How to Complete This Timeline
1. Fill in stakeholder rows:
- List each stakeholder group (Team, Investors, etc.)
- Note their token allocation in the first column
- Shade/color cells to show when tokens unlock
- Use different patterns for cliff vs. linear vesting
- Write percentage unlocked in each cell if helpful
3. Define vesting types:
- Cliff: No tokens (leave blank or mark with X)
- Linear: Equal amounts each period
- Milestone: Based on achievements
- Immediate: All tokens at launch
- Add up all unlocked tokens per month
- This affects token price pressure
48-Month Vesting Timeline
Shade cells to indicate vesting periods. Use legend below for color coding.
| Stakeholder Group | Token Allocation | % of Total | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | Year 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | |||
| Team & Founders | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seed Investors | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Series A Investors | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Advisors | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Community Rewards | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Treasury/DAO | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Public Sale | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total Circulating Supply per Month → | (Calculate cumulative unlocked tokens) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Legend (Color/Shading Code)
Cliff Period (no unlock)
Linear Vesting (gradual unlock)
Milestone Vesting (event-based)
Immediate (unlocked at launch)
Example: Team Vesting
Scenario: Team has 15% of tokens (15M tokens) with 12-month cliff and 36-month linear vesting
- Months 1-12: Shade RED (cliff period, zero tokens unlock)
- Months 13-48: Shade GREEN (417K tokens unlock per month = 15M ÷ 36 months)
- Result: Team has no tokens for first year, then gets ~2.8% of their allocation monthly for 3 years
Vesting Summary Table
| Stakeholder Group | Total Allocation | Cliff Period | Vesting Duration | Vesting Type | Monthly Unlock Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team & Founders | |||||
| Seed Investors | |||||
| Series A Investors | |||||
| Advisors | |||||
| Community Rewards | |||||
| Treasury/DAO | |||||
| Public Sale |
Sell Pressure Analysis
Critical Question: When do large token unlocks happen?
- Identify months with high unlock volume (potential price drops)
- Stagger unlocks to avoid "cliff bombs" where too many tokens release at once
- Consider market conditions: Do unlocks align with expected demand/growth?
- Add lockup bonuses or staking incentives to encourage holding
Presentation Tips
- Walk through the timeline month-by-month for the first year
- Highlight when major stakeholders become liquid
- Explain how your schedule prevents dumps better than competitors
- Show what percentage of supply is circulating at 6mo, 12mo, 24mo, 36mo
- Be ready to defend: "Why not longer vesting?" or "Why such a short cliff?"
© Joerg Osterrieder 2025-2026. All rights reserved.