DeFi Protocol Architect
DeFi Protocol Architect: Design Tokenomics for a Web3 Startup. A 4–8 weeks Intravarsity career experience (30–50 hours) for school and undergraduate students.
You'll collaborate with a Web3 startup connected to our San Francisco campus Ethereum House. Your mission: design the token economics for their protocol — supply schedules, staking mechanics, governance structures, and incentive alignment. Real work that directly impacts their protocol design.
Work with a Web3 startup to design token economics, governance systems, and protocol mechanics. Build financial models for decentralized systems and present to crypto-native investors.
Who it is for
High school, secondary school students & undergraduates. Interest in economics, math, or blockchain. No crypto experience required.
Weekly plan
Week 1: Token Economics Fundamentals
- Meet the Web3 startup team and understand their protocol
- Study successful tokenomics models — Ethereum, Uniswap, Aave, MakerDAO
- Learn supply dynamics — inflation, deflation, bonding curves, vesting
- Analyze the startup's current token design and identify improvements
Week 2: Model Building
- Build a token supply simulation model in Python or Excel
- Design staking mechanics and reward distribution curves
- Model user incentives and game theory for protocol participation
- Workshop with the startup's economics lead on mechanism design
Week 3: Governance & Security
- Design a DAO governance framework — voting, proposals, quorums
- Analyze governance attack vectors and design countermeasures
- Study real governance failures and lessons learned
- Draft a governance specification document for the protocol
Week 4: Whitepaper Section & Pitch
- Write the tokenomics section for the startup's whitepaper
- Build a visual presentation of your token model
- Present to crypto VCs and protocol designers
- Receive Proof-of-Work credential and Web3 recommendation
What you produce
- Token economics model with simulations
- Governance specification document
- Whitepaper tokenomics section draft
- Web3 startup recommendation
- Intravarsity Proof-of-Work credential
Skills
Token Economics, Financial Modeling, Game Theory, DAO Governance, Python/Excel, Mechanism Design, Whitepaper Writing, Crypto Analytics
Commitment
~5–8 hours/week for 4–8 weeks (30–50 hours total). 100% Virtual — work remotely with a Web3 startup.