Token Vesting Calculator — Understand Your Crypto Vesting Schedule
Calculate token vesting schedules with cliff periods, linear vesting, and unlock milestones. Essential for startup founders, employees, and early investors.
Token vesting is how Web3 startups align long-term incentives — founders, team members, and early investors receive tokens that unlock over time rather than all at once. If you've been offered tokens as part of compensation or an early investment, a vesting calculator helps you understand exactly when and how much you'll receive. The CalcHub Token Vesting Calculator maps out any vesting schedule with cliff and linear components.
Common Vesting Structures
Standard startup equity-style: 4-year vest with 1-year cliff- Year 1 (cliff): 25% unlocks on the 12-month anniversary
- Years 2–4: remaining 75% unlocks monthly (2.083% per month for 36 months)
- TGE (Token Generation Event): 10–20% immediate unlock
- Cliff: 3–6 months, nothing unlocks
- Linear: remaining tokens over 12–24 months
- TGE: 0% (full cliff)
- 12-month cliff
- 36-month linear vest
How to Use the Calculator
- Enter total token allocation (total number of tokens)
- Enter TGE unlock % (what unlocks immediately at token launch)
- Enter cliff duration (months of lockup before vesting begins)
- Enter vesting period (total months over which remaining tokens vest)
- Select vesting frequency (monthly, quarterly, or continuous)
- Get a full month-by-month table of cumulative unlocked tokens
Example: Early Investor Allocation
Total allocation: 1,000,000 tokens
TGE unlock: 10% (100,000 tokens)
Cliff: 3 months
Vesting: 18 months linear post-cliff
| Month | Event | Tokens Unlocked | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 (TGE) | TGE unlock | 100,000 | 100,000 |
| 1–3 | Cliff | 0 | 100,000 |
| 4 | Vest begins | 50,000 | 150,000 |
| 12 | Month 9 of vest | 50,000 × 9 = +450,000 cumulative | 550,000 |
| 21 | Full vest | Final 50,000 | 1,000,000 |
Valuing Your Vested Tokens
Token vesting schedules are only one part of the picture. The other is token price at the time of each unlock:
| Scenario | Token Price at Unlock | Value of Monthly 50K Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Bear market | $0.02 | $1,000 |
| Current market | $0.15 | $7,500 |
| Bull run | $0.80 | $40,000 |
Reading Token Unlock Calendars
For any token you're evaluating as an investment, check the vesting schedule and upcoming unlock events. Token unlock calendars (published on sites like Token Unlocks or Messari) show:
- What % of total supply is currently circulating
- When large unlock events occur (team, investor, foundation)
- The potential sell pressure from each unlock
What happens to unvested tokens if I leave a project?
Vesting contracts in smart contract form are immutable — the tokens continue vesting unless the contract has explicit forfeiture conditions. In traditional equity-style arrangements (not on-chain), unvested tokens revert to the project's treasury. Always read the actual vesting contract terms. On-chain vesting (via Sablier, Hedgey, or similar protocols) is self-executing — no one can stop the unlock if the contract is already deployed.
What's TGE and why does it matter for vesting?
TGE (Token Generation Event) is when the token first launches on a blockchain. Vesting schedules are typically pegged to TGE as the start date, not the date you signed your agreement. If there's a long delay between your agreement and TGE, your cliff and vesting period effectively start later than you might expect. The TGE date is usually the legal zero-point for all token allocation vesting.
Can vesting schedules be modified after issuance?
On-chain vesting contracts generally cannot be modified once deployed (that's the point of smart contracts — immutability). Off-chain vesting agreements can technically be amended with all parties' consent, but this is uncommon and requires careful legal structuring. When evaluating a project's token allocation, on-chain vesting is far more trustworthy than a PDF schedule that could be changed unilaterally.