Token Pipelines Design

Token pipelines are systems that manage the complete lifecycle of tokenized assets: minting (creation), transfers, burning (destruction), and redemption. They span from smart contract logic (token standards like ERC-20, ERC-721) to off-chain systems that trigger on-chain transactions. Use cases include payment tokens, NFTs, staking rewards, and wrapped asset bridges. Designing robust token pipelines requires understanding blockchain constraints, access control, and economic incentives. A poorly designed pipeline can leak value, enable theft, or freeze assets.