Staking vs. saving: How Maxi Doge’s rewards model mirrors loyalty program mechanics
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Saving has always been about patience. Whether through a savings account at a bank or loyalty points at a grocery store, the trade-off is clear: set something aside today and receive more tomorrow. In crypto, staking has taken that same structure and rebranded it for digital assets. Holders set aside their tokens for a set period, and in return, they earn more of the same asset.
This basic idea has gained momentum as projects compete to keep investors engaged in a market known for short attention spans. Just as credit card companies battle for cardholder loyalty with points, miles, and cashback, staking has become the crypto version of retention marketing. The more it feels like a benefit, the longer people stay invested.
Maxi Doge and the mechanics of staking
Maxi Doge offers a clear example of how staking mirrors loyalty incentives. With a fixed supply of around 150.24 billion MAXI, the project set aside 5% of its allocation exclusively for staking rewards. That may sound modest compared to its 40% marketing share, but it functions as a built-in loyalty pool. When holders commit to locking their MAXI, they’re effectively choosing a membership tier, similar to when shoppers decide to stick with one retailer’s rewards program rather than splitting their purchases across many stores.
Transparency plays a big role here. The audited smart contract ensures that no one can mint extra tokens, which means the reward pool won’t be inflated later on. This mirrors how airlines cap the number of miles in circulation or how a credit card provider publishes reward terms upfront. With Maxi Doge already raising over $2 million in presale, there’s evidence that investors value this kind of clarity before signing up.
How loyalty programs keep people coming back
Loyalty programs capture the attention of customers using three factors: predictability, exclusivity, and perceived value. A customer swipes their card, sees their points climbing up over time, with the promise of free aeroplane rides or gift cards at the end. The feedback loop is simple and immediately reinforcing.
Just like loyalty programs, crypto staking also uses this model. The fees you pay to unlock your tokens are really just the entry point to the program, while the reward payout you receive at certain intervals is like the points for buying things. With both loyalty programs and staking programs, exclusivity is a major part of the program. While banks offer an “elite” tier for cash back, staking programs offer better rewards for holding assets for longer periods. This allows customers to test their proclivity for short-term liquidity for a longer-term gain, resulting in more people converting to and engaging with these types of loyalty programs.
Staking yields vs. savings accounts
According to recent data, in the UK, the average instant access savings rate is 2.27%. Even high-yield savings accounts rarely exceed 5% yearly interest and almost always come with restrictions or terms. However, there are crypto staking opportunities that offer double-digit returns, depending on when and where you lock up your crypto.
This difference is what’s so appealing to investors who have already adopted the framework and understand the math of loyalty programs. Much like any airline miles can feel more valuable than the U.S. dollar equivalent to that mile, staking yields may have an inferior risk profile, but will look far better than what the bank is offering.
Risk and reward for retention models
While staking and loyalty programs incentivise users for not leaving, they come with very different risk profiles. Loyalty points typically don’t lose value overnight, but tokens can. When you throw crypto volatility into the mix, the uncertainty is beyond that of a supermarket loyalty program.
On a psychological level, the similarities are there. Consumers are willing to embrace restraints, limits, and even anxiety because they are looking to earn something greater in the future. In the retail world, the consumer may hold onto their miles because they can eventually expire. In crypto, the user locks up their tokens during market downturns.
In both instances, the belief is that the issuer will ultimately deliver the value promised in the future. Maxi Doge’s audited contract and set tokenomics are fulfilling a similar role as regulators and consumer protection offered in finance.
Retail loyalty program lessons learned
Retailers are spending billions fine-tuning loyalty programs. A 2025 report found that loyalty programs in the UK are worth $2.56 billion. This influential power comes from ongoing changes and updates, targeted offerings, and transparent rules. Interestingly, banks are one of the most trusted service providers in the UK.
Crypto staking can take notes from it. Projects that suggest or consider their staking pool as an ongoing loyalty budget, rather than an upfront promotional incentive, would be far more likely to create trust with their investors. Maxi Doge set aside a fixed percentage of its supply, and this communicates a longer-term plan, rather than simply a marketing launch to trigger coins. When the project puts staking rewards into the only budget available for reward distribution, it sees an opportunity where retailers are often inhibiting inflation by only limiting points as an issuance method.
Community as the new customer base
The most successful loyalty programs create more than transactions. Those programs build communities. For instance, airlines have forums for frequent flyers, credit card companies host exclusive events, and retailers reward referrals. In crypto, staking taps into similar dynamics.
When holders lock tokens, they also tend to become more active in online groups, discussions, and promotional campaigns. They have a vested interest in the brand because their financial outcome is tied to its success. Maxi Doge allocating 40% of its supply to marketing supports this strategy. It turns the community itself into both the customer and the promoter, much like how referral bonuses work in mainstream loyalty systems.
Beyond crypto: The future of reward mechanisms
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Reward systems continue to converge between sectors. Banks are gamifying saving and offering badges for achieving certain saving goals, as well as fitness companies that offer discounts for consistent participation. In all of these examples, retention is the goal. Having said that, we can think of rewards as the hook.
Crypto staking is just the newest version of a centuries-old reliance on rewards to achieve retention or build loyalty. The big distinction, however, is the transparency it can provide when contracts are audited and tokenomics is published. The Maxi Doge project features a salient example of concisely specified upfront design: fixed supply, no loophole for minting, specified allocation with details on the amount allocated for rewards.
Conclusion: Staking as a loyalty archetype
Staking may seem novel, but its mechanics are similar to those of loyalty programs that users may already be familiar with from retail and finance. By creating specific rewards for long-term commitment, projects like Maxi Doge demonstrate how cryptocurrency can adapt the tried-and-tested loyalty program format to enhance customer retention.
The parallel to savings accounts makes staking appealing, as it offers higher yield rates with familiar mechanics and engaging exclusivity. Like loyalty points, staking rewards transform passive users into active participants. For investors, recognising these overlaps reveals staking not as a crypto quirk, but as loyalty’s evolution in the digital economy.