What Is the Purpose of the ‘Cliff’ Period in a Vesting Schedule?

The cliff is an initial period (typically 6-12 months) during which no tokens are released, even if the team member leaves. It ensures that team members must commit to the project for a minimum duration before receiving any tokens.

This prevents short-term mercenaries from joining, getting tokens, and leaving immediately, thus aligning incentives for the initial, critical phase of development.