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Governance Tokens with Best Tokenomics in 2025

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Written & Edited by
Nikita Valshonok

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Governance tokens are tools of direct democracy in the blockchain world. Holders of these digital assets can vote on key issues related to a project's development.

Understanding the tokenomics of governance tokens is crucial. Without it, assessing how stable, decentralized, and attractive a project is for participants and investors is impossible. In this article, we will explore governance tokens and how they work and highlight the best tokenomics.

10 results found

Kernel (KERNEL)

Kernel (KERNEL)

Best for community-focused approach

Used for governance in all three KernelDAO’s product

Functionality

Protocol management, voting

Distribution

55% community

Supply

1 billion KERNEL

Market Activity

Moderate

Best for deflationary mechanism

A governance token with built-in deflation via protocol fee buybacks

Functionality

Protocol management, voting, staking rewards

Distribution

100% community

Supply

1 billion DYDX

Market Activity

High

Best for XVS staking rewards

XVS is the core of Venus Protocol, with tokenomics focused on deflation and stakeholder rewards

Functionality

Voting, staking

Distribution

80% community

Supply

30 million XVS

Market Activity

Active

Best for token burning mechanism

The core of the MakerDAO ecosystem

Functionality

Collateral management, DAI stability, voting

Distribution

30% community

Supply

Not limited

Market Activity

High

Best for high allocation to users

A governance token of the biggest DEX on Ethereum

Functionality

Fee management, new features, voting

Distribution

60% community

Supply

1 billion UNI

Market Activity

High
SushiSwap (SUSHI)

SushiSwap (SUSHI)

Best for sustainable emission model

A governance token used for voting on SushiSwap DEX changes

Functionality

Fee management, voting, staking

Distribution

Majority to community

Supply

Not limited

Market Activity

High
PancakeSwap (CAKE)

PancakeSwap (CAKE)

Best for rewarding token holders

One of the largest BEP20 coins in the crypto market

Functionality

Pool management, lotteries, farms, voting

Distribution

60% community

Supply

Not limited

Market Activity

High

Best for offering incentives for long-term engagement

Curve’s governance token for liquidity rewards, staking, and protocol decisions

Functionality

Pool management, fee adjustments, voting

Distribution

50% community

Supply

3 billion CRV

Market Activity

High

Best for maintaining ecosystem’s stability

Aave protocol’s governance token, granting liquidity control

Functionality

Risk management, new asset listings, voting

Distribution

60% community

Supply

16 million AAVE

Market Activity

High

Best for collecting protocol fees

The heart of the Balancer protocol, that serves to enhance decentralization

Functionality

Pool management, fee adjustments, voting

Distribution

50% community

Supply

100 million BAL

Market Activity

Moderate

Summary of the Best Governance Tokens

Governance TokenFunctionalityDistributionSupplyMarket Activity
Kernel (KERNEL)Kernel (KERNEL)
Protocol management, voting55% community1 billion KERNELModerateExplore KERNEL Token
DYDX (DYDX)DYDX (DYDX)
Protocol management, voting, staking rewards100% community1 billion DYDXHighExplore Dydx (DYDX)
Venus (VENUS)Venus (VENUS)
Voting, staking80% community30 million XVSActiveExplore Venus (VENUS)
Maker (MKR)Maker (MKR)
Collateral management, DAI stability, voting30% communityNot limitedHighExplore Maker (MKR)
Uniswap (UNI)Uniswap (UNI)
Fee management, new features, voting60% community1 billion UNIHighExplore Uniswap (UNI)
SushiSwap (SUSHI)SushiSwap (SUSHI)
Fee management, voting, stakingMajority to communityNot limitedHighExplore SushiSwap (SUSHI)
PancakeSwap (CAKE)PancakeSwap (CAKE)
Pool management, lotteries, farms, voting60% communityNot limitedHighExplore PancakeSwap (CAKE)
Curve (CRV)Curve (CRV)
Pool management, fee adjustments, voting50% community3 billion CRVHighExplore Curve (CRV)
Aave (AAVE)Aave (AAVE)
Risk management, new asset listings, voting60% community16 million AAVEHighExplore Aave (AAVE)
Balancer (BAL)Balancer (BAL)
Pool management, fee adjustments, voting50% community100 million BALModerateExplore Balancer (BAL)

What is a Governance Token?

A governance token is a digital asset that allows holders to vote on key project decisions within a decentralized autonomous organization (DAO) framework.

However, governance tokens have uses beyond voting. They can also be utilized in:

  • Staking
  • Lending protocols 
  • Yield farming 

The Role of Governance Tokens in Blockchain Governance

Governance tokens play a key role in managing decentralized ecosystems. In centralized systems, decisions are made by a limited group. In blockchain, power lies with users - specifically, governance token holders.

One of the main functions of governance tokens is on-chain voting. Owners of these digital assets can participate in decisions regarding:

  • Protocol updates
  • Fee structure changes
  • Treasury fund distribution

Typically, the more tokens a user holds (or delegates), the greater their voting power. This incentivizes long-term participation and ecosystem growth.

A well-designed governance system helps projects maintain decentralization and flexibility. Without governance tokens, networks risk being controlled by a small group of developers or lacking decision-making mechanisms.

However, well-thought-out tokenomics—fair distribution, useful functions, and high market activity—gives the community real tools for project development and long-term sustainability.

How Governance Tokens Work?

As mentioned, governance tokens operate within DAOs. These organizations are fully decentralized communities without a centralized decision-making group.

DAOs make decisions through a specific governance process. This includes community proposals and voting by token holders on these initiatives. While governance methods vary across DAOs, all rely on governance tokens.

Here’s how these digital assets work:

  • Token Ownership: Users acquire governance tokens through purchases, staking, or other distribution mechanisms.
  • Voting: Token holders can participate in decision-making by voting on proposals within the DAO or protocol.
  • Proposal Creation: Participants with a certain number of tokens (or through delegation) can submit - initiatives, such as changes to code, budget, or tokenomics.
  • Staking and Delegation: Users can lock tokens in staking for rewards or delegate their voting power to others.
  • Decision Execution: After voting, successful proposals are automatically implemented on the blockchain or executed by developers.

The principle is simple: more tokens → greater influence, but decisions are made collectively, not centrally.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Governance Tokens

Pros Cons
Decentralization Token Concentration Risk
TransparencySlow Decision-Making
Incentivized ParticipationGovernance Attacks
Flexibility & AdaptabilityVoter Apathy

Conclusion 

Governance tokens are an essential part of DeFi. They allow users to shape the future of blockchain projects. 

The best governance tokens in 2025 combine strong tokenomics, diverse utility, and active community participation. While these tokens empower users, they also come with challenges such as governance concentration and decision-making inefficiencies.

However, with well-structured tokenomics and engaged communities, governance tokens remain a key driver of decentralization and innovation in the crypto space.

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