Cliff vs. Linear Vesting Explained
Linear vesting releases tokens continuously over time; a cliff delays any release until a set date, then unlocks the accrued amount. Learn how cliff and linear vesting combine.
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Linear vesting releases tokens continuously and proportionally over a period — e.g. an equal slice every day between a start and end date. A cliff is an initial period during which nothing is claimable at all; when the cliff date passes, the amount accrued up to that point becomes available at once, and linear vesting continues from there. The two are usually combined: a cliff, then linear vesting to the end.
Example
A 12-month vest with a 3-month cliff releases nothing for 3 months. At month 3, 25% (the 3 months accrued) becomes claimable, and the remaining 75% streams linearly until month 12.
Why teams use a cliff
- It aligns incentives — no tokens unlock until a contributor has been around past the cliff.
- It's the standard structure investors expect for team and advisor allocations.