MB Partners has seen tokenomics fail and thrive across the DeFi ecosystem.
With a structured 3-phase design process, we help founders build robust economic models that scale with their protocol’s growth.
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5️⃣ Test the economics
Protocols evolve, so must their token design.
Run simulations with pessimistic, base, and optimistic forecasts (DeTEcT, 2023).
Scenario analysis = strategies ready before crises appear.
4️⃣ Stress against toxic behavior
DeFi incentives attract opportunists. Bad actors will test every loophole: farming exploits, dumping rewards, gaming inflation.
Always ask: What is the worst-case scenario for this mechanism?
Design protections before launch.
3️⃣ Demand > Supply
95% of “bad tokenomics” focus on emission schedules, not demand drivers (Hacken, 2025).
Define why users need the token: access, staking, governance, payments.
Without real demand, no supply schedule will save the model.
2️⃣ Clarity beats complexity
Tokenomics must be transparent. A model nobody understands is a model nobody trusts.
Clear rules on allocation, vesting, inflation, and rewards help align the community and reduce information asymmetry.
1️⃣ Product first
Most DeFi projects launch a token too early, with no purpose or design.
If your token doesn’t solve a real problem inside your ecosystem, it’s not time yet.
Focus on building adoption → then design a token that amplifies product growth.
How to be among the 5% of projects that succeed with tokenomics design?
MB Partners shares 5 key aspects and data-driven practices every founder should consider before launching a token in 2025
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