Vesting
A schedule that releases allocated tokens gradually over time, keeping founders and investors from selling everything at once.
Vesting releases tokens on a timetable instead of all at once. A team or early investor might receive their allocation over four years, with a one-year cliff—nothing unlocks until month twelve, then it drips out monthly.
The goal is alignment. People who can't dump their full stake on day one have reason to keep building.
Watch the unlock calendar. When a large tranche vests, new supply hits the market and the price often dips ahead of it. Sites that track unlock dates exist precisely because these events move charts.
Related terms
A fixed period during which tokens can't be sold or moved, common for team and investor allocations.
TokenomicsThe economic design of a token — its supply, distribution, and incentives — that shapes whether it can hold value.
TokenA digital asset issued on top of an existing blockchain, usually through a smart contract rather than its own network.
Fully Diluted Valuation (FDV)A token's price multiplied by its maximum supply, valuing every coin that will ever exist.