Crypto Newbie / Simulators / Vesting Unlock
Token Vesting + Unlock Schedule Simulator
Most token launches start with only 10-20% of supply circulating. The other 80-90% is locked in vesting schedules that release over 2-5 years. When a big cliff hits — team unlock, Series A unlock, ecosystem distribution — the new supply hits the market and either gets absorbed or dumps the price. This simulator lets you configure tranches, scrub through months, and SEE the unlock waterfall. Plus a flagged list of 'big unlock' months (>5% inflation events) so you can plan exits around them.
Token tranches
| Tranche | Allocation | Cliff (mo) | Total vest (mo) | TGE % | Cliff style |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | |||||
| Investors | |||||
| Public sale | |||||
| Treasury / DAO | |||||
| Ecosystem / liquidity |
Time scrub
State at this month
Total supply
1.00B
Circulating now
70.00M
% of supply circulating
7.0%
Monthly inflation
0.00%
This month's unlock
70.00M
USD value (at current price)
$35.00M
Tranche breakdown
| Tranche | Total | Unlocked so far | Unlock % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team | 200.00M | 0 | 0% |
| Investors | 150.00M | 0 | 0% |
| Public sale | 50.00M | 25.00M | 50% |
| Treasury / DAO | 300.00M | 15.00M | 5% |
| Ecosystem / liquidity | 300.00M | 30.00M | 10% |
Next 12 months
| Month | Circulating | Monthly inflation |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 70.00M | 0.00% |
| 1 | 86.42M | 23.45% |
| 2 | 102.83M | 19.00% |
| 3 | 119.25M | 15.96% |
| 4 | 135.67M | 13.77% |
| 5 | 152.08M | 12.10% |
| 6 | 193.50M | 27.23% |
| 7 | 209.92M | 8.48% |
| 8 | 226.33M | 7.82% |
| 9 | 242.75M | 7.25% |
| 10 | 259.17M | 6.76% |
| 11 | 275.58M | 6.33% |
| 12 | 292.00M | 5.96% |
Big unlock events (>5% monthly inflation)
Month: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19
Typical tranche structure for a 2026 token launch
Team: 15-25% allocation, 1-year cliff + 3-4 year linear vest. Investors (Seed + Series A + B): 10-20% combined, 6-12 month cliff + 1-2 year vest. Public sale: 5-10%, partial TGE unlock + short vest. Treasury / DAO: 20-40%, slow linear over 5-10 years. Ecosystem / liquidity / community: 10-30%, mixed schedules. Total: 100%. The defaults in this simulator reflect a typical structure for a Series-A-funded protocol token launching today.
Why cliffs cause price crashes — the supply-demand math
Token price = (current demand) / (current circulating supply). If circulating supply doubles overnight (a big cliff), demand must also double just to keep price constant. In practice, demand rarely scales 1:1 with supply on short timescales — so cliff months see price drops proportional to the inflation %. A 50% inflation event with no buying pressure can drop price 33% mathematically. Real-world cliff drops often UNDERSHOOT the math because the market anticipates the unlock weeks in advance.
How pros plan around unlocks
Three strategies: (1) Exit before the cliff — sell 1-2 weeks before a known big unlock to avoid the dump, re-enter after the unlock has been absorbed (typically 1-2 months later). (2) Short into the cliff — if you trust the token has hedging available (perp on a major venue), short ahead of the unlock and cover after. (3) Buy AFTER the unlock — when the dust settles, the token's supply structure is permanently better, and prices often recover. Each strategy assumes you know the unlock schedule; this simulator helps you map it.
Reading on-chain vs the project's claimed schedule
Many projects misrepresent unlock timelines. Real schedules are encoded in vesting contracts on-chain. Use tools like TokenUnlocks.app or Cryptorank's vesting tracker to verify the contract state vs the project's public docs. If the project's marketing says '3-year team vest' but the contract enables an early exit clause, that 3-year claim is meaningless. The simulator's defaults are illustrative — for real planning, plug in YOUR token's actual on-chain schedule.
Frequently asked questions
+What's the difference between linear-from-zero and cliff-release vesting?
Linear-from-zero: tokens stay at 0 until cliff month, then linearly vest from 0 to 100% over remaining duration. Cliff-release: at cliff month, the proportional share that 'should have' vested during the cliff period is released all at once (a chunky drop), then linear continues. Cliff-release is more common for investor tranches; linear-from-zero is more common for team vests with strict commitments.
+Why do some tokens have NO cliff?
Liquid investments — most public-sale and treasury allocations. The team wants immediate liquidity for trading. The downside is concentrated early-supply pressure; the upside is no cliff-event price shocks. Modern launches often combine: small public sale with no cliff for tradability, team / investor with 1-year cliff for alignment, treasury with no cliff but multi-year linear for slow release.
+How do I find the actual on-chain vesting schedule for a token?
Use TokenUnlocks.app (most comprehensive public tracker), Cryptorank vesting page, or check the project's vesting contracts directly on Etherscan/BscScan. The on-chain state is authoritative; project documentation is often outdated or aspirational. Search for the token's name + 'vesting contract' to find the relevant contract address.
+Can a project change its vesting schedule after launch?
Depends on the contract. Immutable vesting contracts: no, the schedule is locked. Upgradeable contracts (rare for vesting but exists): yes, the project can modify terms — usually subject to governance. The trend in 2024-2026 is immutable vesting because investors and community demand it. Always check the contract's upgrade pattern before trusting the schedule.
+Why does the simulator's 'monthly inflation' matter so much?
Inflation = how much circulating supply grew this month / prior circulating supply. >5% monthly inflation = 60%+ annualised — almost guaranteed price headwind. The Cosmos community sometimes calls these months 'unlock graveyards' because price action is consistently bad. Use the simulator's 'Big unlock events' marker to see when these months land and plan accordingly.