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This guide is designed as your ultimate  checklist  for token launches. Whether you’re preparing your first experiment or refining a relaunch, it covers business strategy, tokenomics, community, marketing, and growth. But more importantly, it includes the things you won’t learn in most accelerators or incubators. Done right, a token launch can create aligned incentives, bootstrap a loyal community, and fuel long-term growth. Done wrong, it attracts mercenary farmers, creates short-term hype, and ends in collapse. I’ll keep this guide updated as the market evolves, adding fresh insights and new case studies.  Bookmark it. Subscribe  to my newsletter.  So you never miss an update. Part 1. Foundation: Before You Token Launch Launching a token is one of the most exciting yet riskiest moves a Web3 project can take, and there is no   fit-for-all template.  Every token launch should start with a hard question: do you actually need a token for your project?  Without solid business fundamentals, tokenomics are just window dressing. 1. Define the Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) Before writing a whitepaper or designing tokenomics, ask: what job is your token being “hired” to do? Functional job:  e.g., paying for gas, unlocking yield, granting access. Emotional job:  e.g., signaling membership, status, or alignment with a vision. Social job:  e.g., enabling governance, collective ownership, community belonging. 👉 Example: Uniswap’s UNI wasn’t “hired” to enable swaps (the DEX already did that). Its job was governance + aligning users with protocol growth. Checklist: Write a one-sentence JTBD statement for your token. Identify at least one functional  and one emotional/social  job. Validate: Is this job important enough that people will hold  (not just farm and dump)? 2. Craft a Clear Value Proposition Once you know the job, define why someone should care about your token versus alternatives. Who  is your primary target (traders, stakers, DAOs, institutions)? What  problem do they face (high fees, lack of access, no trust)? How  does your token uniquely solve this (utility, governance, revenue share, RWA backing)? 👉 Example: MakerDAO’s DAI → clear proposition: “A decentralized stablecoin that isn’t at the mercy of USDC or banks.” Checklist: Write your token’s value proposition in one sentence. Break down 3 reasons  your target audience will hold your token. Compare against 2–3 competing tokens and note the differentiator. 3. Regulatory & Legal Readiness This is often ignored until it’s too late. Every launch should start with at least a basic assessment: Token classification:  Is it a utility token, governance token, RWA-backed token, or security? Jurisdictions:  Where are you launching? Some markets are more favorable (e.g., UAE, Singapore) while others are restrictive (US, China). Compliance basics:  KYC/AML, disclosures, treasury structures. Example: Many U.S. projects fail not on tech but on SEC enforcement risk . Conversely, projects launching from Switzerland or Singapore benefit from clearer frameworks. Checklist: Identify your token category (utility/security/RWA). Choose a launch-friendly jurisdiction. Consult legal advisors early, not after launch. Part 2. Token Design & Incentives 4. Tokenomics Framework Tokenomics should align with your product and community, not be a copy-paste pie chart. Supply mechanics:  fixed vs inflationary. Distribution:  team, investors, community, treasury. Emission schedule:  slow + steady vs high initial incentives. Example: Uniswap UNI Token Allocation 👉 Mistake: front-loading rewards → users dump after TGE. Checklist: Define total + circulating supply. Build a transparent vesting schedule. Stress test: what happens if early adopters dump? 5. Reward & Incentive Mechanisms Rewards must balance attracting users  with sustaining value . Staking rewards:  boost loyalty, but avoid unsustainable APYs. Liquidity mining:  great for bootstrapping, bad for retention if overdone. Revenue sharing:  aligns holders with protocol success. 👉 Example: GMX distributes trading fees to stakers, creating real yield. Checklist: Decide on reward type (inflationary vs revenue-based). Model token flows (who pays, who benefits). Run scenarios: does the system work in a bear market? 6. Governance & Utility Governance should be meaningful, not symbolic. Utility:  staking, payments, access, governance. Governance scope:  protocol upgrades, treasury management, partnerships. Pitfall:  giving voting power too early to speculators. Checklist: Define at least 2 real utilities. Clarify governance process (snapshot, DAO, multisig). Align incentives for active, not passive, holders. Part 3. Community & Go-to-Market 7. Community Building Without a community, your token is just a database entry. Start early:  reward contributions before launch. Ambassadors:  filter for quality, not airdrop farmers. Partnerships:  expand credibility through aligned projects. 👉 Example: Optimism’s RetroPGF built community through contribution, not speculation. Checklist: Define your “core 100” early adopters. Build engagement channels (Discord, Telegram, X). Identify red flags (mercenary behavior, bot farms). 8. Content & Narrative Tokens succeed when they tell a story people believe. Narrative arc:  what problem, what mission, what future. Mediums:  Twitter, Mirror blogs, AMAs, podcasts. Visual identity:  consistent branding across platforms. 👉 Example: Ethereum’s “world computer” narrative has lasted a decade. Checklist: Write your launch story in 1 paragraph. Distill into a memeable phrase (repeatable by community). Align content calendar with milestones. 9. Performance Marketing & PR Hype is not enough — trackable campaigns drive growth. Paid ads:  Twitter, Google, niche crypto newsletters. Influencer marketing:  choose aligned KOLs, not mercenaries. PR:  coverage in CoinDesk, The Block, niche blogs. Checklist: Test ad creatives before launch. Set up GA4 and dashboards for attribution. Prepare AMAs + press releases in advance. Part 4. Token Launch Execution 10. Testnet → Mainnet Transition Don’t go straight to mainnet without stress testing. Testnet incentives:  reward bug reports, feedback, early activity. Bridging users:  give testnet users recognition on mainnet. Checklist: Run testnet with clear goals (UX, bugs, stress). Incentivize testnet → mainnet migration. Audit before mainnet. 11. Liquidity & Exchange Strategy A token is worthless without liquidity. DEX first:  Uniswap, Sushi, Curve. CEX listing:  adds legitimacy but requires negotiation. Liquidity pools:  protect against thin liquidity and high slippage. Checklist: Secure liquidity providers pre-launch. Choose DEX pools (ETH, USDC, stable). Prepare for volatility (bots, MEV). 12. Token Launch Timeline Checklist Think of TGE as a campaign, not an event. T–30 days:  finalize audits, start hype. T–7 days:  confirm listings, line up marketing. T–0 day:  launch + real-time monitoring. Checklist: Build a detailed launch calendar. Assign owners for every step. Run simulations: what if traffic 10x? Part 5. Post-Token-Launch Growth 13. Retention & Engagement The hardest part: keeping users after launch. Gamification:  quests, NFTs, XP points. Community incentives:  rewards for content, governance, referrals. Protocol growth:  keep shipping features post-launch. Checklist: Map 90-day retention strategy. Reward long-term over short-term actions. Celebrate community contributions. 14. Measuring Success (Analytics & KPIs) What gets measured gets managed. On-chain metrics:  wallets, TVL, liquidity. Off-chain metrics:  web traffic, ad CTRs, newsletter signups. Dashboards:  GA4, Dune, Nansen. Checklist: Define 3 core KPIs (growth, liquidity, retention). Build a real-time dashboard. Review weekly, adapt monthly. 15. Iterating & Scaling Launch is not the end — it’s the start. Tokenomics upgrades:  adjust emissions if needed. Utility expansion:  add new features (staking boosts, NFTs, RWAs). New markets:  expand to other ecosystems or chains. Checklist: Gather community feedback continuously. Adjust based on data, not hype.Keep iterating — survival = evolution. Conclusion Launching a token isn’t just about hype. It’s about aligning incentives, telling a compelling story, and building systems that can survive the market’s ups and downs. This checklist should be your baseline map  — but the real work is in adapting it to your project’s unique context. 👉 Want the editable Notion version  of this checklist, with templates for JTBD, tokenomics models, and community plans? Subscribe to get it free and receive future updates.