Economic Layer / 2026
Token Credits Economy
A model for portable AI budgets, creator revenue, and product-level settlement.
A credit layer should be understandable, refundable, and tied to product value rather than speculation. Users need one budget they can spend across many products. Creators need a way to price actions without forcing a subscription too early.
The credit unit is not the story. The important system is the ledger: what action was authorized, what was delivered, what failed, what should be refunded, and what creator should be paid.
Working note
This note can later expand into a long-form article, benchmark report, or product memo.