Braintrust PriceBTRST

What is Braintrust (BTRST)?

Braintrust is a decentralized talent network built to connect highly skilled technical freelancers and knowledge workers with leading organizations. The platform is owned and governed by its community, which earns ownership and control through the native BTRST token. Braintrust describes itself as one of the earliest decentralized talent networks, operating on a simple premise: talent keeps 100% of the contract value they negotiate with clients, while platform fees flow back into a community-controlled treasury rather than to corporate shareholders.

The BTRST token is an ERC-20 asset deployed on the Ethereum mainnet and also available on Base, a Layer 2 network. It has a fixed maximum supply of 250,000,000 tokens, with approximately 241.35 million BTRST in circulation, representing about 97% of the total supply. The company was founded in 2018, and the BTRST token launched on Ethereum mainnet in September 2021 (Yahoo Finance lists a start date of 2021-09-02). Braintrust has processed over $385 million in lifetime Gross Services Value across its network, serving clients ranging from Fortune 1000 companies to high-growth startups.

Key Specifications & Tokenomics

• Name: Braintrust
• Symbol: BTRST
• Token Standard: ERC-20
• Blockchain: Ethereum Mainnet; Base (L2)
• Category: Decentralized Talent Network / Utility Token
• Max Supply: 250,000,000 BTRST
• Circulating Supply: Approximately 241.35M BTRST (97% of total)
• Ethereum Contract: 0x799ebfABE77a6E34311eeEe9825190B9ECe32824
• Base Contract: 0xa7d68d155d17cb30e311367c2ef1e82ab6022b67
• Decimals: 18
• Launch Date: September 2021
• Headquarters: San Jose, California

Token distribution allocates 54% to community incentives and rewards (135M BTRST), 22% to early token purchasers (55M BTRST), 19% to early contributors (47.5M BTRST), and 5% to the token sale (12.5M BTRST). The ICO price was $0.996. Token Sale tokens have a 3- or 6-month lock, monthly thereafter. Early token purchasers have a 2-year lock with a 1-year cliff, then monthly release. Early contributor tokens vest over four years with a one-year cliff. BTRST is described as not a VC-heavy token, as the largest allocation belongs to the community and is distributed over time through earning programs.

A CoinList token sale was announced on September 2, 2021 and held on September 9, 2021 at 23:00 UTC, offering 3.5M BTRST at $0.664 per token with a 6-month linear release.

Braintrust is tagged under the Coinbase Ventures Portfolio on CoinMarketCap.

Who created Braintrust?

Braintrust was founded in May 2018 by Adam Jackson and Gabriel Luna-Ostaseski, with Brian Flynn also serving as a co-founder. The company is headquartered in San Jose, California. Adam Jackson serves as Co-Founder and CEO and is described as a serial entrepreneur and tech investor. He has publicly explained the token's utility in educational content about BTRST.

The executive team includes Grady Gardner as GM and CRO for AIR and Marketplace, Nick Velloff as Chief Architect, and Andy Wang as Head of Finance. The project has been community-governed since the BTRST token launched in September 2021, with token holders participating in key decisions through on-chain governance on Tally and Snapshot on a one-token, one-vote basis.

How does Braintrust work?

Braintrust operates as a decentralized marketplace where clients pay for services in USD, meaning no cryptocurrency is required to use the platform. When a client pays an invoice, Braintrust collects a platform service fee. This fee is then automatically converted to BTRST on the open market through an on-chain Fee Converter. The acquired BTRST flows into the community-controlled DAO Treasury, which is governed by token holders.

The DAO Treasury funds community earning programs that reward referrers, peer vetters, and contributors who help grow the network. This creates a circular value flow: platform activity generates fees, fees buy BTRST, BTRST funds community programs, and community programs drive further network growth. Governance decisions covering expansion into new categories, dispute resolution methods, platform fees, and operational rules are made by BTRST holders through on-chain voting. The network currently charges clients a 10% fee on invoices, while talent keeps 100% of the contract value they negotiate; the fee level is subject to change through BTRST holder governance.

What makes Braintrust unique and valuable?

Braintrust differentiates itself from traditional staffing marketplaces in several fundamental ways. Traditional marketplaces typically take a 10–20% rake on every contract, routing fees to corporate shareholders. Braintrust takes a 0% cut from talent, so freelancers keep the full contract value they negotiate; the platform's revenue comes from the fee charged to clients. Platform fees are routed through the on-chain Fee Converter into the DAO Treasury, which funds community earning programs rather than enriching a board of directors.

Governance is another key differentiator. While traditional marketplaces concentrate decision-making power among executives and board members, Braintrust gives BTRST holders voting rights on platform fees, rules, and strategic direction. Anyone who refers a client or talent earns BTRST rewards automatically when those parties transact, creating a network effect where growth is incentivized at the community level. According to Braintrust's official site (usebraintrust.com), enterprise users include Nestle, Porsche, Atlassian, Goldman Sachs, and Nike, demonstrating real-world adoption of the decentralized talent model.

What is Braintrust used for?

BTRST serves multiple functions within the Braintrust ecosystem. Its primary utility is governance: token holders vote on key decisions affecting the network's future, including expansion into new categories, dispute resolution methods, platform fees, and operational rules. The token also functions as a rewards mechanism. Users earn BTRST by inviting new talent and employers, participating in peer-to-peer vetting, and taking other actions that benefit the network.

Community perks represent another use case, where tokens can be redeemed for exclusive benefits such as free or discounted software, products, career resources, and other offerings tailored to the Braintrust community. Additionally, BTRST is used to govern the network and to reward referrals and other network-building contributions. The most leveraged way to earn BTRST is by referring a client that hires through Braintrust, which earns 2% of contract value in BTRST as the client transacts. Referring talent earns 1% of their billings in BTRST when they get hired.

How Is the Braintrust ecosystem developing?

The Braintrust ecosystem centres on its decentralized talent network, which connects knowledge workers with organizations ranging from Fortune 1000 companies to high-growth startups. The network has processed over $385 million in lifetime Gross Services Value, reflecting real economic activity. Earning programs including refer-a-client, refer-talent, and profile-building initiatives run continuously on the live network, incentivizing community participation and growth.

Governance infrastructure is active on Tally and Snapshot, allowing token holders to propose and vote on network decisions. The DAO Treasury, funded by platform fees converted to BTRST, supports these community programs. BTRST is listed on major centralized and decentralized exchanges, providing liquidity and accessibility. The project has been covered by major crypto data platforms and continues to publish educational resources about earning and using BTRST. Harvard Business School published a case study, "Braintrust: The Blockchain-Powered Talent Network," on August 5, 2022. A separate entity named Braintrust (braintrust.dev) is an AI observability platform for agents, founded in 2023 by Ankur Goyal and headquartered in San Francisco, California — it is a different company and is not the BTRST token project.

How to mine Braintrust?

BTRST is not mined through traditional proof-of-work mechanisms. It is an ERC-20 token with a fixed supply of 250 million, meaning no new tokens are created through mining. BTRST has a fixed supply cap of 250,000,000 with no future minting; new tokens do not enter circulation through mining but are distributed from the pre-allocated Community Incentives & Rewards pool (54%, 135M BTRST) via earning programs. Instead, participants earn BTRST by contributing to the network through its community earning programs. The most direct method is referring clients to the Braintrust network, which earns 2% of contract value in BTRST as the client transacts, accruing per invoice throughout the contract duration.

Referring skilled professionals to join the network earns 1% of their billings in BTRST when the referred talent gets hired. Building out a talent profile by completing it, verifying skills, and adding portfolio work also positions contributors to earn BTRST as they build credibility within the network. These earning mechanisms are designed to reward actions that grow and strengthen the Braintrust community rather than computational power.

How to keep your Braintrust Coin safe?

BTRST is an ERC-20 token on Ethereum and is also available on Base. Users can store BTRST in compatible self-custody wallets that support ERC-20 tokens, giving them full control over their private keys and assets. Hardware wallets provide an additional layer of security by keeping private keys offline and protected from online threats.

When using the Braintrust platform, it is important to note that Braintrust holds BTRST tokens for users on an internal wallet, but Braintrust is not a cryptocurrency exchange. Users should practice standard security hygiene, including never sharing private keys or seed phrases, verifying contract addresses before interacting with tokens, and using official sources for token-related information. The Ethereum contract address is 0x799ebfABE77a6E34311eeEe9825190B9ECe32824 and the Base contract address is 0xa7d68d155d17cb30e311367c2ef1e82ab6022b67. The Ethereum contract is verified on Etherscan; the Base contract can be checked on BaseScan.

BTRST is a volatile crypto asset, and its price can fluctuate significantly with market conditions. Regulatory treatment of tokens and decentralized networks varies by jurisdiction and may change, which could affect how BTRST can be used or accessed. Smart contract and platform risks also exist, including potential vulnerabilities in the Fee Converter, governance infrastructure, or wallet integrations. This article is for reference only and does not constitute investment advice.