SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article
Front. Blockchain
Sec. Blockchain Economics
Token Design Strategies for Entrepreneurial Crypto Projects, A Systematic Literature Review
Provisionally accepted
Zishan Ashraf Mohammad*
Joachim Bauer- Ecole des Ponts ParisTech Business School, Paris, France
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This study identifies major approaches in token design for founders in the cryptocurrency/web3/blockchain space. The high failure rate of blockchain companies means that successful long-term performance will depend greatly on well-designed tokens. This study will integrate all prior research to highlight the most important aspects of structured tokenomics, including token utility, governance, and security. The study also contributes to the literature by introducing the Business Model Canvas (BMC) as a conceptual framework that enables the integration of best practices for token design, drawing on both academic and industry literature. The results indicate significant gaps in the literature. This study offers new and practical insights for founders to enhance stakeholders' engagement, improve regulatory compliance, and ensure project viability in the volatile cryptocurrency market. Furthermore, this research generates new knowledge that bridges the gap between the theory and practice of tokenomics, laying the groundwork for future research to develop and refine token design strategies.
Keywords: blockchain-based organization, business model, cryptocurrency, Entrepreneurship, Token design, tokenomics, ventures, Web3
Received: 07 Nov 2025; Accepted: 04 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Mohammad and Bauer. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Zishan Ashraf Mohammad
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.