How to Choose the Right Blockchain Protocol for Your Tokenization Project

Karolina

19 Jun 2023
How to Choose the Right Blockchain Protocol for Your Tokenization Project

The rise of blockchain technology has paved the way for numerous innovations across industries. One such innovation is tokenization, a process that allows assets, both tangible and intangible, to be represented as digital tokens on a blockchain. This breakthrough has opened up exciting possibilities for enhanced liquidity, fractional ownership, and efficient asset management. However, the success of any tokenization project hinges on selecting the right blockchain protocol. With numerous protocols available, each with its own unique features and capabilities, making an informed decision is crucial. In this article, we will delve into the factors that should be considered when choosing the right blockchain protocol for your tokenization project.

Understanding Tokenization and Blockchain Protocols

Tokenization refers to the process of converting real-world assets, such as real estate, art, or commodities, into digital tokens that can be securely stored, transferred, and traded on a blockchain. By representing these assets as tokens, individuals and organizations can unlock new possibilities, including fractional ownership, increased liquidity, and automated compliance.

Blockchain protocols, on the other hand, form the underlying infrastructure that powers tokenization projects. These protocols serve as the foundation for creating, managing, and exchanging tokens securely and transparently. They provide the necessary consensus mechanisms, smart contract functionality, and interoperability features to ensure the smooth operation of tokenized assets.

When considering blockchain protocols for your tokenization project, it is crucial to evaluate several key factors. Scalability and throughput, security and consensus mechanism, smart contract functionality and flexibility, interoperability and integration, and community and ecosystem support are among the critical aspects to consider. By carefully assessing these factors, you can make an informed decision that aligns with the specific requirements and goals of your tokenization project.

In the following sections, we will explore each of these factors in more detail, providing valuable insights to help you navigate the complex landscape of blockchain protocols and choose the right one for your tokenization project.

Key Aspects to Evaluate When Selecting a Blockchain Protocol for Tokenization

The importance of choosing the appropriate blockchain protocol for a tokenization initiative cannot be overstated, as it influences the project's success and efficacy. By taking into account the following key elements, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your goals. 

Scalability and Throughput

Scalability is vital in tokenization endeavors because it directly affects the blockchain's transaction speed and capacity. It is crucial to select a highly scalable blockchain protocol to accommodate numerous tokenized assets and guarantee seamless and efficient processes. Assess transaction processing rates, network capabilities, and the ability to manage increasing transaction volumes when comparing blockchain protocols. Opt for protocols that adopt inventive solutions addressing scalability issues, such as sharding, layer 2 solutions, or sidechains. Selecting a scalable blockchain protocol will safeguard your tokenization project from potential limitations and performance problems as it grows.

Security and Consensus Mechanism

The security of tokenized assets is critical since blockchain protocol vulnerabilities can result in serious repercussions. A reliable blockchain protocol must provide a safe environment for storing and transferring tokens while defending against fraud, hacks, and unauthorized access. Key security factors to consider include the protocol's history of security incidents, decentralization level, blockchain immutability, and the strength of cryptographic algorithms employed. Furthermore, examine the protocol's consensus mechanism since it dictates how transactions are verified and added to the blockchain. Different consensus mechanisms offer varying levels of security and energy efficiency; hence it is essential to choose one that aligns with your tokenization project's requirements.

Smart Contract Functionality and Flexibility

Smart contracts are crucial to tokenization projects as they facilitate programmable agreements for tokenized assets' creation and execution. Evaluate the smart contract features and programming languages supported by different blockchain protocols. Opt for protocols that provide versatile functionalities including custom logic creation, integration with external systems and data sources, and complex tokenization requirements management. This smart contract framework flexibility will allow customization to your project's unique needs, ensuring seamless tokenized asset operations. Also, assess the protocol's compatibility with existing smart contract standards and libraries to streamline development and improve interoperability with other projects.

More about smart contracts 

Interoperability and Integration

Tokenization initiatives may necessitate interoperability with other blockchain protocols or systems to utilize additional functionalities or access broader liquidity sources. Appraising the interoperability capabilities of various blockchain protocols is essential if you intend to integrate with external platforms, exchange tokens across diverse blockchains, or cooperate with other projects. Choose protocols that support cross-chain communication, atomic swaps, or bridge technologies for facilitating interoperability. Moreover, consider the protocol's compatibility with widely embraced interoperability standards and initiatives like Polkadot, Cosmos, or Inter-Blockchain Communication (IBC) protocols. Ensuring seamless integration and interaction enables smooth data exchange between your tokenization project and other pertinent systems, expanding possibilities and augmenting the overall value proposition.

More about Interoperability 

Community and Ecosystem Support

The blockchain community's strength and dynamics substantially influence your tokenization project's success. Gauge the level of activity and involvement within the developer community surrounding different blockchain protocols, as an engaged community can offer valuable insights, resources, and support throughout development. Seek protocols with a flourishing developer community, regular updates, and a transparent governance structure that fosters community participation. In addition, evaluate the partnerships and projects established on the protocol as they signify technological maturity and adoption levels. A robust ecosystem supplying tools, documentation, and assistance is essential for smooth tokenization project progress, enabling access to a wealth of expertise and fostering collaboration with other blockchain industry stakeholders.

When considering these crucial aspects in selecting a blockchain protocol for your tokenization undertaking, you can make an educated decision that addresses your project's specific needs pertaining to scalability, security measures, smart contract functionality, interoperability aspirations, and community backing. Investing time in analyzing and understanding these factors will lay a solid foundation for your project, increasing the chances of realizing your desired outcomes.

Conclusion

Choosing the right blockchain protocol is a critical step in ensuring the success of your tokenization project. By carefully evaluating factors such as scalability and throughput, security and consensus mechanism, smart contract functionality and flexibility, interoperability and integration, and community and ecosystem support, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your project's specific requirements and goals.

Scalability and throughput are crucial for handling transaction volumes and accommodating future growth. Security and the choice of consensus mechanism directly impact the safety and integrity of tokenized assets. Smart contract functionality and flexibility allow for tailored solutions and seamless execution of operations. Interoperability and integration capabilities enable collaboration with other blockchain platforms and systems, unlocking additional functionalities and liquidity pools. Lastly, a strong and supportive community and ecosystem contribute to the development and growth of your project, providing resources, expertise, and collaboration opportunities.

Tokenize Everything with Nextrope Launchpad

Our platform allows you to participate in the broad financial market of digital assets. Expand your reach and find investors globally.

Nextrope Launchpad Platform is a White Label solution in a Software-as-a-Service model that helps you launch your project within a month and fundraise with Initial Coin Offering (ICO) or Security Token Offering (STO).

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Token Engineering Process

Kajetan Olas

13 Apr 2024
Token Engineering Process

Token Engineering is an emerging field that addresses the systematic design and engineering of blockchain-based tokens. It applies rigorous mathematical methods from the Complex Systems Engineering discipline to tokenomics design.

In this article, we will walk through the Token Engineering Process and break it down into three key stages. Discovery Phase, Design Phase, and Deployment Phase.

Discovery Phase of Token Engineering Process

The first stage of the token engineering process is the Discovery Phase. It focuses on constructing high-level business plans, defining objectives, and identifying problems to be solved. That phase is also the time when token engineers first define key stakeholders in the project.

Defining the Problem

This may seem counterintuitive. Why would we start with the problem when designing tokenomics? Shouldn’t we start with more down-to-earth matters like token supply? The answer is No. Tokens are a medium for creating and exchanging value within a project’s ecosystem. Since crypto projects draw their value from solving problems that can’t be solved through TradFi mechanisms, their tokenomics should reflect that. 

The industry standard, developed by McKinsey & Co. and adapted to token engineering purposes by Outlier Ventures, is structuring the problem through a logic tree, following MECE.
MECE stands for Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive. Mutually Exclusive means that problems in the tree should not overlap. Collectively Exhaustive means that the tree should cover all issues.

In practice, the “Problem” should be replaced by a whole problem statement worksheet. The same will hold for some of the boxes.
A commonly used tool for designing these kinds of diagrams is the Miro whiteboard.

Identifying Stakeholders and Value Flows in Token Engineering

This part is about identifying all relevant actors in the ecosystem and how value flows between them. To illustrate what we mean let’s consider an example of NFT marketplace. In its case, relevant actors might be sellers, buyers, NFT creators, and a marketplace owner. Possible value flow when conducting a transaction might be: buyer gets rid of his tokens, seller gets some of them, marketplace owner gets some of them as fees, and NFT creators get some of them as royalties.

Incentive Mechanisms Canvas

The last part of what we consider to be in the Discovery Phase is filling the Incentive Mechanisms Canvas. After successfully identifying value flows in the previous stage, token engineers search for frictions to desired behaviors and point out the undesired behaviors. For example, friction to activity on an NFT marketplace might be respecting royalty fees by marketplace owners since it reduces value flowing to the seller.

source: https://www.canva.com/design/DAFDTNKsIJs/8Ky9EoJJI7p98qKLIu2XNw/view#7

Design Phase of Token Engineering Process

The second stage of the Token Engineering Process is the Design Phase in which you make use of high-level descriptions from the previous step to come up with a specific design of the project. This will include everything that can be usually found in crypto whitepapers (e.g. governance mechanisms, incentive mechanisms, token supply, etc). After finishing the design, token engineers should represent the whole value flow and transactional logic on detailed visual diagrams. These diagrams will be a basis for creating mathematical models in the Deployment Phase. 

Token Engineering Artonomous Design Diagram
Artonomous design diagram, source: Artonomous GitHub

Objective Function

Every crypto project has some objective. The objective can consist of many goals, such as decentralization or token price. The objective function is a mathematical function assigning weights to different factors that influence the main objective in the order of their importance. This function will be a reference for machine learning algorithms in the next steps. They will try to find quantitative parameters (e.g. network fees) that maximize the output of this function.
Modified Metcalfe’s Law can serve as an inspiration during that step. It’s a framework for valuing crypto projects, but we believe that after adjustments it can also be used in this context.

Deployment Phase of Token Engineering Process

The Deployment Phase is final, but also the most demanding step in the process. It involves the implementation of machine learning algorithms that test our assumptions and optimize quantitative parameters. Token Engineering draws from Nassim Taleb’s concept of Antifragility and extensively uses feedback loops to make a system that gains from arising shocks.

Agent-based Modelling 

In agent-based modeling, we describe a set of behaviors and goals displayed by each agent participating in the system (this is why previous steps focused so much on describing stakeholders). Each agent is controlled by an autonomous AI and continuously optimizes his strategy. He learns from his experience and can mimic the behavior of other agents if he finds it effective (Reinforced Learning). This approach allows for mimicking real users, who adapt their strategies with time. An example adaptive agent would be a cryptocurrency trader, who changes his trading strategy in response to experiencing a loss of money.

Monte Carlo Simulations

Token Engineers use the Monte Carlo method to simulate the consequences of various possible interactions while taking into account the probability of their occurrence. By running a large number of simulations it’s possible to stress-test the project in multiple scenarios and identify emergent risks.

Testnet Deployment

If possible, it's highly beneficial for projects to extend the testing phase even further by letting real users use the network. Idea is the same as in agent-based testing - continuous optimization based on provided metrics. Furthermore, in case the project considers airdropping its tokens, giving them to early users is a great strategy. Even though part of the activity will be disingenuine and airdrop-oriented, such strategy still works better than most.

Time Duration

Token engineering process may take from as little as 2 weeks to as much as 5 months. It depends on the project category (Layer 1 protocol will require more time, than a simple DApp), and security requirements. For example, a bank issuing its digital token will have a very low risk tolerance.

Required Skills for Token Engineering

Token engineering is a multidisciplinary field and requires a great amount of specialized knowledge. Key knowledge areas are:

  • Systems Engineering
  • Machine Learning
  • Market Research
  • Capital Markets
  • Current trends in Web3
  • Blockchain Engineering
  • Statistics

Summary

The token engineering process consists of 3 steps: Discovery Phase, Design Phase, and Deployment Phase. It’s utilized mostly by established blockchain projects, and financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund. Even though it’s a very resource-consuming process, we believe it’s worth it. Projects that went through scrupulous design and testing before launch are much more likely to receive VC funding and be in the 10% of crypto projects that survive the bear market. Going through that process also has a symbolic meaning - it shows that the project is long-term oriented.

If you're looking to create a robust tokenomics model and go through institutional-grade testing please reach out to contact@nextrope.com. Our team is ready to help you with the token engineering process and ensure your project’s resilience in the long term.

FAQ

What does token engineering process look like?

  • Token engineering process is conducted in a 3-step methodical fashion. This includes Discovery Phase, Design Phase, and Deployment Phase. Each of these stages should be tailored to the specific needs of a project.

Is token engineering meant only for big projects?

  • We recommend that even small projects go through a simplified design and optimization process. This increases community's trust and makes sure that the tokenomics doesn't have any obvious flaws.

How long does the token engineering process take?

  • It depends on the project and may range from 2 weeks to 5 months.

What is Berachain? 🐻 ⛓️ + Proof-of-Liquidity Explained

Karolina

18 Mar 2024
What is Berachain? 🐻 ⛓️ + Proof-of-Liquidity Explained

Enter Berachain: a high-performance, EVM-compatible blockchain that is set to redefine the landscape of decentralized applications (dApps) and blockchain services. Built on the innovative Proof-of-Liquidity consensus and leveraging the robust Polaris framework alongside the CometBFT consensus engine, Berachain is poised to offer an unprecedented blend of efficiency, security, and user-centric benefits. Let's dive into what makes it a groundbreaking development in the blockchain ecosystem.

What is Berachain?

Overview

Berachain is an EVM-compatible Layer 1 (L1) blockchain that stands out through its adoption of the Proof-of-Liquidity (PoL) consensus mechanism. Designed to address the critical challenges faced by decentralized networks. It introduces a cutting-edge approach to blockchain governance and operations.

Key Features

  • High-performance Capabilities. Berachain is engineered for speed and scalability, catering to the growing demand for efficient blockchain solutions.
  • EVM Compatibility. It supports all Ethereum tooling, operations, and smart contract languages, making it a seamless transition for developers and projects from the Ethereum ecosystem.
  • Proof-of-Liquidity.This novel consensus mechanism focuses on building liquidity, decentralizing stake, and aligning the interests of validators and protocol developers.

MUST READ: Docs

EVM-Compatible vs EVM-Equivalent

EVM-Compatible

EVM compatibility means a blockchain can interact with Ethereum's ecosystem to some extent. It can interact supporting its smart contracts and tools but not replicating the entire EVM environment.

EVM-Equivalent

An EVM-equivalent blockchain, on the other hand, aims to fully replicate Ethereum's environment. It ensures complete compatibility and a smooth transition for developers and users alike.

Berachain's Position

Berachain can be considered an "EVM-equivalent-plus" blockchain. It supports all Ethereum operations, tooling, and additional functionalities that optimize for its unique Proof-of-Liquidity and abstracted use cases.

Berachain Modular First Approach

At the heart of Berachain's development philosophy is the Polaris EVM framework. It's a testament to the blockchain's commitment to modularity and flexibility. This approach allows for the easy separation of the EVM runtime layer, ensuring that Berachain can adapt and evolve without compromising on performance or security.

Proof Of Liquidity Overview

High-Level Model Objectives

  • Systemically Build Liquidity. By enhancing trading efficiency, price stability, and network growth, Berachain aims to foster a thriving ecosystem of decentralized applications.
  • Solve Stake Centralization. The PoL consensus works to distribute stake more evenly across the network, preventing monopolization and ensuring a decentralized, secure blockchain.
  • Align Protocols and Validators. Berachain encourages a symbiotic relationship between validators and the broader protocol ecosystem.

Proof-of-Liquidity vs Proof-of-Stake

Unlike traditional Proof of Stake (PoS), which often leads to stake centralization and reduced liquidity, Proof of Liquidity (PoL) introduces mechanisms to incentivize liquidity provision and ensure a fairer, more decentralized network. Berachain separates the governance token (BGT) from the chain's gas token (BERA) and incentives liquidity through BEX pools. Berachain's PoL aims to overcome the limitations of PoS, fostering a more secure and user-centric blockchain.

Berachain EVM and Modular Approach

Polaris EVM

Polaris EVM is the cornerstone of Berachain's EVM compatibility, offering developers an enhanced environment for smart contract execution that includes stateful precompiles and custom modules. This framework ensures that Berachain not only meets but exceeds the capabilities of the traditional Ethereum Virtual Machine.

CometBFT

The CometBFT consensus engine underpins Berachain's network, providing a secure and efficient mechanism for transaction verification and block production. By leveraging the principles of Byzantine fault tolerance (BFT), CometBFT ensures the integrity and resilience of the Berachain blockchain.

Conclusion

Berachain represents a significant leap forward in blockchain technology, combining the best of Ethereum's ecosystem with innovative consensus mechanisms and a modular development approach. As the blockchain landscape continues to evolve, Berachain stands out as a promising platform for developers, users, and validators alike, offering a scalable, efficient, and inclusive environment for decentralized applications and services.

Resources

For those interested in exploring further, a wealth of resources is available, including the Berachain documentation, GitHub repository, and community forums. It offers a compelling vision for the future of blockchain technology, marked by efficiency, security, and community-driven innovation.

FAQ

How is Berachain different?

  • It integrates Proof-of-Liquidity to address stake centralization and enhance liquidity, setting it apart from other blockchains.

Is Berachain EVM-compatible?

  • Yes, it supports Ethereum's tooling and smart contract languages, facilitating easy migration of dApps.

Can it handle high transaction volumes?

  • Yes, thanks to the Polaris framework and CometBFT consensus engine, it's built for scalability and high throughput.