DUSK is the core token of the Dusk Network ecosystem, supporting the network's security operations, governance decisions, and long-term development. But the real question is: can this economic model withstand extreme market scenarios?

Let's simulate a few worst-case scenarios to see what might happen.

**Scenario 1: The crypto market falls into a prolonged downturn, ecosystem growth stalls**

Suppose the entire industry enters a long-term bear market, risk financing dries up, institutional interest in innovative categories like RWA diminishes, and new project development and user growth in the Dusk ecosystem come to a halt—what would happen then?

First, on-chain activity drops sharply. The demand for DUSK, which fuels the network, shrinks accordingly, leading to a significant decline in gas fee revenue. But that's not the worst part. The bigger issue lies in the staking layer.

To maintain network security, Dusk still needs to reward stakers. But here’s the problem: with token prices continuously falling, even with high APY, stakers are losing on paper. Many will choose to withdraw, causing the staking rate to decline, which increases security risks for the network. Meanwhile, ecosystem incentive funds may become strained, leading to cuts in developer grants and user support programs, making the ecosystem even colder.

**Where is the resilience of the model?**

Dusk’s resilience lies in its differentiated demand. Practical application scenarios with partners like NPEX (such as transaction settlement needs) can provide some demand base, reducing reliance on market cycles. But whether it can truly withstand extreme pressure depends on execution capability.