In MMORPGs i have always been of the crafting bent.

And, i find that if you make most of the drops craft supplies (and why wouldn't you? If the NPC merchant will pay you for the spider silk, why is it worth anything?) then the prices of drops become an in game market with the NPCs setting the floor.

The other problem i have always had in game design thought is that "Holy Avenger". You spend so much time getting the best sword/mount/armor... and then, the next expansion comes out, and its trash.

And it needs to be trash, or consume resources to maintain.
But, you spent so much time getting it.

The best i have come up with is a forever modifying weapon. You go on a quest to get dragon's blood to quench and harden your sword and you need to kill a dragon (like Lady Vox in EQ1) and then your sword gets upgraded.

... but, there is so much to go through in balancing play time, purchasing with cash, and luck (randomness)
and i do not even know how to make the items pool into a blockchain. There is so much stuff that needs fixing, that not keeping it inhouse database makes me tremble.