Tokenomics design for local communities. Interdisciplinary method for co-design

Blockchain technologies are increasingly explored as tools for strengthening local, collaborative economies, yet existing tokenomics models remain rooted in financial incentives and market-based logics. This paper advances an interdisciplinary approach to the analysis and design of socially embedded tokenized systems for local communities. Drawing from token engineering, economic sociology, monetary theory, and research on digital platforms, we develop a multidimensional framework that captures the social, governance, economic, and technological dimensions of tokenized circuits of commerce. Building on this framework, we introduce a participatory co-design methodology based on four phases, from contextual framing to socioeconomic modeling, mechanism design, and technical token specification. The method emphasizes the need for aligning token design with community values, non-market forms of integration, and the relational and situated nature of money and digital artifacts. It is complemented by a civic-oriented blockchain wallet that can be customized to support different tokenized systems. The applicability of this methodology is preliminarily evaluated through a case study in the food-waste recovery domain, conducted as part of a feasibility study for a tokenized redistribution system addressing social inclusion.