How Does a Token ‘Cliff’ Period Affect the Vesting Schedule?

A cliff period is an initial segment of the vesting schedule, typically 6 to 12 months, during which no tokens are released to the recipient. If the recipient leaves the project before the cliff date, they forfeit all their unvested tokens.

Only after the cliff period ends does the regular, gradual vesting (e.g. monthly release) begin. The cliff serves as a strong incentive for early team members and investors to commit for a minimum period, ensuring stability and preventing a quick exit with vested tokens.

What Is the Purpose of a ‘Reverse Vesting’ Clause?
How Can the Market Track the Vesting Schedules of a Crypto Project?
How Does a “Cliff” Period in a Vesting Schedule Function, and What Is Its Purpose for a Crypto Project?
How Does a Vesting Cliff Differ from a Linear Vesting Schedule?
What Is a “Cliff” in the Context of a Vesting Schedule?
How Does a Token Vesting Schedule Relate to a Lock-up Period?
What Is the Concept of a ‘Pre-Commitment’ and How Does It Differ from the ‘Commitment’ Step?
How Does a “Cliff Vesting” Schedule Work?

Glossar