Token Vesting Schedule Calculator
Token allocations usually vest over time on a cliff-plus-linear schedule: nothing releases during the cliff, then tokens unlock evenly until the full term ends, often with a slice released up front at the token generation event. This calculator takes the total allocation, the initial unlock percentage, the cliff length, the total vesting length, and the months elapsed, then returns the vested tokens, the locked tokens, and the percentage vested at that point in the schedule.
Vesting formula
Initial unlock = total * (initial unlock % / 100)
Remaining = total - initial unlock
Before cliff: vested = initial unlock
After cliff: vested = initial unlock + remaining * min((elapsed - 0) / vesting length, 1)
Locked = total - vested
This model vests the remaining tokens linearly from the schedule start over the full vesting length, with nothing beyond the initial unlock released until the cliff ends, then catching up to the elapsed fraction. Vested is capped at the total allocation.
Using the result
- Before the cliff ends, only the initial unlock is available.
- At the cliff, the linearly accrued portion to that date releases in one step.
- Once months elapsed reach the vesting length, 100 percent is vested.
- Token amounts are denominated in tokens; multiply by price for a fiat value.
- Confirm the exact schedule against the project's official tokenomics documentation.
Token vesting: frequently asked questions
What is a token vesting schedule?
A vesting schedule releases an allocation of tokens gradually over time instead of all at once. A common structure is a cliff, a period during which nothing vests, followed by linear vesting, where tokens release evenly until the full amount unlocks at the end of the vesting term.
What is a cliff in vesting?
A cliff is an initial waiting period during which no tokens vest. At the moment the cliff ends, the portion that would have accrued during the cliff is released in one step, and vesting then continues linearly. Cliffs are used to ensure a minimum commitment before any tokens unlock.
How is the vested amount calculated?
Before the cliff, only any initial unlock (TGE allocation) is vested. After the cliff, the vested amount equals the initial unlock plus the remaining tokens scaled by the fraction of the vesting period elapsed past the start, capped at the total allocation once the full term has passed.
What is an initial unlock or TGE allocation?
An initial unlock, sometimes called a token generation event (TGE) allocation, is a portion released immediately at the start, before the cliff and linear schedule apply to the rest. It is common in token sales to give holders some liquidity up front. Enter it as a percentage of the total allocation.
Does this model match every project's schedule?
It models the widely used cliff-plus-linear structure with an optional initial unlock, measured in months. Some projects use stepped, milestone-based, or back-weighted schedules that differ. Always check the project's official tokenomics document; this tool reproduces the standard linear case from the inputs you provide.
Official sources
- Ethereum.org: Tokens and decentralized finance.
- U.S. SEC Investor.gov: Investor education on token offerings.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 17 June 2026. See our methodology.