Token Unlock Event
A specific date on a vesting schedule when a previously locked tranche of tokens enters circulation. Unlocks frequently amplify sell pressure and volatility; tracking the unlock calendar is part of any serious token risk review.
Aliases: unlock event, token unlock, TGE
A token unlock event is a date — set in advance on the vesting schedule — when a tranche of locked tokens becomes liquid. Once unlocked, the tokens can be sold, transferred or used as collateral.
Types of unlock
- TGE (Token Generation Event). The first unlock; the moment a token becomes tradable.
- Cliff unlock. A large one-shot release at the end of the vesting-cliff.
- Linear vesting tranches. Small slices unlocking daily or monthly after the cliff.
Why unlocks matter
- Sell pressure. Teams and early investors commonly realise profits at unlocks.
- Price drawdown. Traders front-run major unlocks by shorting in advance.
- Voting weight shifts. Newly unlocked team tokens shift the governance balance of power.
Where to find the calendar
- The project’s own docs (whitepaper, tokenomics page).
- TokenUnlocks.app, CryptoRank — third-party trackers.
- For TON: TON Society project pages and analytics channels.
How to handle an upcoming unlock
- Before. Estimate how much circulating supply grows. >5% is a serious drawdown risk.
- At the moment. Watch on-chain — are unlocked tokens moving to CEX addresses?
- After. If price holds, it’s a positive signal.
Related terms
- vesting-cliff
- tokenomics
- airdrop — a special case of community-share unlock