Concepts

Total Supply

The total supply of a token is defined as the overall number of tokens having a given denomination that currently exists inside a chain.

The total supply of a token is fetched directly from the bank module, which properly tracks such amount each time a new token is created (due to inflation or other) or burned.

Circulating Supply

The circulating supply of a token is defined as the number of tokens having a given denomination that can be transferred freely from one user to another.

Based on this definition, the circulating supply of a token is computed using the following formula:

circulating_supply = total_supply - community_pool - sum(vested_amount)

This is due to the fact that the following amounts are considered as non circulating:

• the amount of a token inside the community pool, since such tokens can be transferred to a user only after a CommunitySpendPropsal passes. As soon as some tokens are transferred from the community pool to a user, they become immediately part of the circulating supply;
• the amount of vested tokens, since those are subject to a lock period. As soon as such period ends, they become immediately part of the circulating supply.