Short Answer: The best way to structure a loan plus call option engagement for a pre-TGE project is to design incentives so the market maker can profit through healthy liquidity provision and volatility management — not directional short pressure. This is typically achieved through multi-tranche structures with staggered and partially dynamic strike pricing, which align the market maker’s upside with strong token performance while limiting the incentive for parasitic sell-down behavior.
Additionally, the aggregate amount of tokens loaned to market makers should be conservative, and should not exceed 10% of the initial circulating supply.
Long Answer: Structuring a loan plus call option engagement properly begins with a simple reality: market makers are profit-motivated actors. That is not adversarial — it is rational. Their job is to deploy capital, manage risk, and generate returns while providing liquidity and tighter spreads for your token post-TGE.
The objective is not to eliminate profit. The objective is to ensure that the path to profit is aligned with healthy market structure. To accomplish this, you must first understand the three primary ways a market maker can generate profit in a loan plus call option structure.
- Exercising the option when price appreciates above strike
- Gamma scalping around the strike price
- Parasitic liquidation via aggressive directional shorting in a down-only market
The goal in a post-TGE structure is to maximize the probability of the first two, while minimizing the third.
The Structural Solution: Multi-Tranche Design with Dynamic Strikes
The most effective approach is to (1) allocate a conservative sized loan to the market maker – no more than 10% of the initial circulating supply (in aggregate, across all engaged counterparties), and (2) divide the loan(s) into multiple tranches with staggered and partially dynamic strike methodologies.
Tranche 1 – Fixed Premium Strike (Immediate Post-TGE):
Example:
- Opening price implies $100M FDV
- Strike set at $150M FDV (50% premium)
Purpose:
- Incentivizes the market maker to provide offer-side liquidity at the open
- Prevents small retail demand from irrationally pushing price vertically
- Creates a clear path to profit if demand materializes
Outcome:
- Market maker is incentivized to layer reasonable liquidity on offer at the immediate onset of trading
- Market maker’s liquidity is executed against by willing buyers
- This tranche supports orderly price discovery at the immediate onset of trading.
Tranche 2 – Short-Term Dynamic Strike (7-Day TWAP + Premium):
Example:
- Opening price implies $100M FDV
- Time-weighted-average-price implies $150M FDV after first 7 days of trading
- Strike set at 50% premium to 7-day TWAP ($225M FDV)
Purpose:
- Immediate post-TGE volatility makes fair value uncertain
- A dynamic time-weighted average price (TWAP) avoids anchoring to an irrational opening print
Outcome:
- Keeps strike realistic given uncertainty regarding “fair value”
- Preserves gamma scalping opportunity
- Prevents mispricing from forcing defensive short behavior
Tranche 3 – 3-Month Dynamic Strike:
Example:
- Opening price implies $100M FDV
- Time-weighted-average-price implies $200M FDV after 3 months of trading
- Strike set at 50% premium to 7-day TWAP ($300M FDV)
Purpose:
- Initial volatility has subsided
- Market has better information about fair value
- Liquidity patterns are clearer
Outcome:
- Sustains incentive for volatility-based profit via gamma scalping
- Maintains alignment through mid-engagement lifecycle
Tranche 4 – 6-Month Dynamic Strike:
Example:
- Opening price implies $100M FDV
- Time-weighted-average-price implies $250M FDV after 6 months of trading
- Strike set at 50% premium to 7-day TWAP ($375M FDV)
Purpose:
- Anchors long-term incentive alignment
- Keeps uncertainty in strike pricing until later
- Reduces predictability for directional short strategies
Outcome:
- Sustains incentive for volatility-based profit via gamma scalping
- Maintains alignment through mid-engagement lifecycle
Full Example:
| Tranche | Strike Basis | Example Premium | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tranche 1 | TGE listing price | +50% | Immediate upside participation if launch is strong |
| Tranche 2 | 7-day post-TGE TWAP | +50% | Rewards sustained early price performance |
| Tranche 3 | 7-day TWAP at 3 months post-TGE | +50% | Anchors long-term incentive alignment, and reduces predictability for directional short strategies |
| Tranche 4 | 7-day TWAP at 6 months post-TGE | +50% | Anchors long-term incentive alignment, and reduces predictability for directional short strategies |
Why This Structure Works
Market makers are profit-motivated, but they are not irrational.
If later tranches have dynamic strike prices determined months after TGE, the market maker cannot confidently model the profitability of aggressively shorting those tokens early.
If they were to sell heavily:
- They do not know the future strike price.
- They risk a short squeeze.
- They risk having to cover at materially higher prices.
- Losses could be substantial.
This uncertainty reduces the rational incentive for parasitic liquidation.
At the same time:
- They retain upside if the token performs.
- They retain volatility capture opportunity via gamma scalping.
- They retain stablecoin repayment upside.
Accordingly, this structure creates a synergistic relationship with a loan + call option market maker. You are not removing profit. You are reshaping how profit is earned.
The Core Principle
The best loan plus call option structures:
- Reward token appreciation
- Reward volatility harvesting
- Discourage deterministic shorting
- Maintain liquidity KPIs (depth, spreads, uptime)
- Align profit with healthy market structure
A poorly structured loan transfers leverage to the market maker. A well-structured loan underwrites liquidity while aligning incentives across the lifecycle of the token.