Hedera (HBAR) tokenomics

Hedera’s native cryptocurrency, HBAR, serves as the foundational fuel for the network, providing both network utility and security. The token economics are designed to support a high-performance, enterprise-grade public ledger governed by a decentralized council of global organizations.

Issuance Mechanism

HBAR has a fixed maximum total supply of 50,000,000,000 (50 billion) tokens. These tokens were pre-minted at the network's launch in August 2018 and moved into the Hedera Treasury.

• Supply Cap: The total supply is capped at 50 billion and cannot be increased without the unanimous consent of the Hedera Governing Council.
• Release Strategy: To mitigate the risk of a Sybil attack—where an attacker might attempt to control one-third of the network stake—Hedera implements a long-term token release schedule from its treasury. This schedule was originally designed to span 15 years, ensuring a gradual distribution of tokens into the circulating supply.
• Distribution Frequency: Tokens are typically distributed from the treasury at the end of each quarter. As of mid-2023, approximately 64% of the total supply (32.2 billion HBAR) was in circulation.

Allocation Mechanism

The allocation of HBAR is managed by the Hedera Governing Council to incentivize various stakeholders and fund the long-term growth of the ecosystem. As of late 2022, the treasury allocation was categorized as follows:

In early 2024, the Council approved an additional allocation of 4.86 billion HBAR for ecosystem development, with the majority (4.25 billion) directed toward initiatives like the HBAR Foundation, the Hashgraph Association, and the DLT Science Foundation.

Usage and Incentive Mechanism

HBAR is utilized for two primary functions: network fuel and network protection.

Network Utility (Fuel)

• Transaction Fees: HBAR is used to pay for all network services, including the Hedera Token Service (HTS), Smart Contract Service, and File Service. Fees are denominated in USD for predictability but paid in HBAR. These fees are split into network fees, service fees, and node fees.
• Medium of Exchange: HBAR is used within the ecosystem to trade for other assets on decentralized exchanges (e.g., SaucerSwap) or to purchase NFTs.

Network Security (Incentives)

• Staking: Hedera uses a permissioned Proof-of-Stake (PoS) mechanism. Consensus nodes, currently operated by Governing Council members, must stake HBAR to secure the network.
• Staking Rewards: Tokenholders can delegate their HBAR to consensus nodes to earn rewards. As of March 2024, the maximum annual staking reward rate is capped at 2.5%.
• Node Incentives: Consensus nodes accrue HBAR from transaction fees and staking rewards. To receive additional rewards from the Staking Reward account, a node must maintain a minimum threshold balance of 250 million HBAR.

Locking and Unlocking Mechanisms

Hedera’s unlocking schedule is designed to be conservative to maintain network stability.

• SAFT Rounds: Early investors participated via Simple Agreements for Future Tokens (SAFTs). These agreements included specific release schedules. In 2020, a SAFT Exchange Offer was introduced, allowing holders to receive additional HBAR allocations in exchange for extending their distribution schedules.
• Employee Vesting: Employees and advisors are compensated with Restricted Coin Units (RCUs). These typically follow a four-year vesting schedule with a one-year cliff. Approximately 8.14 billion HBAR (16.3% of total supply) was allocated to this plan.
• Founder Allocations: The co-founders, Mance Harmon and Leemon Baird, were allocated approximately 9.9% of the total supply, subject to long-term release restrictions.
• Treasury Controls: The Hedera Governing Council’s Treasury Management & Coin Economics Committee oversees the release of pre-minted HBAR. The Council provides transparency through monthly distribution reports and a dynamic Treasury Management Report website.

While the original plan estimated that 34% of all HBAR would be released by 2025, the actual release rate is adjusted dynamically based on market conditions and network requirements. The controlled release ensures that the circulating supply grows in tandem with the network's utility and decentralization efforts.