# Emission Schedule Content type: Glossary Term Summary: The predefined rules governing how new tokens are created or distributed over time. Related resources: - Circulating Supply (Glossary Term): https://theblockchainlibrary.com/glossary/circulating-supply - Token (Glossary Term): https://theblockchainlibrary.com/glossary/token - Token (Glossary Term): https://theblockchainlibrary.com/glossary/token - Token Burn (Glossary Term): https://theblockchainlibrary.com/glossary/token-burn - Total Supply (Glossary Term): https://theblockchainlibrary.com/glossary/total-supply - How to Evaluate a Crypto Project: A Step-by-Step Guide for Investors (Article): https://theblockchainlibrary.com/article/how-to-evaluate-a-crypto-project-a-step-by-step-guide-for-investors
intermediate

Emission Schedule

The predefined rules governing how new tokens are created or distributed over time.

Explain Like I'm 12

The predefined rules governing how new tokens are created or distributed over time.

Why It Matters

Tokenomics describes how token supply, distribution, incentives, and utility influence a network economy.

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Related Terms

Circulating Supply

The quantity of a cryptocurrency or token estimated to be actively available in public circulation.

Token

A token is a digital unit of value issued on top of an existing blockchain, representing assets, rights, or utility within a specific ecosystem. Unlike native cryptocurrencies, which are the base unit of a network, tokens are created via smart contracts and operate according to the rules defined by their underlying protocol. They can represent anything from fractional ownership of real estate or voting rights in a DAO to digital collectibles and access tokens.

Token

A digital asset created and transferred on a blockchain. Tokens can represent currency, governance rights, utility within a protocol, ownership of an asset, or virtually any programmable value. Tokens are typically created via smart contracts.

Token Burn

Token burning is a mechanism by which a portion of the total supply of a cryptocurrency is permanently removed from circulation. This is typically achieved by sending the tokens to a cryptographically verified 'eater address' or 'null address'—a wallet address for which the private key is inaccessible or does not exist. Because the private key is unknown, these tokens can never be spent, transferred, or recovered, effectively reducing the circulating supply and deflationary pressure on the tokenomics of the underlying blockchain protocol.

Total Supply

Total supply refers to the aggregate number of tokens currently in existence for a specific blockchain project or cryptocurrency. This figure includes all tokens that have been minted, mined, or created, minus any that have been verifiably burned or destroyed. It encompasses tokens that are currently in circulation as well as those that may be locked in smart contracts, held in reserve by development teams, or vested for early investors and stakeholders. It serves as a static snapshot of the protocol's current maximum potential reach.