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Token Standards

Page last update: August 21, 2025

Introduction

Many Ethereum development standards focus on token interfaces. These standards help ensure smart contracts remain composable, so when a new project issues a token, it stays compatible with existing decentralized exchanges and applications.

Token standards define how tokens behave and interact across the Ethereum ecosystem. They make it easier for developers to build without reinventing the wheel, ensuring that tokens work seamlessly with wallets, exchanges, and DeFi platforms. Whether in gaming, governance, or other use cases, these standards provide consistency and make Ethereum more interconnected.

Prerequisites

Token standards

Here are some of the most popular token standards on Ethereum:

  • ERC-20 - A standard interface for fungible (interchangeable) tokens, like voting tokens, staking tokens or virtual currencies.

NFT standards

  • ERC-721 - A standard interface for non-fungible tokens, like a deed for artwork or a song.
  • ERC-1155 - ERC-1155 allows for more efficient trades and bundling of transactions – thus saving costs. This token standard allows for creating both utility tokens (such as $BNB or $BAT) and Non-Fungible Tokens like CryptoPunks.

The full list of ERCopens in a new tab proposals.

Further reading

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