What is MAPS (MAPS) Crypto Coin? The Truth Behind the Mapping Token


MAPS Staking & Liquidity Calculator

The MAPS (MAPS) crypto coin isn’t another Bitcoin or Ethereum. It doesn’t power a global network or have millions of daily transactions. Instead, it’s tied to a single app - MAPS.ME - an offline map tool used by over 100 million people. That sounds promising, right? But here’s the catch: MAPS is barely used inside the app it’s supposed to serve.

Launched in May 2021, MAPS was meant to be the fuel for a decentralized travel economy. You’d use it to book hostels, tip local guides, earn rewards for exploring, or vote on map updates. The idea was simple: turn your offline maps into a blockchain-powered travel platform. But four years later, most users have no idea the token exists. If you’ve used MAPS.ME to find a hidden café in Prague or navigate rural roads in Thailand, you’ve probably never touched the MAPS coin. And that’s the core problem.

What Is MAPS (MAPS) Actually Used For?

MAPS is an ERC-20, SPL, and NRG token - meaning it runs on Ethereum, Solana, and Energi blockchains. That’s unusual. Most tokens stick to one chain. MAPS jumps between them, making it harder to use. You need different wallets for each network. If you’re using MetaMask, you’re on Ethereum. If you’re on Solana, you need Phantom or Sollet. Confusing? Yes. That’s one reason adoption is low.

The official use cases sound good on paper:

  • Staking for rewards (3.5%-5.2% APY)
  • Accessing premium map features
  • Paying for travel services in partner businesses
  • Voting on community map updates

But in practice? Only staking works reliably. The rest? Barely functional. A 2023 APK teardown of MAPS.ME version 10.3.3 showed zero mention of cryptocurrency features. No wallet integration. No payment buttons. No reward notifications. The token is there - but invisible to users.

Supply, Price, and Market Chaos

The numbers around MAPS are messy. Different sites report wildly different values.

On CoinGecko, the circulating supply is 75 million. On CoinMarketCap, it’s 45.5 million. Total supply? 9.99 billion across all sources. That’s a huge gap. Why does it matter? Because inflated supply numbers can make a token look cheaper than it is - or hide massive inflation.

Price? It’s crashed hard. After hitting $2.06 in May 2021, it’s now between $0.002 and $0.013. That’s a 99% drop. Market cap? It swings between $100,000 and $840,000 depending on which site you check. Compare that to FOAM ($24M) or XYO ($45M), two other location-based tokens. MAPS is a ghost in the market.

Trading volume? Often under $100 per day. Some days, it’s $0. That means if you own 50,000 MAPS tokens, you might wait days to sell them - and even then, you’ll get a terrible price. One user on CoinMarketCap wrote: “Tried to sell 50k MAPS and the order took 3 days to fill at terrible prices.” That’s not investing. That’s gambling with no exit.

Who Owns MAPS? And Why Does It Matter?

Only about 3,940 wallets hold MAPS tokens. That’s tiny. Even worse - the top 10 wallets control 63.2% of the total supply. That’s extreme centralization. In crypto, decentralization is supposed to be the point. If 10 people own two-thirds of a token, they can pump and dump it anytime. There’s no real community power here - just a few big holders.

And who are they? No one knows. The MAPS.ME team never disclosed major wallet addresses. No transparency. That’s a red flag. Legit projects publish their treasury wallets. MAPS doesn’t. That makes it hard to trust what’s happening behind the scenes.

A dusty roadmap with empty promises hangs on a wall as a team sleeps, in nostalgic cartoon style.

Why Hasn’t MAPS.ME Used the Token?

This is the biggest mystery. MAPS.ME has over 140 million downloads. It’s ranked #3 globally for offline maps, behind Google and Apple. It’s popular in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. If they wanted to, they could onboard millions of users to MAPS overnight.

But they haven’t.

Users on Reddit say it plainly: “I’ve used MAPS.ME for years and never even knew they had a token until recently - it’s completely disconnected from the app experience.” Trustpilot reviews? 4.2/5 stars. Zero mention of crypto. The app works great as a map. The token? A forgotten afterthought.

The roadmap promised “decentralized travel booking by Q4 2022.” That deadline passed. No update. No explanation. The last official roadmap update was in early 2022. Since then? Radio silence.

The Risks of Holding MAPS

Holding MAPS is risky - not because it’s a scam, but because it’s dead weight.

  • Liquidity risk: You can’t easily buy or sell. Exchanges are small. Bitforex, Hotbit - not Binance or Coinbase.
  • Utility risk: No real use inside the app. No merchants accept it.
  • Regulatory risk: The EU’s MiCA rules (effective 2024) require clear token disclosures. MAPS doesn’t meet them.
  • Reputation risk: Experts like Nathaniel Whaley of The Defiant call it “tokenomics disconnected from actual usage.”

Even the most optimistic analysts admit: MAPS needs a 10x jump in trading volume to survive. That’s not happening. The project has no marketing push. No new features. No partnerships. It’s stuck in 2021.

A cartoon wallet drags a huge sack of MAPS tokens through a barren digital wasteland.

Should You Buy MAPS?

Only if you’re okay with losing your money.

If you’re looking for a long-term investment? Skip it. The token has no growth engine. No team updates. No user adoption. The only reason it still has value is because a few speculators are holding on, hoping for a bull market bounce.

If you’re a MAPS.ME user and want to try staking? Fine. Stake 1,000 MAPS and earn 4% a year. But don’t expect to use it for anything else. And don’t invest more than you’re willing to lose.

The truth? MAPS is a relic of the 2021 crypto boom - a project that raised hype with a big user base but never delivered on its promise. It’s not dead yet. But it’s on life support.

What’s Next for MAPS?

There are two paths ahead:

  1. Revival: MAPS.ME integrates the token into core features - like paying for premium maps, unlocking offline guides, or tipping local contributors. They launch a campaign to teach 100 million users how to use it. Suddenly, demand spikes. Liquidity returns. The price recovers.
  2. Decline: Nothing changes. Trading volume keeps dropping. Exchanges delist it. Wallets stop supporting it. The token becomes a footnote in crypto history.

Right now, path #2 is winning. The app hasn’t changed. The team hasn’t spoken. The token is fading.

If you’re holding MAPS, check your wallet. If you’re thinking of buying, ask yourself: why? Not because it’s cheap. Not because it’s “undervalued.” But because you believe in its future. And right now, that future looks empty.

Is MAPS coin a good investment?

No, not as a serious investment. MAPS has extremely low liquidity, no real utility inside its own app, and minimal community growth. Its price is driven by speculation, not demand. Only risk-tolerant traders with a short-term outlook should consider it - and even then, only with money they can afford to lose.

Can I use MAPS to book travel or pay for services?

Almost never. Despite claims on the project’s website, no major travel platforms, hotels, or local businesses accept MAPS tokens. The few merchants listed on their site are outdated or inactive. The only reliable use is staking through the MAPS.ME app for small rewards.

Why does MAPS have different supply numbers on different sites?

Because the project doesn’t provide clear, verified data. CoinGecko, CoinMarketCap, and Coinpaprika all pull data from different blockchain explorers and exchanges. Some include locked tokens. Others don’t. The team hasn’t published a transparent token distribution report. This inconsistency raises red flags about accountability.

Is MAPS available on Binance or Coinbase?

No. MAPS is not listed on Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, or any other major exchange. It’s only available on small, low-volume platforms like Bitforex, Hotbit, and Bitget. This makes it hard to buy, sell, or trade safely.

How do I stake MAPS tokens?

You can stake MAPS through the official MAPS.ME app. You need at least 1,000 tokens, and rewards range from 3.5% to 5.2% APY. The process is simple: open the app, go to the wallet section, select “Stake,” and confirm. Rewards are paid weekly. But remember - staking doesn’t mean you’re using the token for anything else. It’s just a way to earn passive income on a nearly useless asset.

What happened to the MAPS.ME roadmap?

The last roadmap update was in Q1 2022. It promised decentralized travel booking by Q4 2022. That never happened. Since then, the team has stopped sharing updates. No blog posts. No Telegram announcements. No developer progress reports. The roadmap is effectively abandoned.

Final Thoughts

MAPS was supposed to be the bridge between offline maps and blockchain. Instead, it became a cautionary tale. A big user base doesn’t mean success. A big idea doesn’t mean execution. Without real integration, a crypto token is just a digital collectible with no value beyond speculation.

If you’re using MAPS.ME for travel, keep using it. It’s still one of the best offline maps out there. But leave the token behind. Don’t buy it. Don’t stake it. Don’t wait for it to come back. It’s not coming back - unless the team does something radically different. And they haven’t shown any signs of doing that.

Comments (21)

  • Tony spart
    Tony spart

    This token is a joke. 100 million users and not one of them uses the coin? Who even thought this was a good idea? Probably some bro who read a whitepaper on a bus and thought blockchain fixes everything. Pathetic.

  • Ben Costlee
    Ben Costlee

    I’ve used MAPS.ME for years. It’s one of the few apps that actually works offline without draining my battery. But I had no idea they had a token until someone linked this post. It’s heartbreaking when a great product gets tangled up in crypto hype. The app deserves better.

  • Mark Adelmann
    Mark Adelmann

    Hey, if you’re a MAPS.ME user and just stumbled on this, don’t panic. The app still works great. The token? Totally separate. I staked 2k MAPS just to see what happens - got 80 tokens in 3 months. Not life-changing, but hey, free coins. Just don’t buy more hoping for a miracle.

  • ola frank
    ola frank

    The structural dissonance between utility and tokenomics here is a textbook case of misaligned incentive gradients. The ERC-20/SPL/NGR multi-chain architecture introduces unnecessary friction in a user base that already suffers from cognitive load. The absence of on-chain governance mechanisms coupled with zero API integration into the core application stack renders the token functionally inert. This is not a failure of adoption - it is a failure of architectural coherence.

  • imoleayo adebiyi
    imoleayo adebiyi

    I live in Nigeria and use MAPS.ME every day for route planning. I’ve never seen the token mentioned in the app. I read this whole thing just to understand what’s going on. Honestly, I feel bad for the team. They built something useful, but the crypto part feels like someone slapped a logo on it and called it a day.

  • Angel RYAN
    Angel RYAN

    I think the real tragedy here is that the app is still amazing. People keep using it because it works. The token is just noise. Ignore it. Use the app. Life’s too short to stress over crypto that doesn’t matter

  • stephen bullard
    stephen bullard

    I used to believe in crypto as a tool for empowerment. MAPS was supposed to be that. A way for travelers to support local guides, pay for hidden gems, maybe even tip someone who showed them a secret trail. But now? It’s just a ghost. And that’s the saddest part - not the price drop. It’s the lost potential.

  • SHASHI SHEKHAR
    SHASHI SHEKHAR

    Bro I checked my wallet and I have 15k MAPS from 2021 airdrop 😅 I thought it was a joke then but kept it just in case. Now I see it’s not even on Binance. I tried to sell it last week on Hotbit and the slippage was 40% and it took 2 days to fill. I just left it. I think I’m holding a digital post-it note now. At least the app still works. I use it in Goa every monsoon. The token? Just a bad memory now 🙃

  • Vaibhav Jaiswal
    Vaibhav Jaiswal

    I mean… it’s like having a fancy key to a door that doesn’t exist anymore. You got the key, the lock’s gone. The house is empty. You’re just holding the key and wondering why no one’s answering the door.

  • Abby cant tell ya
    Abby cant tell ya

    Oh wow. Someone actually wrote a 2000-word essay on a worthless crypto token. Congrats. You’ve officially become the person your parents warned you about.

  • Janice Jose
    Janice Jose

    I used to love this app. I don’t use it as much now, but I still keep it installed. I’m not mad about the token. I’m just… disappointed. Like when you find out your favorite restaurant stopped making your favorite dish and never told you.

  • Savan Prajapati
    Savan Prajapati

    Token useless. App good. Don’t buy MAPS. Use the app. Done.

  • Michael Labelle
    Michael Labelle

    I downloaded this app in 2018 because I was tired of Google Maps eating my data. Still use it. Never knew about the coin. Just now learned it exists. Feels like someone added a crypto feature as an afterthought and then forgot about it. Classic.

  • Joel Christian
    Joel Christian

    I think i mighta bought some maps last year… or was it 2022? idk i lost track. i think i still have it in my metamask. or was it solana? i think i used the wrong wallet. i cant find it. i think i deleted the app. maybe i should reinstall it. or maybe its just a dream. 🤔

  • jeff aza
    jeff aza

    Let’s be clear: this isn’t a ‘cautionary tale.’ It’s a forensic case study in failed tokenomics. The 99% price collapse isn’t a market correction - it’s a valuation collapse driven by zero utility, zero transparency, and zero community governance. The fact that it’s listed on 3 chains is a feature, not a bug - it’s a multi-chain dumpster fire. And the top 10 wallets holding 63%? That’s not decentralization. That’s a cartel with a whitepaper.

  • Vijay Kumar
    Vijay Kumar

    They should’ve just made a NFT of the map. At least then people could collect it. This? This is just a digital ghost.

  • Vance Ashby
    Vance Ashby

    I bought MAPS because it was cheap. Now I feel like I bought a vintage watch that doesn’t tick. Still looks nice on the shelf. But it’s not telling time anymore. 😅

  • Brian Bernfeld
    Brian Bernfeld

    I’ve traveled through 47 countries. MAPS.ME saved me in rural Laos, the Andes, and the Atlas Mountains. I’ve never needed GPS. But I’ve never used the token. And I’m not alone. The team had a golden opportunity - to turn travelers into a decentralized economy. Instead, they built a digital monument to their own inaction. Shame.

  • Ian Esche
    Ian Esche

    I don’t care about crypto. But I care about American-made tech. This is a US app. Why is it being ruined by this nonsense? We don’t need foreign blockchain hype. We need good software. And MAPS.ME was good software.

  • Felicia Sue Lynn
    Felicia Sue Lynn

    There is a quiet dignity in the app’s continued functionality despite the token’s collapse. The users still navigate, still discover, still explore - untouched by the financial chaos above them. Perhaps the true value of MAPS.ME was never in its blockchain, but in its quiet, reliable presence in the lives of those who need it most.

  • Christina Oneviane
    Christina Oneviane

    So… you spent 2000 words to say ‘this coin is trash’? And you’re surprised people don’t use it? Maybe try writing a tweet next time. Or better yet - don’t.

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