Brent van der Heiden

Brent van der Heiden is a technology entrepreneur focused on decentralized mapping, mobility data and DePIN infrastructure. He is best known as the co-founder and former CEO of MapMetrics, a Web3 drive-to-earn navigation project that applies DePIN-style incentives to crowdsourced mapping and mobility data. His current primary venture is MapAtlas, a platform focused on AI search visibility for hotels, real estate and local businesses. This profile is current as of August 2026.

Founder Snapshot

1. About Brent van der Heiden

Brent van der Heiden is a technology entrepreneur whose work sits at the intersection of decentralized physical infrastructure, geospatial data and Web3 consumer applications. His professional path runs from information and communication technology studies, through marketing and entrepreneurship education, to co-founding Techtics Engineering and MapMetrics, and most recently to co-founding MapAtlas. This profile covers his education, early technology career, Techtics Engineering, the founding and evolution of MapMetrics, its Solana-to-peaq transition, the drive-to-earn model, DePIN strategy, privacy considerations, and his current work. His relevance to crypto is primarily through applying blockchain incentives to a practical non-financial activity: generating navigation and mobility data.

2. Education

Per his LinkedIn and CryptoSlate, Brent van der Heiden studied:

• Zuyd University of Applied Sciences — Bachelor of Information and Communication Technology, 2011–2015.
• Rome Business School — Master of Arts in Marketing, 2017–2018.

This profile uses his verified qualifications and does not invent additional blockchain, GIS, computer science or business credentials.

3. Techtics Engineering

CryptoSlate lists Brent van der Heiden as a Co-Founder of Techtics Engineering, and his LinkedIn includes Techtics Engineering in his experience. The exact founding date, co-founder role, company purpose, current operational status and relationship to MapMetrics are not fully independently verified here. Based on available information, Techtics Engineering appears to be a conventional software/engineering firm rather than a blockchain company; this profile does not characterize it as a blockchain company without reliable evidence. If it is primarily a software/engineering services firm, that is the accurate description.

4. Founding MapMetrics

Brent van der Heiden co-founded MapMetrics, a Web3 drive-to-earn navigation and mapping project. The exact founding year, other co-founders, legal/company structure and initial funding are not fully independently verified here. MapMetrics initially launched using the Solana blockchain. The project's original thesis was to apply blockchain-based incentive systems to navigation: users contribute real-time location, road and traffic data while the platform aims to give contributors a more direct role in the value generated from that data. This profile does not treat company incorporation, product development and public launch as the same date.

5. What Is MapMetrics?

MapMetrics is a Web3 drive-to-earn navigation and mapping project where drivers contribute real-time location and traffic data. The basic model:

1. Users run the navigation application while traveling.
2. The app gathers eligible mobility/traffic information.
3. Data contributes to a crowdsourced mapping or mobility-data network.
4. Participants may receive rewards under the project's token/incentive model.
5. The broader goal is to build geospatial data infrastructure with more direct contributor participation.

This profile uses current MapMetrics documentation for product behavior and does not describe conceptual future data marketplaces as already operating unless verified.

6. Drive-to-Earn

MapMetrics uses a drive-to-earn model. Users can contribute live traffic, speed and route information through the navigation app. Key aspects:

• User contribution — GPS/location data, traffic information and route information collected during navigation.
• Reward mechanisms — token incentives for contributing data while driving.
• Special Position Tracker (SPT) — an optional hardware device that boosts earnings and unlocks exclusive quests by securely encrypting data while capturing real-time traffic information.
• Network participation — users participate in the mapping network by contributing data.

This profile does not promise earnings, does not use historical reward rates as current, and does not use phrases such as "guaranteed passive income" or "free money for driving." Token value and reward structures can change.

7. MapMetrics and DePIN

Decentralized Physical Infrastructure Networks (DePIN) are blockchain-coordinated networks where participants contribute physical-world data or resources (sensors, cameras, GPS devices, compute, storage) and receive token incentives in return. The model aims to create user-owned infrastructure where network participants, rather than centralized operators, capture the value generated.

MapMetrics can be categorized in the DePIN sector because it applies these principles to mobility and navigation data: users contribute real-world driving data and may receive token rewards. This profile does not imply that Brent van der Heiden invented DePIN.

8. Decentralized Mapping

Decentralized or crowdsourced mapping differs from traditional mapping platforms in several ways: data contributors, ownership models, incentive structures, data access, governance, update frequency and commercialization. Traditional mapping providers (e.g., Google Maps) collect data through a mix of proprietary fleets, user contributions and third-party partnerships, with the platform capturing most of the commercial value. Decentralized mapping projects aim to give contributors a more direct economic stake in the data they generate.

This profile does not claim decentralized mapping is automatically more accurate than established mapping providers. Accuracy depends on coverage, user density, data validation, mapping algorithms, fraud resistance and infrastructure quality.

9. Who Benefits From Mobility Data?

The data-economy issue behind MapMetrics is that centralized platforms typically capture most of the value generated from user mobility and location data. Van der Heiden has positioned MapMetrics around the thesis that individuals who generate valuable mobility information should have a more direct role in the economic value derived from it. This profile frames this as the founder/project thesis rather than an objective conclusion. MapMetrics aims to return value to contributors; whether it fully achieves this is a separate question.

10. Privacy & Location Data

MapMetrics deals with sensitive location information, making privacy a critical consideration. MapMetrics describes its data collection as anonymous and states that the SPT device securely encrypts data while capturing real-time traffic information. This profile does not simply repeat "anonymized location data" without noting the distinction between:

• Anonymous — data cannot be linked to an individual.
• Pseudonymous — data is linked to a stable identifier (e.g., a wallet address) but not a legal name.
• Aggregated — individual records are combined into statistical summaries.
• Onchain — stored on a public blockchain.
• Offchain — stored in conventional databases.

These terms are not interchangeable. Readers should consult MapMetrics' current privacy policy for exact data handling, retention, sharing, consent and deletion practices, including GDPR compliance and third-party processors.

11. What Goes Onchain?

This is particularly important for a location-data project. This profile does not imply that raw personal location history is stored publicly on a blockchain unless that is actually true. Based on available information, MapMetrics' onchain components likely include token transactions (MMAPS rewards), credentials/proofs and data-ownership records, while raw GPS coordinates and location history are likely stored offchain or in encrypted form. Readers should consult MapMetrics' technical documentation for the exact architecture before drawing conclusions about what personal data is exposed onchain.

12. MapMetrics and Solana

MapMetrics initially launched using the Solana blockchain. Solana was likely selected for its high throughput, low transaction fees and active DePIN ecosystem. The exact product/network integration, token deployment, wallet support and timeline are not fully independently verified here. In April 2024, MapMetrics announced it was migrating from Solana to peaq. This profile does not describe MapMetrics as currently Solana-based, since core infrastructure migrated to peaq.

13. MapMetrics and peaq

In April 2024, MapMetrics announced it was transitioning from Solana to peaq, a Layer-1 blockchain designed specifically for DePIN and machine real-world assets (RWA). Per Blockworks reporting and MapMetrics' own blog, the migration was motivated by peaq's DePIN-specific features, including machine identity and modular DePIN functions. Van der Heiden emphasized peaq's "stable transactions" as a factor. As of 2024–2025, MapMetrics aligned with peaq (a Polkadot parachain) to leverage these capabilities. This profile does not describe the transition as fully completed unless current evidence confirms it; readers should consult official MapMetrics and peaq documentation for the current technical architecture.

14. Multi-Chain Architecture

Whether MapMetrics currently supports a multi-chain architecture (peaq, Solana, other networks) or has fully migrated to peaq is not fully independently verified here. This profile distinguishes between token deployment, application data, smart contracts, wallet support, settlement and historical integrations. It does not call MapMetrics "multi-chain" solely because it migrated from one chain to another. Readers should consult current MapMetrics documentation for the exact current architecture.

15. MMAPS

MMAPS is identified as MapMetrics' native token/reward asset. Current official information on token name, symbol, blockchain/network (post-migration, likely peaq), contract address, launch status, reward function, utility, governance, data marketplace use, staking, supply and distribution should be verified against current MapMetrics documentation. This profile does not use historical token information without checking current contracts and does not display live price, market cap or trading volume.

16. How Rewards Work

MapMetrics' reward model involves earning tokens for contributing driving data. Actions that may qualify include driving with the app active, contributing traffic/route information, and using the SPT device. Reward calculation may depend on driving distance, data quality and device requirements. This profile does not publish specific reward rates, daily/weekly caps, geographic eligibility details or anti-fraud measures without current verification, and does not use phrases such as "guaranteed passive income" or "guaranteed crypto earnings." Token value and reward structures can change.

17. Mobility Data Marketplace

MapMetrics has discussed the potential for crowdsourced mobility information to be made available to third parties while returning value to contributors. Whether this data marketplace is currently live, in beta, in pilot, planned or conceptual is not fully independently verified here. If not live, this profile describes it as a project goal rather than a current product. Readers should consult current MapMetrics documentation for marketplace status, data types, contributor compensation, privacy model and licensing terms.

18. Map and Navigation Features

MapMetrics' consumer application may include turn-by-turn navigation, live traffic, route planning, map search, points of interest, speed information, voice guidance, community reports and mobile platforms (iOS/Android). This profile does not turn the founder profile into an app-store feature dump and only lists features that are currently available per MapMetrics' own documentation.

19. Data Validation & Quality

One of the biggest challenges for crowdsourced mapping is data quality: fake GPS, duplicate users, bots, sparse geographic coverage, incorrect road information and data freshness. MapMetrics' mechanisms for data validation, anti-spoofing, quality scoring, reputation, device verification and anomaly detection are not fully independently verified here. This profile does not claim fraudulent data can be completely eliminated. The SPT device appears to be part of the anti-fraud/data-validation strategy, as it securely encrypts data at the point of capture.

20. DePIN Hardware

MapMetrics offers the Special Position Tracker (SPT), an optional hardware device that boosts earnings and unlocks exclusive quests. The SPT securely encrypts data while capturing real-time traffic information. The app also works through smartphones. This profile does not publish discontinued hardware as current; readers should consult MapMetrics' current product pages for device availability, price and required-vs-optional status.

21. Ecosystem Partnerships

MapMetrics has been associated with the peaq ecosystem and DePIN/mobility projects. This profile only calls something a "partnership" when both parties publicly confirm it; otherwise it uses "integration," "campaign," "ecosystem participation" or "technical support" as appropriate. MapMetrics attended Proof of Talk 2025 in Paris and has been featured in peaq ecosystem materials.

22. Funding

Detailed MapMetrics funding disclosures are limited. Funding rounds, investors, grants, ecosystem funding, token sales, crowdfunding and private investment are not fully independently verified here. This profile does not fabricate fundraising figures. If financing remains undisclosed, the accurate statement is: Funding details are not publicly confirmed. This profile does not infer valuation.

23. Team and Governance

MapMetrics is described as founder-led, with van der Heiden acting as a primary executive/product lead. Other founders, current leadership, engineering team, foundation/legal entity, token governance and DAO structure are not fully independently verified here. This profile does not call the project fully decentralized if founder/company control remains significant.

24. MapMetrics: Current Status

As of August 2026, MapMetrics' website (mapmetrics.org) appears to remain active with blog posts, product pages (SPT device, FAQs) and peaq-related content. The app appears to remain available. However, Brent van der Heiden's LinkedIn now leads with MapAtlas as his primary current venture, and his MapAtlas author bio describes MapMetrics as a previous role ("Before MapAtlas, Brent co-founded MapMetrics"). Whether van der Heiden remains actively involved as MapMetrics CEO is unclear. Status: Status Unclear / likely limited activity. Readers should consult current MapMetrics channels for the latest operational status. Status checked: August 2026.