Token Inflation: A Systematic Review and Conceptual Framework

Authors : Deniz Macit

Pages : 231-250

View : 4 | Download : 0

Publication Date : 2025-10-23

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Token inflation, a significant factor with the potential to influence global economic policies and strategies in digital asset markets, has received limited attention in the academic literature at the conceptual level, and its relationship with token economics remains insufficiently defined. This study seeks to address this gap by examining the use of the relatively new concept of “token inflation” across the literature and by clarifying the associated terminology. To this end, searches were conducted in selected databases using predefined keywords, and the results were analyzed through a systematic literature review. Descriptive analysis findings indicate that scholarly interest in token inflation has risen sharply since 2023. Keyword and co-word analyses show that the concept is most frequently associated with blockchain, cryptocurrency, tokenomics, DeFi, Ethereum, and play-to-earn. Topic modeling using the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) method reveals that the literature on token inflation clusters into four main thematic areas. Trend topic analysis further highlights the concept’s strong ties to the digital asset economy and its gradual evolution toward more technical subtopics over time. By emphasizing the concept’s shifting contextual applications, this study underscores the need for greater terminological consistency and conceptual clarity in the token inflation literature.
Keywords : Token Enflasyonu, Kripto Enflasyonu, Token Ekonomisi, Sistematik Literatür Analizi

ORIGINAL ARTICLE URL