Source:Depositphotos
When it comes to crypto, there are many different reasons why an investor might prefer to hold one asset over another, and in many cases it usually has something to do with “utility”.
Token utility is the phrase we use to describe what a token actually does, and therefore the main reason why it’s worth having. The basic premise is that the more utility a token has, the more valuable it should be. So a token that allows you to do lots of different things, or obtain various benefits, is likely to be worth more than one that lacks any real utility.
With that in mind, the decentralized computing infrastructure startup iExec has unveiled a masterplan to turbocharge the utility of its native RLC token. It came via a string of new updates delivered throughout last week’s Tokenomics Week event.
It wasn’t a physical event per se, but rather a series of announcements on X that explore what iExec is doing to boost the utility of RLC in its ecosystem, as it strives to build a more productive, circular token economy where value flows to every participant.
5 days. 5 new ways to use & earn $RLC. Make sure you’re watching.
— iExec RLC (@iEx_ec) May 19, 2025
What is iExec?
In case you’re not familiar with iExec, it can be thought of as an alternative to public cloud computing infrastructure giants like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. Its primary customers are developers, who can pay to access its blockchain-powered computing resources, including servers, virtual machines, GPUs and storage, or whatever else it is they need, at much lower costs. To pay for those services, you’ll need RLC tokens, which act as the primary currency within its economy.
The major difference between iExec and the likes of AWS is that its infrastructure is fully decentralized, meaning that the company doesn’t own any of the hardware it rents out. Instead, those resources are owned by the broader iExec community, which can earn rewards for providing idle computing power and unused storage to the network. It’s this unique business model that enables iExec to offer computing services at much lower costs than the usual cloud suspects.
Another differentiator between iExec and Amazon et al is that its infrastructure is optimized especially for blockchain developers building decentralized applications.
What Happened in iExec’s Tokenomics Week?
The week-long event was nothing short of a bonanza for RLC token holders, with a series of high-impact announcements and initiatives being launched that are designed to transform the role of its native token.
The idea is to amplify the role of RLC and put it at the forefront of iExec’s decentralized economy by increasing demand for the asset. For iExec, the best way to do that is to give every participant the opportunity to profit.
Tokenomics Week kicked off with the simple announcement that more RLC has entered circulation, increasing liquidity within the ecosystem and eliminating the chances of any nasty surprises for token holders later on down the line. RLC has a fixed supply of 86 million tokens and the vast majority of them have already been distributed among the community to minimize the chances of any inflation occurring, reducing risk to the economy.
The big news started on day two, when iExec revealed its new voucher scheme for application builders, designed as a way to simplify access to its infrastructure. So instead of buying tokens, which can be complicated to manage, users can instead buy a voucher, which gives them access to a guaranteed amount of computing resources with more predictable costs. What’s more, iExec says it’s giving away some of the vouchers for free to those projects that are still building and yet to release a final product. Only once they’ve got their project up and running and start generating real revenue will they need to acquire an Earn voucher, which gives them access to round-the-clock support and various other perks, such as the chance to talk to investors and so on.
Tokenomics Announcement 2: The iExec VoucherFrom a dev’s first line of code to every time a user runs the app, $RLC circulates.This is how devs should interact with utility tokens. pic.twitter.com/R1UZ7MFweb
— iExec RLC (@iEx_ec) May 20, 2025
The excitement mounted further one day later with iExec’s new revenue sharing model, which is linked to the voucher model. The way it works is that fees from voucher sales are redirected back into the iExec ecosystem in the shape of rewards distributed proportionally to builders and application users. So the more app users acquired by a builder, the greater the amount of RLC rewards they’ll be entitled to. The same goes for users, who can increase their rewards by engaging with iExec-based applications more often. The basic idea is to incentivize both usage and development, encouraging long-term adoption of iExec’s infrastructure.
Tokenomics Announcement 3: $RLC Revenue SharingBuilders use RLC. Users engage with apps. Revenue flows back through the ecosystem.This is how a circular token economy is built. pic.twitter.com/Bfui8We00P
— iExec RLC (@iEx_ec) May 21, 2025
RLC token holders will also get more utility in the shape of a new staking initiative that’s linked to one of iExec’s existing incentive programs, known as the Privacy Pass. By acquiring a Privacy Pass, users can sign up to receive marketing emails – which are delivered to their inbox without revealing their address to the marketer. For each email viewed, the user can earn a small amount of RLC as a reward. On day four, iExec revealed it’s extending this program, offering boosted rewards for some campaigns, with the exact amount determined by how many RLC is currently held in your wallet. The basic gist is that, the more RCL you hold, the more rewards you’re entitled to.
Tokenomics Announcement 4: $RLC StakingThe more RLC you hold, the greater your rewards across the ecosystem.We’re starting with a new mechanism for the iExec Privacy Pass. pic.twitter.com/WbHrUlht3V
— iExec RLC (@iEx_ec) May 22, 2025
Last but not least, iExec wrapped things up with the launch of a new incentive program for builders that’s meant to encourage the development of privacy-focused applications. Success will be measured by the amount of sensitive data each application protects, meaning that those with more users should be entitled to greater rewards. As privacy is one of the major principles of iExec’s decentralized infrastructure, it makes a lot of sense to incentivize builders to protect user’s information.
Tokenomics Announcement 5: Builder IncentivesEarnings scale with your impact. The more your project contributes to the iExec ecosystem, the more $RLC you unlock. pic.twitter.com/sBglyoCEjO
— iExec RLC (@iEx_ec) May 23, 2025
What’s Next For iExec?
To be honest, there weren’t any real surprises in iExec’s Tokenomics Week, as anyone following the project will have already been well acquainted with its plans. Many of the initiatives were outlined earlier this year when it published its 2025 roadmap, but it’s one thing to announce things, and quite another to actually get them done. iExec gets quite a bit of kudos for moving so fast.
iExec is keen to expand the utility of RLC in order to boost adoption of its decentralized infrastructure, and in line with that it has also been making efforts to increase the token’s accessibility. Its roadmap calls for RLC to be listed on many more platforms, including both centralized and decentralized exchanges, and with the basic tokenomics structure now mapped out, we can look forward to seeing some new listings imminently.
At the same time, there’s every reason to think we’ll see many more projects taking advantage of iExec’s infrastructure, which is designed for use cases including AI, confidential computing and DePIN. Earlier this year, it announced the creation of a new 1 million RLC developer fund to support early stage builders, and it shouldn’t be long before we start to see the fruits of that investment coming into bloom.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only. It is not offered or intended to be used as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.
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