Token Standards and Tokenomics
Token standards define the contract interface that wallets and applications use to handle a token. Tokenomics is the set of supply, allocation, distribution, and control rules around that token.
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Intro
Token Standards and Tokenomics
A token standard is an interface contract. It tells wallets, exchanges, and other smart contracts which functions and events they can expect. Tokenomics is a separate design layer: the rules for supply, allocation, distribution, and control.
Keep those layers apart. ERC-20 does not make a token scarce, useful, or fairly distributed. A supply cap does not make an ERC-20 integration correct. The standard is interoperability. Tokenomics is the economic and governance design built around it.
Start with the asset model
Choose the asset relationship before choosing an interface.
A fungible token has interchangeable units. One unit represents the same contract-defined position as another unit. ERC-20 defines a standard interface for this model, including balances, transfers, approvals, and allowances.
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Sources
- https://ethereum.org/developers/docs/standards/tokens/
Supports
- Token standards as common interfaces for interoperability across wallets and applications
- ERC-20 fungible tokens, ERC-721 non-fungible tokens, and ERC-1155 multi-token use cases
- https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-20
Supports
- ERC-20 balances, transfers, approvals, allowances, delegated transfers, events, and optional metadata
- https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-721
Supports
- ERC-721 distinct token identifiers, ownership, approvals, operator approvals, safe transfers, and optional metadata
- https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-1155
Supports
- ERC-1155 multiple token types, identifier-specific attributes, operator approvals, and single and batch transfers
- https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-4626
Supports
- Tokenized vault interface and standardized asset and share accounting
- https://docs.openzeppelin.com/contracts/5.x/erc20
Supports
- Maintained ERC-20 implementation documentation and extension-oriented supply design