New Models for Utility Tokens

So far, this post has focused almost exclusively on tokens’ ability to capture value by generating income streams for their holders. They are productive capital assets. This may very well be sufficient to value most tokens in the long-run. Equity-like analysis will do the trick here. Think DCF and DDM.

However, valuing tokens based on cash flows rem... See more

Most companies in the public market are valued on revenue or EBITDA; if revenue increases, so does the value of the stock...  As for tokens, it’s an open question. The valuation methodologies haven’t coalesced yet. Cryptoassets written by Burniske and Tatar in 2017 contemplates a few different models including velocity of money (mv=pq), discou... See more

1. UtilityThe utility is probably the most important factor in a crypto project’s tokenomics.Even if a token is deflationary, has the best price stability mechanisms, distribution, as well as a decentralized and highly efficient on-chain governance process, it won’t be worth too much if it is not used for anything.

In this third part, I’m going to cover utility. Utility is a subsection of the Demand side of the tokenomics equation. Even if a token has a great supply model, it still needs a good reason to exist and for people to hold it. Without those, there will be no demand for it, and no one will buy or hold it.

In a cryptonetwork, token holders would also be unwilling to supply capital at a loss indefinitely if the token’s only value is derived from its ability to generate profits in the future. However, this gets into the unique properties and value capture mechanisms of crypto – tokens may have value capture outside of their ability to produce income.

-Network Valuation: While some have proposed equations for valuation of protocol tokens, each token is unique and needs to have specific analysis done to evaluate it.