Vesting Schedules: Choosing Cliffs and Linear Releases
Vesting schedules determine when token holders can transfer or sell allocated tokens. On Solana, vesting is often enforced through stream programs or multisig-controlled vaults. The schedule you publish in your documentation should match the on-chain implementation exactly — discrepancies are a common source of community distrust after TGE.
Cliff periods
A cliff is a period during which no tokens unlock. Twelve-month cliffs remain standard for team and investor tranches on many Solana projects. Shorter cliffs (three or six months) appear in community reward programs where contributors expect earlier recognition. The cliff length signals commitment but also creates a calendar event: when the cliff ends, a large tranche may unlock at once unless you use linear release after the cliff.
Linear vs. step unlocks
Linear vesting releases tokens continuously — for example, 1/24 of the tranche each month after a cliff. Step unlocks release fixed chunks on specific dates — for example, 25% every quarter. Linear schedules smooth circulating supply growth. Step schedules are easier to explain in investor decks but create predictable sell-pressure windows.
Unlock clustering
The most frequent issue we find in distribution reviews is clustering: team, advisors, and ecosystem fund cliffs ending in the same two-week window. Even with linear vesting after the cliff, the initial unlock at cliff end can represent 8–15% of total supply entering circulation in days. Stagger cliffs by at least 30 days when possible.
Investor vs. team alignment
Investors often negotiate shorter cliffs than core team. That is structurally reasonable if disclosed, but public messaging should not imply identical lock-ups. Publish a table showing each tranche's cliff and vesting duration side by side.
Documenting for your community
Include a simple timeline graphic in your docs: TGE date, each cliff end, and monthly unlock rate post-cliff. Link to the on-chain vesting contract or stream program ID. Readers should verify claims without reading Rust code.
For a detailed review of your vesting model, see our distribution review or read the Launch Playbook section on timeline planning.