Token vesting is a mechanism that releases tokens to a recipient gradually over time according to a predefined schedule. Unlike token locking — which releases the full amount on a single date — vesting releases tokens incrementally.

A typical vesting schedule includes a cliff period (a minimum time before any tokens are released) followed by a linear unlock that releases a proportion of tokens each month or quarter until the full allocation is distributed.

Token vesting is used for team token grants, investor allocations, and DAO treasury distributions where gradual release is required to align long-term incentives. On Solana, vesting is provided by dedicated platforms such as Streamflow.