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. Described as the first decentralized talent network, Braintrust operates on a simple but powerful 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 project was founded in 2018, and the token launched in 2021. 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, with a public sale allocation of 12.5 million BTRST. 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. Early contributor tokens vest over four years with a one-year cliff.

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 2021, with token holders participating in key decisions through on-chain governance platforms 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 charges clients a 10% fee on invoices, while talent keeps 100% of the contract value they negotiate.

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 gives 0% to talent, allowing freelancers to keep the full value they negotiate. 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. The project has attracted notable brands including 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 for staking and payments, and it governs the network's future direction. 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 centers 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. A separate entity called Braintrust.dev operates an AI observability platform, which is distinct from the Braintrust talent network and BTRST token.

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. 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. Both contracts are verified on Etherscan and BaseScan respectively.