Overview
Launching a token for the first time is complex. Relaunching one - with an existing community, existing holders, and the weight of a previous tokenomics structure to correct - is significantly harder. It requires precision in smart contract design, a credible distribution strategy, and a liquidity approach that gives the project real price stability from day one.
We were engaged by an established crypto project to architect and execute their secondary token launch on the Base blockchain. This was not a straightforward redeploy. The entire economic model was reviewed, redesigned, and rebuilt from the ground up in Solidity - while ensuring existing holders were treated fairly through a carefully structured airdrop mechanism.
The Challenge
The client's existing project had accumulated a real community and holder base, but the original tokenomics had structural weaknesses that were limiting price stability and long-term growth. A secondary launch was the strategic decision - but it came with obligations. Existing holders needed to be rewarded proportionally. Vesting schedules needed to protect the project from early selling pressure across different stakeholder groups. And the liquidity strategy needed to be sophisticated enough to create genuine support and resistance zones, not just a thin pool vulnerable to manipulation.
Getting any single part of this wrong — in a public, on-chain environment where every transaction is permanent - was not an option.
What We Built
Tokenomics review and redesign We started with a full review of the existing token model. Market cap structure, fully diluted valuation, circulating supply progression — everything was analysed and redesigned to create a sustainable economic foundation. Token distribution was restructured across stakeholder groups with clear rationale for each allocation.
Vesting schedules with cliff mechanisms Different groups - team, advisors, investors, community - received different vesting structures, each implemented directly in the smart contracts. Cliff periods were applied where appropriate, preventing any group from exerting immediate selling pressure at launch. All vesting logic is fully on-chain, transparent, and non-custodial.
Automatic claiming Rather than manual distribution, we implemented an automatic claiming mechanism. Eligible addresses can claim their allocated tokens directly through the contract at the appropriate vesting milestone, reducing operational overhead and eliminating trust assumptions around manual distribution.
On-chain taxation excluding transfers A fee mechanism was implemented directly at the contract level, applying taxation on specific transaction types while explicitly excluding wallet-to-wallet transfers. This distinction - taxing certain interactions without penalising ordinary holder behaviour - was a deliberate design choice to align incentives correctly.
Airdrop distribution based on previous holdings Existing holders of the original token were included in the new launch through a snapshot-based airdrop. Eligible wallets were determined by their previous holdings, ensuring the community that built the project was recognised and rewarded in the new structure.
Concentrated liquidity strategy Rather than deploying liquidity uniformly across an infinite price range, we designed and implemented a concentrated liquidity strategy. Liquidity was positioned at strategically chosen price ranges, creating strong support and resistance zones that give the token genuine price structure. This approach maximises capital efficiency and creates predictable behaviour around key price levels.
Technologies Used
- Solidity — all core smart contracts including token, vesting, claiming, and fee logic
- Base blockchain — EVM-compatible L2, low fees, strong ecosystem
- Concentrated liquidity (Uniswap V3 model) — strategic LP positioning
- Hardhat — contract development, testing, and deployment pipeline
- OpenZeppelin — battle-tested base contracts for token standards and access control
- Snapshot tooling — previous holder verification for airdrop eligibility
The Outcome
The secondary launch executed cleanly. Vesting contracts have been operating autonomously since deployment, with no manual intervention required. The concentrated liquidity positions have held their intended support zones, providing the price stability the client needed to rebuild confidence with the community. Airdrop recipients received their allocations transparently and verifiably on-chain.
The project now has a tokenomics foundation that can support long-term growth — with the structural weaknesses of the original launch corrected and a community that was carried through the transition rather than left behind.
Working on a Token Launch or Relaunch?
Whether you are launching for the first time or redesigning an existing token economy, the technical and economic decisions you make in the contract layer have permanent consequences. We combine deep Solidity expertise with a genuine understanding of tokenomics to build launches that are designed to last.