Non-Traditional Unlock Mechanisms

Understanding the difference between vesting unlocks and emission-based releases

Overview

Not every project distributes tokens through a vesting schedule. While many do, others rely on mechanisms such as mining, staking rewards, or inflation schedules.

At Tokenomist, we track both. For tokens like Bitcoin (mining rewards), Bittensor (emissions), or Solana (staking inflation), supply enters the market continuously rather than through unlock cliffs. In these cases, we use the word “release” rather than “unlock”.

Some users have asked why tokens without unlocks appear on Tokenomist. The reason is that regardless of the mechanism, these tokens still introduce new supply into circulation, which affects valuation, float, and dilution. Whether tokens are unlocked from allocations or released through emissions, the market impact is similar: more supply becomes available.

Methodology

Unlocks vs Releases

  • Unlocks: Supply entering circulation from vesting schedules or allocations (e.g., team, investors, treasury).

  • Releases: Supply entering circulation from continuous mechanisms (e.g., mining, staking rewards, inflation).

In practice, there are times when the two words are used interchangeably in the product, since both describe new supply being introduced. However, the distinction matters for context, and we are working on making this clearer in the interface.

Allocation Specific vs. Whole Token Releases

Releases can appear in two forms on Tokenomist:

  • Allocation specific releases: For projects like Solana, some allocations (e.g., staking rewards) are tracked as ongoing releases, while others still follow vesting unlocks.

  • Whole token releases: For tokens such as Bitcoin or Kaspa, the entire circulating supply is emission-based, so the whole token is modeled as a release schedule rather than unlocks.

Examples

  • Bitcoin (BTC): Entirely release-based via PoW mining rewards.

  • Kaspa (KAS): Entirely release-based via emission schedule.

  • Bittensor (TAO): Entirely release-based via ongoing emissions.

  • Solana (SOL): Mixed model—staking rewards are releases, while some allocations follow vesting unlocks.

Looking Ahead

Our goal is to make it easy for users to understand when and how much supply is entering the market, regardless of mechanism. Over time, we’ll refine our labels so it’s always clear whether a figure represents an unlock or a release, and whether that applies to an allocation or the entire token.

As the industry evolves, we’ll continue updating our approach to ensure these distinctions remain accurate and relevant.

Where To Next?

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