What is Vesting?

Vesting means tokens unlock in stages rather than being fully available on day one. A schedule might release a portion after an initial waiting period, then drip out the rest monthly over a year or more. It is used to keep insiders committed and to reduce sudden sell pressure.

This matters for rewards because your headline allocation is not always spendable immediately. If an airdrop is vested, you may receive a slice now and the remainder over months, which changes how you plan and lowers the risk of a giant instant dump crushing the price.

Example: a contributor is granted tokens with a one-year cliff and then two years of monthly unlocks, so they get nothing for twelve months, then a steady stream afterwards.

Safety note: vesting details are public in a project’s documentation or contract. Scammers sometimes claim you can “unlock vested tokens early” for a fee, which is an advance-fee scam. Real vesting cannot be bypassed by paying a stranger. Related terms include token generation event, lockup, and claim window.