Glossary
What is Token Minting? Minting Tokens in Crypto Explained
What Minting Tokens Means in Crypto?
Minting tokens refers to the process of creating new tokens or coins. This process can occur in various contexts, depending on the blockchain protocol and token standards. Minting tokens add to the total supply of tokens in circulation.
Tokens can be minted differently, depending on the blockchain protocol and token standards. Sometimes, tokens are generated as rewards for network participants, like miners or validators. In other cases, tokens are created during deployment or as part of a transaction.
Depending on the token standard and protocol, the minting process can be automated or require manual intervention. Once minted, tokens can be transferred, traded, or used within the blockchain ecosystem for various purposes.
Pre-minting refers to creating tokens before they are sold or distributed.
Token Minting and Burning
Token minting and token burning are two processes that affect the total supply of tokens in circulation. While minting creates new tokens, burning removes tokens from circulation. These processes can be used to manage the token supply, control inflation, or incentivize network participants.
Token Minting — Key Concepts
- Creation of New Tokens: Forging new tokens and adding new tokens to the blockchain.
- Token Supply: Minting affects the total supply of tokens in circulation, increasing the available tokens.
- Inflation and Deflation: Minting can lead to inflation by increasing the token supply or deflation by reducing it.
- Rewards and Incentives: Tokens can be minted as rewards for network participants, validators, or users who contribute to the network.
- Burn Mechanism: Token minting can be balanced with token burning to manage the token supply and control inflation.
Protocol-Based Token Minting
Tokens are created according to the rules and specifications of the blockchain protocol. For example, in Proof of Work (PoW) blockchains, new tokens are minted as rewards for miners.
Bitcoin mints new BTC tokens as rewards for miners who solve complex mathematical puzzles to validate transactions and secure the network. The Neo blockchain mints new GAS every block as a reward for holding NEO tokens.
Smart Contract-Based Token Minting
Smart contracts define the minting rules for creating new tokens. They can specify conditions for minting new tokens, such as the total supply, distribution, and minting schedule.
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) platforms often use smart contracts to mint new tokens for pools, , and other financial services. Users can mint new tokens by providing liquidity to a DeFi platform and earning rewards in return.
LNEO and LRC Minting
Neo and BNeo holders can mint LNEO by depositing their tokens into the Neo Community Pool. LNEO holders can generate LRC tokens as rewards for contributing to the pool. The amount of LRC generated is proportional to the amount of GAS contributed.
The application mints two types of tokens: LNEO and LRC. LNEO is minted when users deposit NEO or BNeo tokens into the Neo Community Pool. LRC is minted as a reward for contributing to the pool.
LNEO is burned when users withdraw their NEO or BNeo tokens from the pool. This mint-and-burn mechanism ensures that there is always a 1:1 ratio between LNEO and NEO or BNeo tokens in the pool.
NFT Minting
Minting new NFTs involves creating unique digital assets on the blockchain. NFTs can be pre-minted or minted on demand. On-demand minting allows for the creation of unique NFTs with specific properties or attributes.
Pre-Minting NFTs
Pre-minting refers to the process of creating NFTs before they are sold. This is often used to tokenize real assets, digital art, or collectibles.
Collectors can view and purchase pre-minted NFTs directly from the creator or through a marketplace. Pre-minting can help creators manage the release of NFTs, but it can also create scarcity by limiting the total supply.
Minting on Demand
Minting on demand refers to creating NFTs only when they are sold. This is often used for unique or one-of-a-kind NFTs. The properties of the NFT can be determined dynamically, creating randomized or personalized NFTs.
Artists and creators can configure properties such as color, style, or rarity when minting NFTs on demand. This makes each NFT unique and adds value to the collection. The number of minted tokens can control the supply of NFTs, creating scarcity and exclusivity.
Not all on-demand minting is dynamic. Some NFTs are minted on demand but with predetermined properties. For example, an artist may create a series of NFTs with different attributes, and each NFT is minted when purchased.
Visit the NEP-11 standard for more information on minting NFTs on the Neo blockchain.
