# Token unlocks and vesting: when restricted supply becomes available

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.

Evidence: [VestingWallet](https://docs.openzeppelin.com/contracts/5.x/api/finance); [ERC-20 Token Standard](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-20)

Canonical: https://degreesofsatoshi.com/encyclopedia/token-unlocks-and-vesting/
Published: 2026-10-02
Substantively modified: 2026-10-02
Independently verified by an automated reviewer: 2026-10-02T18:15:18.493Z
Data current through: 2026-10-02

AI-assisted research and drafting with a separate automated source-verification pass; no external expert or named human review is implied.

## Key facts

- **Schedule:** OpenZeppelin VestingWallet computes a vested amount over time. ([VestingWallet](https://docs.openzeppelin.com/contracts/5.x/api/finance))
- **Release:** Vested and already released amounts determine what can be claimed. ([VestingWallet](https://docs.openzeppelin.com/contracts/5.x/api/finance))
- **Control:** The cited implementation’s ownership can be transferred, so the beneficiary position can change. ([VestingWallet](https://docs.openzeppelin.com/contracts/5.x/api/finance))

## 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.

Evidence: [VestingWallet](https://docs.openzeppelin.com/contracts/5.x/api/finance)

## 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.

Evidence: [ERC-20 Token Standard](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-20); [VestingWallet](https://docs.openzeppelin.com/contracts/5.x/api/finance)

## 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.

Evidence: [VestingWallet](https://docs.openzeppelin.com/contracts/5.x/api/finance)

## Questions

### 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.

Evidence: [VestingWallet](https://docs.openzeppelin.com/contracts/5.x/api/finance)

## Claims and scope

### token-unlocks-and-vesting-quick-answer

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: {"collection":"defi","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null}

### token-unlocks-and-vesting-fact-schedule

Schedule: OpenZeppelin VestingWallet computes a vested amount over time.

Scope: {"collection":"defi","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null}

### token-unlocks-and-vesting-fact-release

Release: Vested and already released amounts determine what can be claimed.

Scope: {"collection":"defi","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null}

### token-unlocks-and-vesting-fact-control

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

Scope: {"collection":"defi","dataAsOf":"2026-10-02","blockHeight":null}

## Sources

- [VestingWallet](https://docs.openzeppelin.com/contracts/5.x/api/finance) — OpenZeppelin. Vesting schedules, releasable balances and ownership transfer. Locator: VestingWallet; vestingSchedule; release. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T17:03:46.020Z.
- [ERC-20 Token Standard](https://eips.ethereum.org/EIPS/eip-20) — Ethereum Improvement Proposals. Token supply, displayed units and balance accounting. Locator: totalSupply; balanceOf; transfer; decimals; approve; allowance; transferFrom; Transfer. Retrieved: 2026-10-02T17:03:45.826Z.

## Revision history

- 2026-10-02: First publication after primary-source research and independent automated verification.

## Cite this entry

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/