Solana Token Launch Playbook

1. Allocation buckets

Most Solana token launches divide supply into five to seven buckets. Names vary, but the functions recur:

• Core team: 15–20%, 12-month cliff, 24–36 month linear vesting.
• Investors: 10–20%, cliff often 6–12 months, vesting 18–24 months.
• Community / airdrop: 15–30%, mix of liquid at TGE and vested portions.
• Ecosystem / treasury: 15–25%, governed by multisig with public spending reports.
• Liquidity: 5–10%, paired at TGE, LP tokens locked 6–12 months.
• Advisors: 1–3%, cliff aligned with or longer than team.

Percentages must sum to 100%. Document any reserved but unallocated supply and its intended future use.

2. Vesting timeline design

Build a month-by-month unlock chart before writing prose documentation. Mark TGE, each cliff end, and cumulative circulating supply at months 3, 6, 12, 18, and 24.

Stagger cliffs across tranches by at least 30 days. If team and investors share a 12-month cliff, consider starting team linear vesting at month 6 while investors remain fully locked until month 12.

Publish the on-chain vesting program address alongside the chart. Community members should reconcile docs with chain state.

3. Liquidity events

TGE liquidity typically pairs a portion of token supply with SOL or USDC on a Solana DEX. Key decisions:

• Initial pool depth — shallow pools amplify volatility.
• LP token lock duration and lock contract address.
• Whether liquidity comes from the liquidity bucket or the public sale raise.

LBPs suit projects prioritizing price discovery. Fixed-price public sales suit projects with strong demand signals and clear allocation caps.

4. Community sale structures

Choose sale mechanics based on who must participate on day one:

• Fixed cap public sale: Simple, capped raise, first-come allocation or lottery.
• LBP: Price discovery, bot-resistant over time, requires user education.
• Allowlist + public: Guarantees allocation for contributors, open phase for remainder.

Whichever structure you choose, state KYC requirements, geographic restrictions, and wallet limits in public docs before opening registration.

5. Pre-TGE checklist

• Single source-of-truth spreadsheet signed off by all founders
• Circulating supply model through month 24
• Vesting contracts deployed on devnet and audited internally
• Community allocation criteria published with dispute process
• LP lock plan documented with contract addresses
• Public timeline aligned with investor and team agreements

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