Token Vesting Schedule Calculator

A vesting schedule controls when allocated tokens become claimable. Standard structures combine a cliff (a delay during which nothing unlocks) with linear vesting (a steady release after the cliff over a defined period).

Given total allocation, cliff duration, vesting period, and start date, the calculator outputs a month-by-month unlock schedule. For a 4-year vest with 1-year cliff, nothing unlocks in months 1 through 12; at month 13, 25% unlocks at once, and the remaining 75% releases evenly across months 14 through 48.

The math is piecewise linear. Before the cliff: vested = 0. At the cliff: vested = (cliff_months / total_months) × allocation. After the cliff: vested = ((current_month - start) / total_months) × allocation, capped at the full allocation. For multi-tranche schedules (a chunk on TGE, then linear, then a final cliff), the calculator stacks each segment. Smart-contract vesting contracts implement exactly this math; the calculator mirrors the on-chain logic without requiring you to read Solidity.

A worked example. A grant of 100,000 tokens with a 6-month cliff and 36-month total vesting. At month 6, the cliff unlocks: (6/36) × 100,000 = 16,667 tokens become claimable. Each subsequent month unlocks an additional 100,000/36 = 2,778 tokens. Month 7: 19,444 vested. Month 18: 50,000. Month 36: full 100,000. If the grant is a 4-year vest with 1-year cliff (the startup-equity standard borrowed for tokens), the cliff is 25,000 tokens at month 12, then 2,083 per month for 36 months until month 48.

Limitations and edge cases. The calculator computes the theoretical schedule. Actual claimability depends on the vesting contract being deployed and not paused, the issuer not having a legal lever to modify off-chain agreements, and you not getting terminated before vesting. Most token plans include 'good leaver' versus 'bad leaver' clauses that can accelerate or claw back unvested allocation; the math is identical but the trigger conditions vary widely. Token vests also typically have an additional issuer-controlled lockup beyond personal vesting — even after your tokens vest, the broader cohort schedule may prevent transfer for some additional period. Tax treatment is jurisdiction-dependent: the US generally taxes vested-and-claimable tokens as ordinary income at the price on the vest date, with capital gains accruing from there. Some jurisdictions tax only on disposal. Check with a crypto-aware tax advisor before assuming the vesting schedule and the tax schedule are the same.