Pricing Strategies

Most token launches fail at pricing. Either they price too high and nobody buys, or they price too low and bots extract all value. The psychology of price discovery determines whether your launch creates a movement or becomes another failed experiment.

Opals offers three battle-tested pricing strategies. Each creates different community dynamics. Choose based on your goals, not on what sounds clever.

Stepped Pricing: FOMO Engineering

The stepped market creates urgency through escalating tiers. First thousand cards at 0.1 ETH. Next thousand at 0.3 ETH. Final thousand at 0.5 ETH. Early believers pay less. Latecomers pay more.

This isn't arbitrary price discrimination. It's recognition that early support carries more risk and deserves more reward. The first buyers don't know if anyone else will follow. By card 8000, the community is proven.

Stepped pricing also defeats bots through batch mechanics. Everyone buying in the same tier pays the same price. Speed provides no advantage within a tier. The playing field levels itself mathematically.

The psychology is powerful. "Only 200 cards left at this price" creates genuine urgency. Communities rally to hit the next tier. Each threshold becomes a celebration. Momentum builds on momentum.

Fixed Pricing: Democratic Simplicity

Fixed pricing treats everyone identically. One price, first-come-first-served, no games. This appeals to communities that value fairness over excitement.

The advantage is transparency. No one wonders if they got the best deal. No complex calculations about optimal entry points. Just a simple decision: believe or don't.

The disadvantage is lack of urgency. Without price escalation, procrastination becomes rational. Why buy today when tomorrow costs the same? Fixed pricing works best for established communities where demand already exists.

This model also simplifies communication. "Patron Cards are 0.5 ETH" fits in a tweet. No explanation of tiers, no confusion about current prices. The simplicity itself becomes the message.

Members Market: Trust Networks

Members markets use vouching instead of pricing as the selection mechanism. Start with hundred founding members. Each can vouch for five new members. The network grows through trust relationships.

This creates the highest quality communities. Every participant was specifically chosen by someone already inside. Bots can't fake these social connections. Mercenary capital can't buy their way in without social proof.

The vouching system creates accountability. Your reputation depends on who you bring in. Bad actors get traced back to their vouchers. The community self-polices through social dynamics rather than smart contract rules.

Members markets work best for exclusive launches where community quality matters more than fundraising maximization. You trade some capital efficiency for dramatically higher participant quality.

Choosing Your Strategy

Use stepped pricing when you need momentum. The escalating tiers create natural marketing moments and urgency that drives action. Most successful Opals launches use stepped pricing because it works.

Use fixed pricing when you have established demand. If your community already wants in, you don't need pricing games to create urgency. The fairness of fixed pricing strengthens community bonds.

Use members markets when quality beats quantity. If you'd rather have hundred true believers than thousand speculators, vouching systems filter for genuine interest.

The Pricing Reality

Price isn't just a number. It's a psychological signal that shapes your entire community. Choose your pricing strategy based on the movement you want to create, not the spreadsheet that looks best.

Remember: bots optimize for arbitrage, humans optimize for narrative. Design your pricing to reward the humans.

---

Ready to price your launch?

Stepped creates momentum. Members builds trust. Choose based on what your community values most.