What token economy design covers
A token is a set of incentives.
We design the ones you actually want.
Design answers what the token is for and how value moves through it. Most teams start with supply and distribution; those are the last decisions, not the first.
Fixed quote before work begins
Full engagement length
Total supply, allocation across stakeholders, vesting schedules and emissions, all set against the demand the utility design actually creates rather than a number chosen to look reasonable.
How we design
Utilities come from your product,
not from other tokens.
A utility list assembled from three competitors leaves you with a token nothing in your product requires. We start at the product and derive the rest from it.
01 Purpose
A token is justified by decentralisation, sovereignty over your own monetary policy, or data transfer. If none of the three apply, you do not need one.
02 Participants
Every actor is mapped: what they contribute, what they take out, and what would make them leave. A mechanism with no participant behind it is decoration.
03 Policies
Fees, staking requirements, emission rates and reward caps are written as formulas tied to a live variable, not as fixed constants that break when conditions change.
Game theory in incentive design
An economy that pays people to do nothing attracts people who do nothing
High emissions and flat yields buy liquidity, not loyalty. Capital that arrives for an APY leaves for a higher one, usually at the moment you can least absorb the selling.
A six stage process to design an economy that holds up after launch.
01
Discovery
We start with the business: the model, the user types, the growth assumptions, and what the token is genuinely supposed to do inside it.
02
Utility design
We define what the token is for, who needs it, and what makes holding it more rational than selling it. Everything downstream depends on this answer.
03
Policy and formulas
Every numerical input, from fees to staking rewards to emission curves, built on deterministic models rather than a number that looked about right.
04
Supply and distribution
Total supply, allocation across stakeholders, vesting schedules and cliffs, set against the demand the utility design actually creates.
05
Validation and iteration
The design is simulated, broken, and redesigned. Most economies need two or three rounds before the incentives hold under pressure.
06
Token economy document
A complete written token economy: utilities, supply, distribution, vesting, emissions and the reasoning behind each decision, ready for investors and counsel.
Client examples
Tokenomics modelling details
We’ve been doing this for years across all narratives, trends, and market conditions. Below are the details of what you can expect working with us.
01
What is tokenomics consulting?
02
How much does tokenomics design cost?
03
How much does tokenomics modelling cost?
04
How much does a tokenomics audit cost?
Frequently asked questions
01
How do you determine the ideal token supply and vesting schedule?
Token supply is irrelevant. What matters is the valuation, with regards to vesting, projected financials, and user growth of your business.
02
Does my project need a dual-token or single-token system?
There is no one answer fits all, however, generally speaking dual-token economies make sense when there is need for a soft and hard currency.
03
How do you prevent "Death Spirals" in token economic design?
We prevent death spirals by anchoring the token to tangible utility and dynamically aligning emission rates with actual network growth, ensuring that value creation always outpaces token inflation.
04
How much does tokenomics design cost?
Design starts at $10,000 for MiCA-compliant work. The exact figure depends on the complexity of the economy; you receive a fixed quote before work begins.
05
Do I need MiCA-compliant tokenomics?
If you plan to offer your token to the public in the EU or list on EU-regulated venues, yes. MiCA ties your token's regulatory classification to its design, so the economy and the white paper have to be built to match the category you fall under: utility token, asset-referenced token, or e-money token. Get the design wrong and the classification, and the offering itself, is at risk.
06
How long does a token economy design take?
A standard design and modelling engagement runs 3 to 5 weeks. A single-token economy with clear utility moves faster; dual-token systems and MiCA-compliant work sit at the longer end.
07
What is included in a token economy design document?
Supply, distribution and vesting schedules, utility and value accrual mechanisms, staking and incentive design, and the reasoning behind every parameter. It is written to be handed directly to investors, exchanges, and your development team.
08
What is the difference between tokenomics design and modelling?
Design defines the economy: supply, distribution, vesting, utility, and value accrual. Modelling tests it; we build the economy in Machinations and stress it under different market and demand conditions to see where it breaks before launch. Design is the blueprint, modelling is the wind tunnel.
