Abstract

Since 2020, TE Academy has established a reputation system leveraging on-chain proofs of knowledge and achievements. Moreover, by 2024, this system has evolved to enable reputation-based decision-making applications, such as TE Academy’s Reputation-based Weighted Voting, developed by Angela Kreitenweis, Octopus (8arms9brains), and Vitor Marthendal.

This article explores the motivation, development, and impact of the TE Academy’s NFT reputation system. We examine the growth of achievements in our community through detailed data analysis of Token Engineering Fundamentals (TEF), the bachelor-level, comprehensive curriculum in token engineering. We explore the evolution of student engagement and share trends we observed for the development of the discipline. Additionally, the article discusses the levels of experience achieved within TE Academy’s community, the role of NFTs in classifying expertise, and how we address challenges posed by imbalances in an early-stage ecosystem.

Through these insights, we present how TE Academy has built a meritocratic system that incentivizes collective progress and grants decision-making power to those with proven expertise. Through reputation-based voting, we enable our community members to actively steer the development of our sector, a governance model with enormous potential for any knowledge-driven ecosystem.

Developing a New Engineering Discipline

TE Academy, founded by Angela Kreitenweis in 2020, is an educational organization dedicated to advancing the field of token engineering—the design, verification, and optimization of cryptoeconomic, token-based systems. We view token systems as complex, emerging systems that must be designed with rigor. Drawing inspiration from the traditions of established engineering disciplines, we take responsibility for building public infrastructure and value engineering ethics.

Looking at other engineering fields, such as mechanical or chemical engineering, we see parallels in how an engineering discipline comes to life. It often begins with a need to solve actual, current challenges sparked by innovations in science and technology. From there, pioneers begin experimenting, gradually shaping a foundational understanding of the field until a cohesive body of knowledge emerges.

In the case of token engineering, this journey began in 2018 when a group of pioneers started hosting meetups to explore concepts related to tokens, and token-based economies. At that time, a few key whitepapers and articles were emerging, discussing the early ideas of what was then called “cryptoeconomics.” The ICO boom helped ignite the first wave of cryptoeconomic mechanism design, with notable works like the Bancor whitepaper, or Curation Markets driving early exploration. This pioneering work culminated in the first mention of “token engineering” by Trent McConaghy and the influential paper “Foundations of Cryptoeconomic Systems” by Shermin Voshmgir and Michael Zargham. This paper profoundly impacted the perception of token engineering as a cross-disciplinary, multi-faceted field. It also highlighted the glaring gap in higher education, as no university offers a curriculum to address this emerging challenge—something TE Academy sought to remedy.

As a common understanding began to take shape, the first curriculum concepts began to form - combining elements from systems engineering, mechanism design, mathematical optimization, and operations research, along with the idea of certifying students' knowledge.

For token engineering, our goal has been to build a digital system that reflects this journey. We started experimenting with POAPs (Proof of Attendance Protocol) and gradually developed a system of cryptographic proofs to verify achievements step-by-step.

In 2020, TE Academy offered its first online education course, Ecosystem Value Flows, laying the foundation for TE Academy’s future. In response to the growing demand for structured learning, TE Academy launched the comprehensive Token Engineering Fundamentals (TE Fundamentals) curriculum in 2022. Course authors Andrew Penland, Kris Paruch, Jessica Zartler, and Angela Kreitenweis took the lead in creating a bachelor-level program, which typically requires about four months of study time.

In addition, TE Academy offered complimentary live tracks and online events, providing space for specialization and live discussions. Since 2020, TE Academy has organized more than 100 online events and run ten cohort-based live programs. As of December 2024, over 5,000 students have enrolled. TE Academy has successfully onboarded more than 20,000 individuals globally, all benefiting from and contributing to the development and growth of token engineering.

Establishing an Immutable, Public Record

Learning Achievements: Empowering a Global Community

The most tangible achievement at TE Academy is the successful completion of a learning program. To earn a certificate, students undergo various methods of knowledge assessment, including online exams and graded homework. TE Academy ensures that each accomplishment is both meaningful and measurable, allowing us to track student's learning progress with credibility. However, TE Academy's vision extends far beyond: students play an active role in teaching token engineering. Through our Study Group Program, students lead study groups in 40+ locations across 14 languages, playing a vital part in establishing token engineering as a global discipline.

Knowledge Creation: Pioneering the Field

The second key contribution to developing token engineering is the creation of knowledge, alongside the formulation, challenge, and sharing of this body of work.

Creating TE Fundamentals as the first comprehensive curriculum in token engineering was a monumental effort. Furthermore, speakers across 100+ TE Academy events have shared invaluable insights in key sub-domains of token engineering such as tokenomics, mechanism design, risk management, and governance. Other contributions include lectures in cohort-based programs like Study Season 2024 and participation in the TE Academy Fellowship Prize, which recognizes exceptional talent and research in token engineering.

Classes of Achievements in Token Engineering

Analyzing these different contributions, we find four distinct categories of achievements:

• Learning Achievements: Successful completion of learning programs or courses

• Establishing Foundational Knowledge: Research and curriculum development

• Sharing Knowledge: Content creation, lectures, and talks

• Community Building: Peer-to-peer study groups, event organization, and support

Securing Legitimacy

Any reputation-based system requires tight verification to ensure that achievement proofs cannot be falsely minted. TE Academy has implemented various security measures to ensure that the system cannot be gamed:

TE Academy issues NFT certificates on Optimism mainnet (L2 chain), following the ERC-1155 standard. Only TE Academy's trusted wallet is authorized to mint new NFTs, and this is done exclusively based on meeting the rigorous passing requirements of the various courses. To address potential security issues, TE Academy has established policies for re-minting NFTs in case private keys are lost and for burning NFTs if they are maliciously used.

The NFTs are non-transferable, not tradeable, and not exchangeable. They are tied to the original recipient, and only the rightful owner of the achievement can control its visibility and gain utility, such as access or voting weight.

These features make the system highly sybil-resistant and thus, underpin the legitimacy of the reputation acquired by TE Academy NFTs.

Moreover, holders have full control over their NFTs and, by extension, their reputation. Unlike Web2 systems where users often have no visibility into or control over their reputation (or rating), TE Academy enables users to claim, reveal, or even burn their NFTs at will.

This approach aligns with the core principles of Web3, where individuals are the ultimate owners and stewards of their data.

TE Fundamentals Modules – A Deep Dive into the TE Academy Learning Journey

TE Academy NFTs were first minted in October 2022. Since then, achievements within the community have grown rapidly. The public record of proofs allows everyone to track them, and it enables gaining very granular insights into the evolution of the field, and the learning journey of students.

The TE Fundamentals (TEF) course is the cornerstone of TE Academy’s educational program and is structured across five learning modules. These modules are designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to master the token engineering process. Students prove successful completion by passing online exams, that require a 96% score to pass.

Module Overview

• Module 1: Introduction to Token Engineering
  In This module serves as the foundation of the course, providing students with an introduction to the fundamental concepts and definitions of token engineering. It highlights five articles and papers that have shaped the field. Each paper is paired with an introductory video where the authors discuss their motivations and reflections on the concepts. This module requires no prior knowledge, making it an essential onboarding for every student.

• Module 2: The Discovery Phase of Token Engineering
  In this module, we focus on the discovery phase of the token engineering design process. Students learn how to explore and understand the system they aim to create, forming the "problem entity" that will guide the design and modeling of the token system.

• Module 3: Design Phase – Mathematical Modeling and Design
  Here, students develop the mathematical models for the systems introduced in the previous module. Using the illustrative example of Uniswap, we walk students through the token engineering process and provide context for how a system might evolve in response to real-world events.

• Module 4: Deployment Phase – Programming the Digital Twin
  This Module introduces the final phase of the token engineering process—model programming. Students learn how to code a model that replicates the intended system, known as the "digital twin." Once this model is validated and verified, it is ready to be tested and simulated.

• Module 5: Token-Based Governance
  In the final module, we explore the landscape of token-based governance. A multidisciplinary approach introduces key governance concepts, offering students the context and framework necessary to analyze, explore, and initiate Web3 governance systems and processes.

Evolution of Achievements

In the following section, we examine the evolution of achievements and the conclusions we can draw regarding the current state of the token engineering domain.

Growth of Passed Exams Across All Modules

This first chart illustrates the total growth of passed exams across all five TEF modules, from the program’s launch in October 2022 to October 2024. The data shows a clear upward trend, indicating a growing interest and participation in token engineering. This aligns with the expansion of our community on social media, as well as the continued increase in visibility through media coverage and at conferences. In total, 5,027 students had enrolled at TE Academy, and 1,338 exams were successfully passed across all modules by the end of October 2024.

NFTs Minted by Module

The second chart presents the total number of NFTs minted by module. As expected, Module 1 is the most popular overall, given that it serves as the starting point for all students. This module sets the foundation for the rest of the course, which explains its high completion rate.

However, Modules 4 and 5 exhibit a surprising trend—both have nearly identical numbers of NFTs minted, with Module 5 even slightly surpassing Module 4. This raises interesting questions about how students are approaching their learning journey: Are they following a sequential path through the modules? Or are they selecting modules based on their specific interests, background knowledge, or what they assume is most useful for their career in token engineering?

Evolution of Passed Exams by Quarter and Module

The third chart presents the distribution of passed exams across modules over time. We expected a stable cohort of students steadily advancing from Module 1 to Module 5, which would result in a decrease in Module 1 exams over time. Instead, the data shows that the share of Module 1 passed exams remains high over time. Meanwhile, a relatively consistent share of students complete Modules 2–5. This suggests that the TE Fundamentals has managed to attract a continuous inflow of new students throughout its lifetime. Moreover, TEF attracts a diverse range of learners, many of whom may not be progressing linearly through all five modules but rather engaging with the content in a way that aligns with their interests and goals.

Connections between NFTs earned for different TEF Modules

We continue exploring diversity by analyzing the connection between NFTs earned for different TEF modules. This data reveals interesting patterns in how students engage with the TEF curriculum.

First, examining the linear progression from Module 1 to Module 5, we observe that only a fraction of students successfully acquire NFTs for subsequent modules. This is expected in a program where content builds progressively, requiring increasing levels of commitment and skill at each stage.

Vice versa, a vast majority of students holding NFTs for any given module have also earned NFTs for prior modules. For example:

• Among Module 2 NFT holders, 93.3% also hold a Module 1 NFT.

• Approximately 95% of Module 3 NFT holders also possess Module 1 or 2 NFTs.

However, Module 5 stands out as a notable exception:

• Only 91.2% of Module 5 NFT holders also acquired a Module 3 NFT.

• Even fewer, 82.5%, of Module 5 NFT holders earned a Module 4 NFT.

To provide context, let’s revisit the content of the final three TEF modules:

• Module 3: Translates system requirements into mathematical models.

• Module 4: Verifies mechanism designs through a Python digital twin.

• Module 5: Introduces token-based governance principles.

The findings suggest a divide in the student body’s focus. While many students complete the foundational modules (1-3), there appears to be a divergence in paths for the final two modules:

• Some students bypass (or fail to pass) Module 3 and Module 4 in favor of governance topics in Module 5.

• Conversely, a significant portion of Module 4 graduates does proceed to Module 5, likely motivated by the proximity to earning full TE Fundamentals graduate status.

Analyzing student and NFT data allows us to draw meaningful conclusions about how students approach studying token engineering. Most notably, the data highlights diverse learning journeys within the community, with students selecting modules based on their interests and career goals.

At the same time, these dynamic learning patterns reflect the adaptability of the TE Academy’s curriculum, which successfully caters to a variety of learners at different stages of their token engineering journey.

In the next section, we explore the implications of this learning diversity further focusing on different levels of experience.

Levels of Expertise: Mapping the Community’s State

For monitoring the community’s state, we can categorize NFTs by levels of expertise:

• Pioneers: NFTs acknowledging achievements in mapping out the discipline with fundamental research and scientific work

• Experts: NFTs for token engineering practitioners and course authors who established curriculums building on the pioneer’s work and practical experience.

• Graduates: NFTs representing those who have successfully completed all five modules in TE Fundamentals

• Students: NFTs for successfully studying token engineering or attending TE Academy events

Naturally, in the early stage of the discipline, the system shows an imbalance, with a large number of students compared to a smaller number of experts. As of June 19, 2024, 871 student NFTs represent individuals who have not yet completed the TE Fundamentals course. Meanwhile, 550 graduate NFTs have proven the completion of all TE Fundamentals modules, and only 45 NFTs have been issued to experts—for contributions such as offering classes or creating learning materials. Note that by the date of this analysis, none of the pioneer NFTs had been minted.

In the following section, we explore new applications enabled by TE Academy’s reputation system.

Outlook: Building Applications on Top of a Reputation System

The NFT system established by TE Academy serves as a foundational public record of achievements in token engineering, enabling several key applications:

• Tracking individual achievements and progress over time

• Observing collective progress and the field’s evolution

• Rewarding contributions to foundational research, knowledge creation, and dissemination

• Assigning decision-making rights and weight to knowledge and achievements

This ability to measure the growth of knowledge and achievements within our ecosystem provides a solid foundation for building a meritocratic system. However, to fully realize its potential—particularly in empowering decision-making for those with outstanding achievements—we must address a critical challenge: in the early stages of an ecosystem, experts are scarce. As highlighted in the last chart, a 1-token-1-vote decision-making system risks the sheer number of student-held NFTs outvoting the smaller group of seasoned experts. For decisions where expertise is crucial, we need more advanced mechanisms to ensure that expert opinions are appropriately weighted

In the next article of this series, we introduce Dynamic Network-weight Scaling (DNS), a weighting mechanism built on TE Academy’s NFT reputation system. DNS assigns different voting weights to NFTs based on the holder’s achievements and dynamically adapts to the evolving expertise accumulated within the system. We first developed and applied this mechanism to select the winner of TE Academy’s inaugural $10K Fellowship Prize in July 2024.

Resources

• TE Academy’s research initiative on reputation systems is led by Angela Kreitenweis, Octopus (8arms9brains), and Vitor Marthendal. We kicked off developing Dynamic Network-weight Scaling with TE Academy Students during the 2024 Study Season program, where we went from defining the design goals of the mechanism all the way to its implementation and the actual voting. The session recordings of this program are available here.

• TE Academy NFT Smart Contracts (OP Mainnet, July 2024, note that while TE Academy started with a third-party NFT solution, we replaced all of our existing NFTs with our smart contract in June 2024)

• TE Academy NFT Registry on OpenSea

Acknowledgements

Big thanks to all the students in the 2024 Study Season Reputation-based Weighted Voting track—especially @joanbp, @FtheDev, @jade, @jonas, and @OneLV—for exceptional contributions to Reputation-based Voting.

Shoutout to OneLV, Kaidlyne Goepfrich, and Chima Apka for the helpful feedback on this article!