Bad tokenomics kills portfolios before bad code does. These patterns appear repeatedly in failed or scam projects — check every investment against this list before committing capital.
Undisclosed team allocations and missing vesting are among the most common retail traps. Deflationary burns with negligible transaction volume are marketing theater — verify on-chain burn addresses and actual volume.
Emissions that only reward depositing more of the same token create reflexive loops with no external demand. Sustainable programs tie rewards to fee-generating activity or real protocol usage.