. Whether and how holders participate in specific proposals remains subject to the governance processes and discussion channels announced at the time.

Question 5

Does Request Network custody payment funds?

Accepted Answer

Request Network's payment infrastructure emphasizes non-custody: the protocol does not hold funds on behalf of users during a payment, and payments generally move directly from the payer's wallet to the payee's wallet. The protocol provides infrastructure for creating, coordinating, or processing payment requests. Accordingly, REQ's burn mechanism relates to requests stored on-chain, while the payment asset may be a stablecoin used for settlement. This flow should distinguish between payment funds moving between the wallets at both ends and REQ burning triggered by a protocol request.

Question 6

Are Request Network and Request Finance the same project?

Accepted Answer

No. Request Network is an ecosystem consisting of an open payment protocol and its community-owned foundation; Request Finance is an independent company built on that protocol. Using Request Finance products does not mean acquiring or controlling the Request Network protocol, nor does it make REQ an interest in that company.

Question 7

How can fixed supply and REQ burning coexist?

Accepted Answer

A fixed supply does not mean that the circulating amount never changes. REQ has no additional issuance or future scheduled unlocks, but whenever a qualifying request is stored on-chain, a portion of REQ is burned and removed from the circulating supply. Therefore, the 1 billion tokens at genesis are the starting point of the supply system. To understand the amount at any point in time, the initial total, the amount burned, and the actual circulating amount must be distinguished rather than treated as the same metric.

Question 8

How does network usage connect to REQ's token mechanism?

Accepted Answer

Protocol use connects to REQ through a specific step: the burn mechanism is triggered only when a payment request is stored on-chain, reducing REQ in circulation. Payment demand alone, user counts, or promotional transaction volume do not automatically amount to REQ burning without this on-chain storage step. Likewise, burning reduces token quantity; it does not guarantee price, liquidity, or payment-adoption outcomes. Those outcomes are also affected by whether payment products are used, whether requests are actually stored on-chain, and market trading conditions.

Question 9

How should wallet-to-wallet payments on Request Network be understood?

Accepted Answer

Request Network has operated as an on-chain protocol since 2017 and is positioned to enable stablecoin payments settled directly between wallets. The protocol's “non-custodial” description concerns the path of funds; it does not mean that every payment scenario, asset, chain, or external service has identical operating conditions. In actual use, payers and payees also need compatible wallets and assets and networks supported by the selected payment feature. These implementation conditions determine whether a given payment can be completed, but do not change the basic design that the protocol does not hold funds in the middle.

Question 10

What is the difference between REQ governance and burning?

Accepted Answer

REQ's two core functions serve different stages: governance lets holders participate in the direction of the protocol and foundation, while burning reduces REQ in circulation according to the mechanism when a request is stored on-chain. The former is a participation right and the latter is a supply change triggered by protocol use; they should not be conflated into a single “return” mechanism.

Question 11

Who maintains Request Network?

Accepted Answer

Request Network is not a product controlled by a single company: it is officially described as an open, community-owned protocol maintained by a community-owned foundation. REQ funds that foundation, while REQ holders participate in the direction of the protocol and foundation through governance. This arrangement does not imply that every holder has direct, proportional control over protocol operations or foundation assets; how specific governance rights are exercised remains determined by the actual governance mechanism.

Question 12

What concepts should be distinguished when understanding REQ?

Accepted Answer

To understand REQ, it is most important to distinguish three layers: REQ is the protocol token; Request Network is the open payment protocol that processes on-chain payment requests; and Request Finance is an independent company built on that protocol. Separately mapping these three layers to the wallet-to-wallet stablecoin fund flow and to REQ burning triggered by requests being stored on-chain avoids conflating the token, protocol, company, and payment asset.

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