Kaito (KAITO) Tokenomics

The token economics for KAITO are structured around incentivizing content creation and supporting the long-term growth of the ecosystem, primarily through its "Yaps" points system and a structured token allocation and vesting schedule.

Issuance Mechanism

The primary mechanism for token distribution appears to be through a Token Generation Event (TGE), followed by a structured vesting schedule and an airdrop component.

• Airdrop: An airdrop is anticipated, which is expected to be highly volatile due to potential immediate sell pressure from recipients. The airdrop is tied to the Yaps Points Program, which rewards users for creating and sharing crypto-related content.
• Vesting Schedule: The majority of token allocations, including those for Core Contributors, Early Backers, the Foundation, and Ecosystem Growth, are subject to a vesting schedule that begins with a cliff and then unlocks monthly over a 36-month period.

Allocation Mechanism

The total token supply is allocated across several key groups, with the largest portion dedicated to ecosystem growth and core contributors. The total supply is 1 billion tokens.

Note: The total initial unlock amount is 224,950,000 tokens, representing 22.495% of the total supply.

Usage and Incentive Mechanism

KAITO's token economics are designed to drive engagement and content quality through a system of incentives, primarily centered around the Kaito YAPs (Tokenized Attention and Content Attribution) program and Kaito Connect.

Kaito YAPs (Yap-to-Earn)

YAPs function as a reputation and discovery mechanism, rewarding users for creating and sharing high-quality, crypto-related content online.

• Reward Criteria: YAPs are assigned based on factors such as content relevance, originality, and the strength of the creator’s social graph (engagement from influential and knowledgeable people).
• Functionality: While YAPs currently lack direct financial value, they are speculated to tie into a future airdrop or special perks within the Kaito ecosystem. They serve as an open resource for developers and protocols to identify key opinion leaders (KOLs) and integrate into new social applications.

Kaito Connect and Yapper Launchpad

Kaito Connect is a product built on top of YAPs, serving as a content discovery tool and a potential launchpad.

• Incentive Mechanism: Kaito Connect encourages content creation by distributing YAPs, allowing protocols and developers to direct attention to specific narratives.
• Yapper Launchpad: This mechanism aligns market forces around content creation. Brands and protocols can bid for audience attention, while creators produce content aligned with those bids, and users vote on which brands receive attention. This framework influences content creation and distribution through financial incentives and user preferences.

Core Functions

The tokenomics support Kaito's two core functions:

1. Information Aggregation (Kaito Pro): The AI-driven platform scrapes, organizes, and structures crypto-related data for subscribers.
2. Incentivization (Kaito Connect): The mechanism encourages content creation and engagement.

Locking Mechanism and Unlocking Time

The locking mechanism for KAITO tokens is structured around a cliff followed by a monthly linear vesting schedule for most long-term allocations.

Initial Unlocks (TGE)

A significant portion of the supply is unlocked instantly on the Token Generation Event (TGE) date of February 20, 2025:

• Initial Community & Ecosystem Claim: 100,000,000 tokens (10.0% of supply)
• Liquidity Incentives: 50,000,000 tokens (5.0% of supply)
• Foundation: 50,000,000 tokens (5.0% of supply)
• Binance Hodler: 20,000,000 tokens (2.0% of supply)

Vesting Schedule Details

The majority of the remaining tokens are subject to a vesting period that extends over three years (36 months) after a cliff period.

• Ecosystem & Network Growth and Long-term Creator Incentives also have an initial short-term vesting period starting on August 20, 2025, and ending on January 20, 2026 (6 periods), before the main 36-month vesting begins.

The token unlocks are structured to ensure a gradual release of tokens into the market, with the main vesting period for core stakeholders concluding in January 2029.