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Encyclopedia DeFi · Entry 151

Token unlocks and vesting: when restricted supply becomes available

AI-assisted research · separate automated verificationCorrections

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DeFi
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2 cited records
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About 3 minutes
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In this article

At a glance

Key facts

Key facts for Token unlocks and vesting: when restricted supply becomes available
FactDetailSource
ScheduleOpenZeppelin VestingWallet computes a vested amount over time.[1]
ReleaseVested and already released amounts determine what can be claimed.[1]
ControlThe cited implementation’s ownership can be transferred, so the beneficiary position can change.[1]
01

A schedule and a claim are separate events

Consider a hypothetical 1,200-token allocation vesting linearly over 12 months with no cliff. After six months, 600 may be vested under the simplified schedule. If 400 were already released, another 200 would be releasable.

Actual contracts may use different time units, cliffs or vesting functions. Read the implementation before applying the example.

02

An unlock can change circulation without minting

Tokens already held in a vesting contract can be part of totalSupply before the beneficiary can claim them. Releasing them moves existing units rather than necessarily creating new ones.

A provider’s circulating-supply definition may count the allocation differently. Keep that convention separate from the contract’s raw supply field.

03

Read the powers around the schedule

Check whether the beneficiary can change, whether ownership can be sold, and whether custom code permits revocation or schedule changes. OpenZeppelin’s documentation warns that ownership transfer can enable sale of an unvested position.

A published chart is weaker evidence than matching deployed contract rules and balances. It also does not prove that every unlocked token will be sold.

Direct answers

Questions people ask

Does an unlock automatically send tokens to an exchange?

No. It changes availability under the arrangement. Claiming, transferring and selling are separate actions that require their own evidence.

Inspect the evidence

The answer and key facts have stable claim links. These records retain the scope and qualification when reused.

Vesting controls when an allocation becomes releasable under a schedule; an unlock makes tokens transferable or claimable under the relevant arrangement. It does not necessarily mint new tokens or cause an immediate sale. Inspect the contract, beneficiary, schedule, revocation rights and whether the allocation was already counted in supply.

Scope: DeFi · data through 2026-10-02. Verification: verified · 2026-10-02T18:15:18.493Z.

Link to this claim
Schedule: OpenZeppelin VestingWallet computes a vested amount over time.

Scope: DeFi · data through 2026-10-02. Verification: verified · 2026-10-02T18:15:18.493Z.

Link to this claim
Release: Vested and already released amounts determine what can be claimed.

Scope: DeFi · data through 2026-10-02. Verification: verified · 2026-10-02T18:15:18.493Z.

Link to this claim
Control: The cited implementation’s ownership can be transferred, so the beneficiary position can change.

Scope: DeFi · data through 2026-10-02. Verification: verified · 2026-10-02T18:15:18.493Z.

Link to this claim
Revision history
  1. — First publication after primary-source research and independent automated verification.

Source register

Sources and references

Retrieval dates and locators are recorded individually.
  1. VestingWalletOpenZeppelin

    Vesting schedules, releasable balances and ownership transfer.

    Locator: VestingWallet; vestingSchedule; release · Version / scope: OpenZeppelin Contracts 5.x · Retrieved: 2026-10-02T17:03:46.020ZOpen source
  2. ERC-20 Token StandardEthereum Improvement Proposals

    Token supply, displayed units and balance accounting.

    Locator: totalSupply; balanceOf; transfer; decimals; approve; allowance; transferFrom; Transfer · Version / scope: ERC-20 · Retrieved: 2026-10-02T17:03:45.826ZOpen source
How this article was made

Research and drafting use AI assistance. A separate automated review checks claims against primary sources; no external expert or named human review is implied. Publication, substantive editing, source retrieval and verification are recorded separately. This version was independently checked by an automated reviewer on 2 October 2026.

Editorial method and corrections

Degrees of Satoshi editorial project. “Token unlocks and vesting: when restricted supply becomes available.” Published 2026-10-02; updated 2026-10-02. https://degreesofsatoshi.com/encyclopedia/token-unlocks-and-vesting/